Poem ~ Paris Attacks - Tuesday, 31 July 1917

Source: File: From Geographical Imaginations: Is Paris Burning? A look-out man operates a portable siren above the city. See an original image at: <https://geographicalimaginations.com/2012/10/20/is-paris-burning/> 
[Accessed 31 July 2017]

Within war comes propaganda;

Opposing sides give denial

Of what the other side says.

Arial activity over the capital

Of France, found multiple
German bombing air raids.

As a precaution army of Paris
Firemen warned the people
Of enemy crafts approaching.

Weird, unusual sounds stirred

Paris, as firemen on roofs blew

On bugles or sounded sirens.

Above air raid alarms French

Air craft took flight over city,

In a darkening, melting sky.

Ground and sky became

As one - deep darkness cut

By beams of searchlights.

German official reports told
Of railways targeted in Paris,
To hit their mark with damage.

By Saturday, French replies

Made denial - that enemy

Planes had left no destruction.

Neither material loss nor loss

Of life - wireless messages

Were received by Admiralty.

Yet Parisian military bases

And railways were hit, with
German pilots safely returned.

Sunday July 29th, a Journal

Told of a suburban air raid

To describe damages done.

One store of combustibles

had been hit - also a factory

Yard, to leave small effects.

Two more fell appropriately

Into gutters, while shell havoc

Hit beds of innocent cauliflowers.

Any resulting explosions

Lacked involved descriptions,

As another bomb hit a centre.

Noted as important, maybe

Military, one turret exploded;

Being close to civilian houses.

The blast blew out material

To injure a single sleeping lady -

More bombs harmlessly fell.

Some hit one large enclosure,

With three in a boulevard -

Another damaged flowerbeds.

Sunday 29 July saw repeat.

30 minutes after midnight

Came the sounds of bugles.

Firemen called reveille and

Again set sirens loud across

Sleepy Paris, all as a caution.

Readied French squadrons

Took action to flight; reportedly

Sending enemy backwards.

News via Petit Journal, from
Versailles said bombs exploded,

All lost in the open countryside.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Bombs On Paris - No Victims Or Damage. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 30 July 1917. P.4. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214740/Daily-Telegraph-July-30-1917.html [Accessed: 31 July 2017].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 31 July 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214740/Daily-Telegraph-July-30-1917.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Third Year, 51 Weeks Of War - Monday, 30 July 1917

Source: File: Over German aerodrome. 
See an original image at: <http://www.earlyaeroplanes.com/archive3.htm> [Accessed 30 July 2017]

Along the battle front, into the Belgium sector

On the 4th day, 51st week in the 3rd year of war,

Artillery raged - reports verified by Douglas

Haig, described enemy artillery close

To Armentieres and coastal area North of Ypres.

Yet allied activity was equal in the air above,

On the 4th day, 51st week in the 3rd year of war.

Attacks carried out by the Royal Flying Corps

Led bombing attacks across German

Aerodromes, to number 4 to make destruction.

Downed aircraft of the enemy numbered 16;

On the 4th day, 51st week in the 3rd year of war.

The attack force flew 40 miles into territory

Of the enemy - the report for Friday,

Told that three allied craft remained missing.

While raids were made through high clouds,

On the 5th day, 51st week in the 3rd year of war,

Also saw night trench raids by British Tommy’s

At Fontaine-lez-Croisilles, Havrincourt

Fleurbix, Epehy and Rouex, in Ypres proximity.

Machine gun, trench mortar and 77 prisoners,

On the 5th day, 51st week in the 3rd year of war

Proved a prize - yet air battles also continued -

A great wave of high activity would have

Seen 14 downed enemy craft and 16 destroyed.

Not without cost, as 13 allied plane were lost,

On the 5th day, 51st week in the 3rd year of war.

Further bombing raids over 2 aerodromes

Whilst enemy railway stations suffered;

Flyers took out 2 German observation balloons.

Claims from a Berlin perspective entered news,

On the 5th day, 51st week in the 3rd year of war.

Their own pilots taking down 35 allied craft -

How one squadron shot downed 6 pilots,

While ground saw intensity of highest artillery.

French efforts proved successful defence, on

4th and 5th days, 51st week in the 3rd year of war,

Having repulsed German attacks over Chemin

De Dames - as were those in Champagne

And Meuse between Hill 304 and Avocourt Wood.

At La Bovelle to Hurtebise French took ground over

On 4th and 5th days, 51st week in the 3rd year of war.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. The War - French Success - Activity In Flanders. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 30 July 1917. P.5. Col.1. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214740/Daily-Telegraph-July-30-1917.html [Accessed: 30 July 2017].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 July 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214740/Daily-Telegraph-July-30-1917.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Belgium