Contrasts in Combat Casualty Care

To ascertain the contribution of surgery to combat casualty care, battle casualty statistics for the German Army in Russia during 1941 were contrasted with similar statistics for the American Army in France during 1944. The German organization for the provision of combat casualty care was designed to evacuate the seriously wounded to the rear and to care for the lightly wounded at the divisional level. The corresponding American organization was designed to provide life-saving care as far forward as the divisional clearing company. Results are expressed in percentages of all casualties: dead—German 32%, American 24%, returned to duty—German 66%, American 55%. Superior American surgical care resulted in the savings of 70–80 more lives per 1000 casualties, but the increased salvage was not synonymous with “conserving the fighting strength.”