The L'Anse sentinel., 1924-01-18
British Figures Show 500, ,00O,'
600 Spent for Single Fight
in World War.

New York.-Everybody knows thai
the late and still lamented war was
not only the biggest but the costliesi
war in history. 1t remained for Great
Britain to show how rapidly modern
warfare runs into money, so that, for
instance, the mere setting of the stage
for single battle may cost upward
Of $100,OOO,OO0.
During the fourteen days from July
II to July 80 1917, the British army
was getting ready for the third battle
Of Ypres. Part of this preparation
consisted in a thorough bombardment
Of the German positions, during which
the British guns expended 4,2S3,550
rounds Of ammunition. This ammuni-
ton cost f22, 2,211 ,3S9 14s 4d., or ap-
proximately $107,947 ,351 at normal ex-
change, according to statistics of the
military effort of the British empire
during the great war"
This formidable volume, recently
published with the sanction of the
war office, audits Armageddon and
renders cost accounting of destruc-
tion with almost appalling mlnuteness,
as witness the four pence noted in the
receipted bill for the preliminary bonn
bardment of Ypres, which is further
more itemized to show the different
varieties and sizes Of shell used. They
ranged from 1,6O6 fred by the giant
fifteen inch howitzers to 2,2396OS
shrapnel and high explosive from the
etghteen-pounders corresponding to
)ur three-inch field gun. Next to these
the six-inch howitzers consumed most
shell-750, 119-and the 4.5-inch gun
was close third with 72S,345.
The total cost of this preparation
was greater than that Of any other
( INDUCED In by the British during the
war. But the cost per day had
mounted to an even higher level six
weeks earlier, when, from May 20 to
June Q, they were getting set for the
battle of Messines. During a period
of IL days their artillerists expended
3,56l,83O rounds at an approximate
cost of SS5,075,5O2. This averages
S,734,227 a day, where the longer
bombardment at Ypres averaged ST.
710,525.
Nearly 10 Million Shot In Day.
But even Ypres and Messines do not
represent the peak load. The heaviest
expenditure in any single day by the
British armies in France was from
noon to noon, September 1920, 1918,
when they pushed off for the final ad-
vance In Flanders before the armis-
tice. During these "a hours 943,847
rounds were expended, very nearly
II shells second or 720 minute
The stated approximate cost of this
ammunition was $1S,S13,06O, which
amounts to $783,87S an hour and $13,
O64 minute. Every time watch
licked Off second that day the equiv
alent of $217.77 or more than tn,
monthly income Of the average family
went up In smoke.
These figures are for artillery am
munition and for France alone, wher,
the estimated strength Of the British
forces, all ranks and labor units. O,
November 1, 1913. was 1,966,727 Off
GERS and men. And this was only on
Of several theaters of war In whicl
British land sorces were operating. u
Italy, on the same date, their mum
Der was 83,630; in Selonica, 1e3 .OO7
In British East Africa, 1850: 4
Egypt, 458,246; In Mesopotar,ia. 4O8
188, and at Alden I1,481, giving gran
total Of 8,228.879 in the expeditionar
forces. To this must be added the Q,
timated strength Of British and G,
lonial troops at home. i,6O3, ,ss4, an
In India, Burmah and the garrisons ,
defended ports. This brings the tot,
estimated strength Of British lar
forces ten days before the armistice !,
GS88.oz8.
10 maintain and operate such q
I. .