Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-04
One-halt lost almos. half a. many

one-half. lost almost half a. man,
men.
The 77th Division-the only Ma.
tional Army Division to have greater
losses than the, 79th-only exceeded
the latter by about 500 losses, al.
tnough 1t fought desperately at the
Vesie in August, long before the
great September offensive.
likewise, the 9Th Division, which
lost but 115 more men than the 7stt
partcpated in the reduction of the
81 Mihiel salient before going to the
Argonne
| Even a further indication of the
terrinc losses in the 18th as com par.
ed to other divisions which sweep
northward on a twenty-mile from
on september 26, is the loss in the
S4oth Infantry. That unit, attache e6
10 the 15Sth Infantry Brigade of the
aS1h. had major casualties totaline
| eVo' Wnich were the greatest of al
me National Army Infantry regi.
Fought Four Months
IN fact. the 316th's losses were
within 342 of the losses of the 1I0th
infantry OF the 2Sth Division. and
that latter unit has the distinction
ot losing more men, than any other
regiment in the Army. The 110th.
however. fought from July Is 10
the end OF the war-practicaIly four
months-while the s16th fought a
month and one-half.
The 18th went in on September
20 and was relieved October 1. II
returned to the offensive November
l northeast of Verdun but did not
pegin aetual fighting until Novem-
Der Z. From then on it was engag-
ed in a bitter struggle. SUMMARIZED.
the results are these:
Twenty-eighth Division. davS Of
$50. So'' o.
Seventy-ninth Division, days of
2.sSs. -''eS'
The comparison IS not to detract
from the magnificent work of the
zSth or any other division. but
merely to demonstrate what two
orief offensives cost the selective
service men from eastern PennsyI-
vania and Maryland.
The 316th Infantry, named by
General March as having lost 500
men, was badly cut up north of
Montfaucon between September 2s
and October 1, and lost heavily again
on November when it took the
Bois de Corneuillers northeast of
Verdun.
Sad Distinction
The 18th holds another sad dis
tinction, a distinction shared by the
2Sth. These two Pennsylvania divi-
sions and the fighting First were the
only divisions to have more than
1000 men missing. While the First
Division led in this respect, the 2Sth
and 18th followed close behind with
1,1l5 and 1,142, respectively.
The 2Sth Division holds numerous
records. 1t lost moro men prisoners
than any other division. with a total
OF 6S1. Two of its infantry regiments
the 10eth and 10th. had the greatest
casualties in the entire army. It's to-
tai major losses exceeded those of
any National Guard Army division
and were only exceeded by the First
Divisions losses. 1t stood fourth in
the total number of men killed with
1874. being led by the Sd, 42d (Rain-
bow) and 80 (Michigan and wiscon-
sin National Guards) in that respect
The catastrophe at the Marne on
July Is accounts for the banner in
which the division excee8 in total
losses, in men missing and in pris-
onerS -Four companies, two from the
1osth and two from. tho 1f0th, were
literally cut to pieces by the Ger
mans on July is. There were 1ust
about enough survivors from all four
companies to form q single unit of
$50 men when the action ended. This
disaster also accounts for tho pre-
ponderant losses OF the two regi-
ments, the 11oth. with 11l3. and the
i0eth with 1112.
The bulk Of the losses IN the f10tf,
were sustained IN four engagements
July IS when two companies were
almost wiped out; July 80, when the
regiment took the Grimpette woods
along the Aurcq; in August North
of the Vesle. and in late September.
IN the attack on Apremont
The losses of the 10sth were gar
nered on July IS south Of the Marne;
in August. north OF the vesIe, and
late in September in the attack on
Apremont-
The losses Of the 10sth were gar
nered on July Is south of the Marne;
in August, north of Fismette: In early
September. south OF the Aisne, and
in late September. on the Argonne
front at Apremont
The 10eth Infantry Is composed of
the old First Regiment. N. G. p, of
Philadelphia, and the Thirteenth
from the vicinity OF Scranton.
The 10th Is made up OF the old
Third Regiment OF Philadelphia. and
the Tenth of Western PennsvlvaDIa