tire
161st German Regiment, consisting of 4,000 men, were slain and a
Bavarian regiment suffered a heavy loss in killed and wounded. The
French took 1,000 prisoners; and only 2,000 of their own men were
unable to answer roll call after the fight, of whom many were only
slightly wounded.

In concluding the account of the battle of the Artois it may be
admitted that the French had won what has been called a brilliant
victory, but it had not been a complete success. They had made an end
of the German salient; and only the last defense of Lens remained. How
much they had reduced the pressure on Russia is problematical; but
there is little doubt they had prevented the Germans from continuing
the offensive on the Ypres front. They estimated the German loss at
60,000; and, by a peculiar coincidence, the Crown Prince of Bavaria,
whose armies they fought, estimated the French loss at the same
figure--60,000. It is known they lost many men in the hand-to-hand
struggles; but their great forward movement was so well protected by
their artillery that the French loss there was comparatively slight.
Some idea can be gained from the fact that one French division killed
2,600 of their enemy and captured 3,000 prisoners with a loss of only
250 slain and 1,250 wounded. But the greatest gain to the French was
probably the fact that the battle of the Artois had proved to the
soldiers of the republic that their artillery was the equal of the
German, which had been the arm in which the Teutons excelled. It also
proved that the Germans could not intrench themselves in any manner
that was impregnable to the French; for they had taken the Labyrinth,
a most complicated series of military engineering feats which were
supposed to be able to withstand any assault. And lastly, and perhaps
of most importance to the French, the belief in the superiority of the
German soldier, as a result of 1870 was shattered in the mind of the
Frenchman.

CHAPTER XX

BRITISH FORWARD MOVEMENT--BATTLE OF FESTUBERT

To aid the French in the Artois, the British made a forward movement
in the Festubert region in May, 1915. Its purpose was to prevent the
Seventh German Corps from sending troops and artillery to reenforce
Lens. Moreover the British, if they succeeded, would take the Aubers
ridge, which they had tried to gain in the battle of Neuve Chapelle.
If they could capture the Aubers ridge, the way would be opened to
Lille and La Bassee. The action began