BATTLE AT FESTUBERT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2344, 29 December 1914, Page 5

BATTLE AT FESTUBERT

THE GERMAN VERSION London, December 27. i wireless message from Berlin officia'ly states: — "It is now possible to judge the success of the battle against the British and the Indians at Festubert and Bethune. Nineteen officers, 819' men, fourteen machine-guns, two French mortars, and other material were captured. "The British left three thousand dead on the field and asked for an armistice to bury the dead. The German losses were comparatively small." The above message apparently refers to the Manchester Regiment's osploit cabled on December 24. FIERCE FIGHTING. THE BRITISH VERSION., London, December 27. "Eye-witness," who is at British head-quarters, described the fighting at Festubert as fierce, and while the British were compelled to yield to superior numbers, they eventually recovered the lost ground. i ' The only reference oabled on December 24 to an exploit by the Manchester Regiment is an necount of an incident at a place not named, resulting in two members of the regiment receiving the Victoria Cross. Festnbert is three miles horth-east of Bethune. j TEMPORARY SET-BACK. BRITISH LOSSES EXAGGERATED. . (Rec. December 28, 9.30 p.m.) London, December 28. The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent at Festubert, between Richebourg, Lavoue, and Givenchy, states that' the latest fighting there was from December IS to 21, with a temporary British set-back. Then the British recaptured fcho lost ground. The British casualties have heen grossly exaggerated. "Eye-witness" with the headquarters states the sort of armistice referred to by tho Germans was that informally arrangod to enable both sides to bury their dead. • Fesiubert is 4} miles north-east of Bethune. i