ENEMY'S LOSSES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2550, 26 August 1915, Page 5

ENEMY'S LOSSES

AN INTERESTING ANALYSIS PRESENT STRENGTH IN THE FIELD tOTAL NET LOSS A MILLION AND A HALF ftr Telegraph—Press Association-Copyrfelit tondon, August 24. ... It is learned from the best informal tion available that the numbers of tho enemy armies on the Western and Eastem fronts on July 31 were Western, 1,800,000. Germans; Eastern, 1,400,000 Germans, with probably 1,120,000 Austrian, making in all 3,200,000 Germans, armed and in the actual fighting line. Besides these, a large number of Germans,' principally Landwelir and LandBturm. are in the garrisons, l fortifications, and lines of communication, be-sides-convalescents and invalids. It is impossible to say how far -these reserves are armed ana equipped,. but the.fact that-the total number on the two fronts is only 3,200,000 appears to show that that is about the largest ' number the German Government, with all its preparation and .resources, is able to put fully equipped into the fighting , line. • - . - . First Line Troops. From a date shortly; after the outbreak of war thfi Germans supplied the losses in their first lino reserve by men from the second, line,, an<l. even .third line troops, namely, Landwehr and Landsturm. It is, however, no longer Possible to speak with, accuracy of the German first line as distinguished from the second and third lines. It is safer to regard all in the fighting line as of . the same quality. Whilst the original first line has been largely supplied'from the second and third lines, the two latter glasses contain! a considerable leavening of first line troops and reserves. In. the' first few months of the war - it was calculated that the first line troops lost about 50 per cent, in casualties, and the reserves about 25 per cent.- Their places were taken-' by the recruits of 1914, and men from, the remaining categories. . Tho units reformed, including, the 1915 class of re- ' emits, have since then 1 again lost 50- per cent, in casualties, so that probably there remains only about 25 ' per cent, of the original first line, to which must be added the slightly wbunded tfho liavo returned to the fighting line. Enemy's Casualties. • The German casualties reported up to Juno 30 totalled 1,672,444, of which liumber 306.123 were'killed, 15,808 died of disease, and 540,723 are either missing; prisoners, seriously -wounded, or permanently out of action. There has been very heavy fighting on both fronts since June, and a large proportion of the ; casualties . for Juno and: later are Hot reported. An estimate of the total loss for the year provisionally is two million.. If we accept.the official statement oi 1,672,444' for ten months as correct, and assume that half a million slightly wounded recovered, the effective ,loss mav fairly be - assumed as a million, exclusive probably_ of hair a . million ■Wounded, absent in hospital, or on leave. Therefore, the total net loss is 1.500,000 for tho year, of which 400,000 to 450.000 were killed. There is no data, upon which to accurately calculate tho nuiubor of Germans taken prisoner. It, appears probable that the Germans 'at the, beginning of the. war had eight million available for service, which was possibly increased by 1,000,000 or 1,1>00,000. If every one eligible gave his services. it is remarkable that only 3,200,000 are in the fighting line/ The only reasonable explanation is that the Germans are unable to supply more arms, equipment, guns, and animunitiou. Thoy.'may yet increase tho equipment. 'A considerable number of eligibles are reauired in the war factories, who are ' included in the eight millions. It must be remembered that half a million youths , attain military age every , twelve, months. . The class of 1914, which is included in the eight-millions, has already seen service and has contributed material losses. The class of--1914 probably numbered 750,000, because - all the men previously put back from former classes for various reasons were called up in December, cannot be greater than 350,000; but'it has suffered inconsiderable losses. The classes of 1916. and 1917, of which the first are now training, cannot be greater than. 400,000 together, because they are so young that many are unfit for immediate servicc.- . i