STATISTICS OF THE WAR.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 245, 29 September 1922, Page 7

STATISTICS OF THE WAR.

THE EMPIRE’S GREAT EFFORT. London, .July 27. “Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War. 1914-1920.” is the title 01 a volume issued by the War Office ve> terday, which covers every phase of the effort put forward by the Empire during the great struggle. Interesting descriptions'of some ot the most thrilling episodes of the war are interspersed * ith the statistics. The story of the tanks, for instance, is tbld. Mainly with the object of keeping their existence a secret, they originally formed part of the Machinegun Qorps, under the title of “Machinegun Corps. Heavy Section.” There is no specific date on which the formation took definite shape, but it was “about 6th March, 1916.” The tanks continued to form part of the Machine-gun Corps until 27th July, 1917. when the Tank Corps was created by Royal Warrant. The first four tank companies went to France in August. 1916. and were first used in action on the Somme on 15th September, 1916. An illuminating chapter is th’e section which deals with the contribution made by the various parts of the British Empire. To the victors went the trophies of war. and the volume tells us that some 3595 guns. 15,044 machine guns. 75,824 small arms, and 7887 other trophies have been distributed. Tables are given of the estimated strength of the forces abroad and at home, the strength of the Labour Corps, and the growth of the individual arms of the service. The strength of the Army on Ist August. 1914, is given at 215,451. In another table is given the estimated strength of the forces abroad and at home month by month from November, 1916. until November, 1918. when there is a grand total of 5.336.943. T hn sunnlv of explosives and retaliatory poison gases is reviewed. M e started the war with 750.006 rifles, at a time when we were engaged in the introduction of thfc improved Mark VII. ammunition, which necessitated the resighting of the rifles with which it was used. The output of new rifles

iii England in .Inly, 1911. was normally about SIMM) a month. By the end oi May. 1915. a total of 175.0(40 repaired or new rifles bad /been turned out. “Small arm ammunition.” ’it is stated “gave us grave anxiety, and at tinii ' our reserve was very low We were obtaining, however, al the end of May. 1915. from 90 to |(M) millions a month, while orders bad been placed to raise this figure to 300 millions a month and even more.” Over 1,250,000 rifles were issued to the troops during 1914-15. in all directions the numbers an<| achievements of the various branches of the military forces are reduced to figures. Tin* record extends even to “the hours flown per casualty” on the hattiefront. The British soldiers’ achievements are set forth. Hie decorations they received; and when they failed \\e are told of their delinquencies, ami even the slightest acts of insubordination have been carefully compiled.