In every war each side hides or downplays its own losses and exaggerates the losses of the enemy.

Samuel Johnson in 1758: 'Among the calamities of war may be jointly numbered the diminution of the love of truth, by the falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages.'[0]

[0] https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-21...