Concerning the German losses before Verdun, Col.  Feyler, a Swiss military expert, wrote on April 10 as follows:  “It is certain that the first great attacks in February and March caused the German assailants very exceptional losses.  The 18th army corps lost 17,000 men and the 3d corps lost 22,000.  These are figures which in the history of wars will form a magnificent eulogy on the heroism of these troops.  It will become a classic example, like that of the Prussian Guard at St. Privat, France, August 18, 1870.  It is probable that before Verdun, as at St. Privat, the leaders underestimated the defenders’ strength, especially in cannon and machine guns.

“There are other examples.  In the unfruitful attack on Fort Vaux, the 7th reserve regiment was literally mowed down by machine guns, while the 60th regiment lost 60 per cent of its effectives.  In the attack on the Malancourt and Avocourt woods, March 20, three regiments of the 11th Bavarian division, whose record in this war seems to have been particularly praiseworthy, lost about 50 per cent of their men.”

LOSSES OF THE FRENCH.

While the greater bulk of the total losses in killed and wounded before Verdun was sustained by the Germans, however, it must not be imagined for an instant that the French defenders of the fortress escaped lightly.  On the contrary, their losses were likewise enormous, being estimated by the German general staff at a total of not less than 110,000 from February 20 to April 1.  A considerable number of French troops, officers and men, were also captured by the Germans during the numerous attacks in February, March and April upon the French trenches and other positions before Verdun.

A MILLION MEN ENGAGED.

Some idea of the tremendous forces engaged on both sides in what will probably be called in history “the Siege of Verdun,” may be gained from the brief summary made on April 1 by an observer present with the army of the Crown Prince of Germany on the north front of the Verdun battlefield, from which point of vantage he telegraphed as follows: 

“Probably not far from a million men are battling on both sides around Verdun.  Never in the history of the world have such enormous masses of military been engaged in battle at one point.

“On the forty-mile semicircular firing-line around the French fortress, from the River Meuse above St. Mihiel to Avocourt, the Germans probably have several thousand guns, at least 2,500, in action or reserve.  Were each gun fired only once an hour, there would be a shot every second.

“As probably half the guns are of middle and heavy caliber, the average weight per shell is certain to be more than twenty-five pounds.  It follows that even in desultory firing about 160,000 pounds of iron, or from four to five carloads, are raining on the French positions every hour.  And this is magnified many times when the fire is increased to the intensity which the artillerymen call ‘drumming’ the positions of the enemy.