VERDUN CASUALTIES

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1540, 18 April 1916, Page 2

VERDUN CASUALTIES

Respecting the relative casualties to attackers and defenders at Verdun, the Germans claim to have captured over 35,000 prisoners. To this it is replied by experts that the total french losses in killed, wounded, and missing, from February 21 to April 10, do not exceed 36,000, and that of these only 17,000 are unaccounted tor. There has been no German attack on the Verdun sector since Wednesday, so that it would be safe to place the total French casualties at less than 40,000. It is unquestionable that the Germans have lost at least six times this number. At the end of March the German losses were estimated as over 200,000 by neutrals whose calculations were based on information from Germany ; since the beginning of the month, numerous attacks have been delivered in jpassed formation, and in the face of the deadly French fire. Qne of the beat proofs that can be offered of extraordinarily heavy German losses is the reported cessation of the attacks, which ought to be continued if intended to draw the

Allies from other points, apart from the possibility of capturing Verdun.