A memorial to the bombardment of Paris - 1918

[Tom Morgan]

I took this photo earlier this year, while in Paris with a school tour group. On the wall of the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris, at 60, Boulevard Saint-Michel, are some bullet holes and what looks like fragmentation damage and a plaque commemorating two events. One is the fighting for the liberation of Paris on 25th August, 1944, and the other is the Bombardment of Paris in January, 1918.

Can anyone tell me anything about this 1918 bombardment?

(In case anyone's wondering, the lower plaque commemorates Jean Montvallier-Boulogne, who was killed here during the liberation fighting, 25.8.44, aged 24).

Tom

Edit: I should have mentioned - I don't think it was the famous Paris Gun, which bombarded Paris in March 1918. I know there are other buildings near the Opéra which bear the marks of bombs from an aerial bombardment on 30th January, 1918, but haven't been able to find out anything about a 20th January bombardment.

[Tom Morgan]

Another one - this time a memorial to an aerial bombardment on 30th January, 1918.

Still looking for information on the bombardment of January 20th, though.

Tom

[Christina Holstein]

Gothas, apparently, Tom. There's plenty on the web: http://www.parissecret.fr/le-30-janvier-1918-paris-bombardee/

http://www.aerosteles.net/fiche.php?code=paris-bombcl

There's quite a lot more of the same stuff but all in French.

Christina

[Tom Morgan]

Thanks for the links, Christine. The French text is no problem for me. I'm beginning to think that the date on the Boulevard Saint-Michel plaque might be wrong!

Tom

[Stoppage Drill]

War Illustrated issue 184 (23 Feb 1918) has this in "Our Diary of the War" -

"Jan 30.

Gotha attack on Paris.

Four Squadrons of German aeroplanes heavily bomb Paris at night. Two hospitals are hit, and several buildings burned and damaged.Casualties:49 killed, 296 wounded. One German aeroplane brought down and its occupants taken prisoner."

[Tom Morgan]

Thanks, SD. A very interesting non-internet source that mentions the attack on the 30th. I still haven't found any reference to such an attack on the 20th.

Tom