GERMANY’S RESERVES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1594, 5 August 1916, Page 4

GERMANY’S RESERVES.

From a trustworthy French source the London Daily Telegraph publishes the following interesting informa I ion concerning Germany’s available reserves: The questioning of prisoners who fall into the hands of the French gives valuable indications as to the slate of the German effectives and the manner in which they have been constituted since the beginning of the present year. It is an actual fact that the 1916 class appeared on the German front at the beginning of December, 1915, and portions of it were successively found incorporated in Sixth Reserve Corps, the 10th, 11th, (it h, and the 56th divisions. Since the month of February, 1916, the proportion lias considerably increased, and in some corps has even reached the total of (lie reinforcements provided. Statements made by prisoners belonging to the Third Corps est ablished I lie fact; that, (be reinforcements grought to the front down lo March Kith, 191(5, contained only 25 per cent, of members of the 191(5 class, whereas, after that date, owing to the enormous losses sustained before Verdun, the percentage increased very rapidly. Thus the 24th Infantry Regiment, whose losses in the period between February 21 si; and April 25(b varied from 259 to 259 men pm- company, received alter .March 10th only young men born in 189(5. In the (ith Regiment of (he Guard (Garde Ersatz Brigade) the reinforcements brought upon April 451 h comprised 75 per cenl. of men of the 191(5 class. On March 19th the tilth Regiment (Third Corps) had 69 per cent, of its recruits belonging to the same class. There is a large body of evidence lo show that the Germans have extensively drawn upon (be reservoir which they had in the 191(5 class. The French have good reasons to believe that Ibis reservoir is very near to exhaustion. Tims a-letter Irom Ingolstadt, dated April 191 It, says: “The reservoir is being emptied. Every departure for the front was hitherto followed by the arrival of an equal number of men for their first training. Six ; oousand men. left the oilier week and not one lias emue to lake vheir places. Spirits arc also depressed."