British Attack Aachen

The people of Aachen were unprepared when 75 bombs hit the cloister in the first large-scale attack by English bombers on January 15, 1941 which dumped 176 high explosives bombs and 3,000 incendiary bombs. The city could not be evacuated because the air raid system broke down, and 145 people were killed or injured.

Because the fire brigade was overtaxed, 18 boys and girls created a group to guard the cathedral around the clock from then on. Light was forbidden during air raids, and in the dark of the cathedral the children climbed the tower stairs, hanging on to swaying railings and listening to the thunderous explosions echoing greatly because of the cathedral’s acoustics. As the attacks became heavier, the young guardians of the cathedral helped perform the dangerous jobs of cleaning up debris and clearing duds. In the end, the cathedral survived, despite five fires and a direct hit by a heavy bomb. Above is a contemporary wire photo showing the devastation to the old city center describing Aachen as an “enemy stronghold.”