From French officers and nurses I heard appalling tales of this tragedy. The death-wail of the black troops froze the blood of Frenchmen with horror. Their own losses were immense in a bloody shambles. I was told by French officers that their losses on the first day of battle were 150,000 casualties, and these figures were generally believed. They were not so bad as that, though terrible. Semiofficial figures state that the operations which lasted from April 16th to April 25th cost France 28,000 killed on the field of battle, 5,000 who died of wounds in hospital, 4,000 prisoners, and 80,000 wounded. General Nivelle’s offensive was called off, and French officers who had said, “We shall break through⁠ ⁠… It is certain,” now said: “We came up against a

bec de gaz . As you English would say, we ‘got it in the neck.’ It is a great misfortune.”