Richard Hargreaves wrote:The following is an extract from an addendum to a OKW communiqué issued early July 1942 after the fall of Sevastopol. I'd be interested to know how accurate (or not) the losses given are (they cover all three branches of the Wehrmacht although I'm assuming a good 90 per cent will be Heer). It's not that I don't trust the veracity of OKW communiqués...
In the period between June 22nd 1941 and June 21st 1942, 271,612 officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the entire Wehrmacht died on the Eastern Front faithfully fulfilling their duty. The number of missing over the same period is 65,730. We must assume that given the severity of the fighting the majority of these will not return. As for specific details, in the five months of victorious offensive battles in the summer of 1941, 162,314 officers, non-commissioned officers and men fell, 33,334 were missing. During the five months of bitter defensive fighting during the winter of 1941-42, the number of dead was 88,977, missing 26,319. During the past two months, since our offensive attacks resumed, 20,321 officers, non-commissioned officers and men fell, the number of mssing is 6,077.
I think the figures are reliable,but,of course not complete :a number of the WIA died after they were wounded,there also are the non combat losses (sick,....) of which I never have seen a figure for 1942 ,etc.
From WWII Stats,the following losses for the army and WSS only:
till 30 november 1941:KIA 152591,WIA :542837,MIA 29933
between 30 november and 31 march:KIA :80085,WIA 280093,MIA 21327
between 31 march and 30 june :KIA 44920,WIA 170621 MIA 10350
Total:277300 KIA,993551 WIA,61630 MIA
