Reims (France) -- History; World War, 1914-1918 -- France -- Reims
26 Bombardment continued, 129 shells to 2 A. M.; 52 from 4 to 7 P. M.;
77 from 9:30 to 11:15 P. M.
27 Bombardment continued, 144 shells (53 from 12 to 2 P. M.; 91 from
4 to 5 P. M.).
28 Bombardment continued, 126 shells (1 at 1 A. M.; 4 at 10:30 A. M.;
16 from 4 to 6 P. M.; 92 from 7 to 8 P. M.; 13 at 9 P. M.).
29 Bombardment continued, 59 shells (28 at 5 P. M.; 10 from 7 to
8 P. M.; 21 from 10:30 to midnight).
30 Bombardment continued, 83 shells (15 from 2 to 3 A. M.; 16 at
10:30 A. M.; 12 from 4 to 5 P. M.; 40 from 9 to 11 P. M.).
31 Bombardment continued, 34 shells from 9 to 11 P. M.
September, 1917
1 Bombardment continued, 107 shells (83 from 1 to 4 P. M.; 24 at
8:30 P. M.).
2 Bombardment continued, 12 shells (2 at 6:30 A. M.; 7 from 10 to
11:15 A. M.; 3 at 6 P. M.).
3 Third anniversary of the first bombardment of September 3, 1914.
Bombardment continued, 10 shells.
Postscript
The present chronicle stops at the third anniversary of the first
bombardment. On September 2, 1914 the French army evacuated Reims. The
bombardment actually began on September 3, 1914 by the dropping of two
bombs by German aviators. It was an unexpected preface to the formal
bombardment of the next day, when the Germans sent 176 shells into
Reims, although actually in possession of the city. September 3, 1917
thus completes three full years of the bombardment, which has
accomplished nothing save the ruin of the city and the destruction of
its great cathedral.
After a city has been besieged for three years; after it has, for that
time, been subjected to the agony of modern artillery warfare, it would
seem quite time to review such details as are obtainable and survey the
results achieved by the besiegers. The daily summary given in the
foregoing pages shows exactly what the Germans have done and what they
have accomplished. Day after day, particularly in 1917, they have thrown
innumerable projectiles into Reims, and wrought the utmost damage they
could. But the outstanding fact to the French is that the Germans are
still bombarding Reims. The siege did not stop with the end of the third
year, but it is still going on as these pages pass through the press.
This is the triumph of Reims, that it is still French, bent and broken
as it is, bowed as its vast church is with the great trials to which it
has been subjected, the city and its cathedral are still French! Before
this ruined heap of stones--for Reims is scarce more than that, this may
yield small comfort. Yet Reims is still France, knock the barbarian ever
so fiercely.
It is, perhaps ominous that while detailed figures of the German
missiles thrown in Reims have been published in the local newspapers
rather freely, no word as to the destruction they may have accomplished
has been uttered. The veil that covers Reims has not yet been lifted,
nor can the full measure of her agony yet be reckoned.
[Illustration: THE HÔTEL DE VILLE]
The Buildings of Reims
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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