The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-01-28
Made Preparations to Drop
Torches from Aeroplanes
and Bomb the Firemen.
THERE WE'RE MANY RAIDS
Lucius Bennett Writes Quoting
Paris Newspaper as Saying
1,2J1 We're Killed and Injured
January to October.

Carl G. Bennett mas received the
following letter from his brother,
Lucius Bennett. 14th Co, End Regt.
Air Service Mechanics, st Mazaire,
France:
Paris, like London, is engaged in
making up the account the Germans
will have to settle for the satisfac-
tion Of having bombarded the city by
aeroplanes, Zeppelins, and long range
guns.
The air raids began very early in
the war. When Won Kluck thought
he had Paris at his mercy in August,
1914, Taubes flew over the city
dropping bombastic manifestos
When the great coup failed the air
raids began and the Figaro gives the
following tables of the city's expe-
riences:
Paris (excluding suburbs). bombs
dropped-1914, AS; 1915. 70; 1916,
61; 1917, IA.
On October 18th, 1914, II missiles
were dronped and 6Z on March goth,
1915. Then the big series Of raids
commenced with the following re-
suits:
191SOJanuary to October.
zeppelins and aeroplanes, bombs,
22S; killed. zoo; injured, 1872.
Big Bertha shell, bombs, 16S;
killed, 196; injured. AT.
Total bombs, 800; killed, 4O2; in
jured, 500.
Total casualties, 1.211.
The worst day OF the lombard
ment was March %. 1919. with 21
shells and the worst day OF the air
raids was January 80, 1918, with 50
bombs dropped. killing SO people and
wounding 1872.
The Figaro adds that the Germans
had yet more frightfulness in pre-
paration. a great plan had been ma
tured to set Paris on fire. Small in
cc0diarv bombs had been prepared
Each aeroplane could carry 200 Of
these and it was proposed to send
35 machines and drop at least 5000
of these fire brands While the fire
brigades were engaged in these fur
ther fiotilla was to attack the city
and lombard the crowds OF helpers
which were sure to have gathered
The figures given above are for
Paris only. The raids which have
taken place over the various towns
OF France, must run into thousands.
and from no criterion to compare
with the 60 aeroplanes and SO air
ship raids on England. in which ] =
413 people were killed and 3,4O7 in
jured
From the above figures you can
see that the worst raids occurred
during my stay in Paris On sew
eral occasions we had as many as
three or four raids in one night
think there is a mistake in the fig
ures given by the Figaro on the
number OF shells fired into Paris by
Big Bertha, as one day / counted
them myself and about ten were fired
In the city at the rate Of one about
every fourteen minutes. and others
at longer intervals which made a to-
tai OF about twenty that day. AT
that rate there is undoubtedly mis-
take, as they were kept up for quite
while. / was only a few blocks
from where several exploded in
Paris, and on one occasion was only
one block when II exploded and kill
ed several people Was there in less
than minute after 1t happened.
The raids were wonderful to look at
at night. Near the French camp
where I was stationed there was an
Old castle high uD on hill over
looking Paris, where you could see
for miles around you. We would get
M on top of this and watch the
raids I've never seen ANYTHING az
beautiful as the display shown. the
shells from the anti-aircraft guns
bursting for miles all around you.
The Hun p1anes above YOU didn't
sourA so good, but We knew thov
couldn't see us. so took n all IN
with the greatest Of case. The
bombs falling and bursting didn't