April 14.--The first phase or act of the offensive, launched with
unprecedented masses of troops, completely failed to reach its aim and
entailed losses that no lesser success could warrant. Begun on March 21,
with three armies--those of von Below, von der Marwitz, and von
Hutier--counting nearly fifty divisions, about forty more had to be
brought in before the first week was out.
By that time the French armies had been pushed northwestward with
admirable rapidity and characteristically splendid spirit, and by the
last day of the month the host of the Prussian Crown Prince, including
the Guard and others of the best German units, had been fought to a
standstill from Noyon and Lassigny to the Avre and the Somme.
Several hard combats in the last fortnight, the latest ending in the
French recovering the village of Hangard on Friday and their useful
advance yesterday near Arvillers, do but confirm this result. That the
German losses are fully commensurate with the ambition of their aims and
the prodigal method pursued is shown by another fact unprecedented in
the history of war.
At the end of three weeks of the offensive about 1,500,000 men have been
cast into the battle, and seventy-five divisions have become so
dislocated as to have to be withdrawn for reorganization. It is
therefore probable that the total German casualties up to date approach
500,000.