German Atrocities: A Record of Shameless DeedsLe Queux, William
History
German Atrocities: A Record of Shameless Deeds
Le Queux, William
World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities
But, as though not satisfied with the success of the first attempt, the
Germans determined upon another dastardly raid. A few nights after the
first outrage a Zeppelin again appeared over the city in the dead of
night. Ten bombs were discharged, and damaged a number of houses. No
lives were lost, however. A boy of fifteen had his right arm injured by
a flying splinter, while his father and sister and one or two others
were slightly injured. A graphic description of the raid is given by the
_Daily Telegraph_ correspondent. “I was awakened,” he relates, “by the
rattle of rifle-fire from neighbouring roofs and the hideous crash of
exploding bombs. Hurriedly descending into the Place Verte, I was just
in time to see an airship disappearing southward. She was at a
tremendous height, but could be clearly seen in the rays of the
searchlight. There was an incessant rattle of shots from rifles and
machine guns from the darkened town, and shrapnel could be seen
exploding like meteorites in the trail of the flying marauder. All round
the Place Verte from the roadway, and from points of vantage on the high
buildings, spurts of flame indicated the efforts of the firers to bring
down the hated ship. Immediately the searchlights fixed upon her the
Zeppelin made off at great speed.”
Worse than the Boxers.
Surgeon-Major Seaman, of the United States Army Reserve Corps, who
helped to tend the wounded, was so indignant with these cowardly tactics
on the part of the Germans that he communicated with his Government,
asking it to join at once in exacting reparation from Germany for such
infamies. He declared that in all his eight campaigns, of which one was
against the Boxers in China, he had never seen an act of war so
ruthless, so horrible, as the sight of three young girls mutilated and
defaced, and of the dead young mother, all attacked in their beds at
night. And with him the civilized world will agree.
Other airship and aeroplane raids were made on Antwerp and also upon
Paris, but fortunately none has been attended with either great loss of
life or destruction of property. But that such should be the case
affords no excuse for crimes which rank among the greatest committed by
the ruthless German army.
“=At this moment the words ‘German culture’ are synonymous for
rapine, murder, and hideous cruelty. This is a state of things
which ought to be grasped by the people of Germany.=”
--From the _Morning Post_.
XVII.
“=Against ordinary though severe reprisals upon civilians who have
fired upon the German troops we have not a word to utter; but
outrage, mutilation, burning alive, and so forth are not reprisals;
they are atrocities which make the name of Germany stink in the
nostrils of mankind. It is hard to believe that a civilized nation
should have so reverted to savagery, but unfortunately the facts
admit of no dispute.=”--From the _Globe_.
“The Hussar-like Stroke.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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