Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1927-03-13 | Page 7 | Losses in World War

LOSSES IN WORLD WARA WAR WARA A controversy over O the losses In the tho world war has started over Winston Churchill's statement In his war memoirs that that offensive warfare was far more costly than the defensive Churchill declared the British in n the tho offensives lost three to two and often double the corresponding German G losses and he be points to Paschendale le In 1917 I as a severe setback for tor the Brit British ish To this Major Gen Gene al Frederick Maurice who was dl- dl di dl director rector of military operations of the ho British staff answers anners by show show- showing ing lag that at between July luly 31 and September 10 a pe pe- period of ot nine the ithe the British losses in killed tilled missing and pris- pris prisoners pris prisoners were the German it The losses Including wound wound- wounded ed td for tor the wh whole le battle batlle up to December 10 were British German German Then the gen genral general ral presents th the following figure figurea The losses In hilled il wounded mIssing and prisoners in the final nal to British offensive offensive- from August the end of October l big U a perIod of cf fourteen weeks s wel e British and Germans To turn to the figures gures of ot the spring of 1918 the total losses Josses again In killed missing and prisoners from Irom March 21 1 to April SO SOa O 0 Oa a a t or of five weeks weeks week's were ere 1 1531 and Germ Germans ns Thus our losses ln these categories t gories we were were in five e weeks considerably greater than the corresponding los losses or of orthe the whole 19 weeks ot of f dale dale The The losses in killed wound wounded ed missing and prisoners ners for the five weeks were BrItish and Germans Owing to the fact tact that we e were ere retreating It was difficult difficult to to to give fe wounded care to the and It is probable a a higher r p proportion ion of German wounded than British reo re returned turned to ta the front fr nt fire So o lost lost 93 93 prisoners not as Mr lir Chur hlll says BaYS The point Is that our losses In n five weeks of ot de defense tense in 1918 were approximately three times as great as In corre- corre corre periods of our costliest attack In the tha autumn of ot 1917 without taking any account of ot our immense losses In guns and ma ma- material tonal In the spring of ot 1918 and they were approximately the same as fo n fourteen weeks of o victor victorious ious bus advance where we in our turn gathered Immense booty The figures prove that both sides suffered tremendous losses in five ve weeks weeks ot of or the spring of 1918 the British and Germans lost In the 4 1 14 weeks in n the fall of or 1915 the total losses were or 01 for tor 19 39 weeks of heavy lighting It Is well that the war did not continue another year rear with I losses so great