The Arvada enterprise., 1924-02-07
COSTS MILLIONS
FOR One BATTLE
British Figures Show $100, ,000,.
600 Spent for Single Fight
in World War.

New York.-Everybody knows that
the late and still lamented war was
not only the biggest but the costliest
war In history. II remained for Great
Britain to show how rapidly modern
warfare runs into money, so that, for
iastsnce, the mere setting Of the stage
~ q single battle may cost upward
oe $lOOOOO.0OO.
During the fourteen dnys 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 q thorough bombardment
sf the German positions. during which
the British guns expended A.2Ss. $50
rounds Of ammunition. This ammuni-
don cost f22. .211 $3.50 Ia 4d.. or ap.
proximately e1O7. .947, ,S5l At normal s1-
change. according to Statistics Of the
military effort OF the British empire
during the great war"
This formidable volume. recently
publishsd With the sanction Of the
war eGles, audits Armassddon and
rssAses Q cost accounting Of dsstsue.
eioa With almost appalling udnutsnses,
- wttssss he four pence noted tn The
rscsiptsd btll for the preliminary bom-
bardmsnt Of Yprss, which u further
uoes itsmissd to show the di6sfeat
varieties and sixes Of shell used. They
ranged from 1905 fred By the giant
nfteea inch howitzers to 2,z8o. .006
sAfapnel and high explosive from the
>ishtssn-pounder corresponding to
,ur three-inch neld gun. Next to these
ths six.inch howltsers consumed most
shell-7oO. .1lo-and the 4.5-inch gun
was n close third with 72S,36.
The total cost OF this preparation
was greater than that Of any other
INDUCED In BY the British during the
wAr. Bat the cost PEI day had
neuntsd to an even higher level slx
weeks earlier. when, from Nay 20 to
June 9, they were getting set for the
battle Of Aessines. During q period
Of II days their artillerists expanded
$751; $50 rounds at an approximate
cost Of S86.O75.5O2. This averages
S7,7S4.227 . day. where the longer
bombardmsnt At Yprss averaged st..
7l0,o25.
Nearly 10 MIllIsn Shet In Day.
But even Ypres and Messines do not
esprsosot the peak load The heaviest
expenditure In any single day by the
British armies In France was from
noon to noon. September $3.50. 1918,
when they pushed OF for the nnal ad.
vance In Flanders before the armis-
ties. :: .:1ng these "a hours 0AS.sA7
rounds were expended, very nearly
u shells . second q 720 . minute.
TIE stated Approximate cost Of this
ammunition was 4lS,Sl1.Oo0. which
amounts to S7es,s7s an hosr and elA.
0ol . minute. Every time . watch
tieksd Oh . sscond that day the equiv.
aisat Of e217.n OF more than the
monthly Income Of the avsrass family.
wsot up In smoke.
These figures are tor artillery am.
4nunition and for France alone. where
the estimated strength Of the British
toecss. all ranks and labor units. on
November l. 1918. was l,968.7H ON.
cees and men, And this was only one
Of several theaters OF war In which
British land forces were operating. In
Italy, on the same date. their mum.
her was s3.63O: In Salon!ca. l93.0O7;
In British East Africa. 1880: In
Egypt. a5S.2IG: In MesopotamIa. lOS..
Y 4 I Vi,.In n nj
TOTAL Of 3.22G.SI9 In the expeditionary
forces. To this must be added the rs.
,!mated strength of British and CO.
soninl troops N home, l,G3,3Sl, and
in India, Burnah and the garrisohs of
defended ports. This brings the total
estimated strength of British land
forces ten days before the nrmistice to
:. 5.336pl3
To maintain and operate such ar
mics cos, correspondingly great sums.
The statistics states tina; for the
period from April |. 1914. to March
81. 1919. ave full fiscal years, the army
expenditure proper was equivalent TO
Sla.llS.2i9. .SoI. Of which Si.Oos. .33O. l9S
was spent In l9lS.l9 alone. The aver.
age yearly expenditure during the pc.
rod was S2.s23,6i9.9Sl. The army ex.
rendlture for the year April !. 1919,
To March 81. 1914, was Sl3I ,S57 .2256.
So the average war time annual ex-
p"nilture was 20is per cent OF what
II had been, and during lals.i9 was
NOR. than 2.anO per cent higher.
And the army expenditure was only
one OF several war cost Items An.
other table gives the average daily ex.
r"nd!turcs at d!freren, periods for the
army, navy. munitions, shipping. etc.
MS follows:
i9i6-october s TO December o
Sc79To.ol0 daily.
lai7-April ! TO May ). when the
Germans retrentcd to the HlndenburI
line and the Arrns offensive began
$3.50 2Jl 900 daily.
November l to January n
1918, the period OF the penk load. $50,
o32.620 daily.