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| The Spoils of War: Captured German Artillery on Display in Paris |
1) 1 . . . . . . Still unexploded mine on the Western Front (at least — see note below)
2) 12 . . . Air aces of all nations with more than 50 aircraft downed
3) 75 . . . . . . . . … . Distance fired in miles by German Paris Guns
4) 324 . . . . . . . . . . . . .British tanks in service at Battle of Cambrai
5) 466 . . . . . . . . . . Length of Western Front in miles October 1914
6) 4,278 . . . Trains required to mobilize French Army in August 1914
7) 7,000,000 . . . . . . Estimated combatants maimed for life, all nations
8) 8,300,000 . . . . . . . . . . . Estimated combatants killed, all nations
9) 32,000,000 . .Estimated artillery shells fired in Battle of Verdun
10) 61,526,000. . Soldiers mobilized by all belligerents in Great War
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There are many different sources of World War I statistics, so these numbers can vary wildly depending on the source. I attempted take the most conservative credible figures in each case. For instance one archeological report suggested there could be as many as 5 fully charged, unexploded mines underneath Messines Ridge. I decided, however, to stay with the traditional numbers of one cited by most sources, which indeed, refers to a mine on Messines Ridge in Flanders. MH
Amazing what cold figures say of the end of so many young lives, the amount of shells fired.
ReplyDeleteYou are going to have to re-think the first one I think Mike. Three at the Bird Cage ( 78,000 lbs of amatol), one under Petit Douve Farm, under one of the barns (50,000 lb), Peckham, under the farm house, (20,000lbs). And those are just the unfired Messines mines!
ReplyDeleteFor more information on the underground legacy on the Western Front see: http://durandgroup.org.uk/index.html
This is fascinating--sad, but fascinating. Thank you! David B.
ReplyDeleteThere are 4 just south of Messines and at least 2, maybe 3, at Vimy Ridge. One man, (Mike Watson?) was killed making them safe in 1998 (I think) He removed wires and detonators but the charges are still there. A tunnel collapsed on him.
ReplyDeleteIn 1955 while visiting the battlefields of Verdun, there were signs up cautioning visitors to stay on the paths because there were still pockets of deadly gas. This was ten years AFTER WWII!
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