Shelling and Raids Into The City
After taking hostages with them, the Germans started to retreat from the city in late afternoon. An hour after their retreat, artillery fire was laid down on the city from nearby hills. It was very efficient as Kalisz is located in deep valley. Additionally, the Germans had ordered the day before that all citizens should illuminate their homes which helped in directing the fire. This continued for several days, with Germans staging short raids into the city. As the shelling started fires, a general panic broke out, and even as Germans threatened to kill anybody escaping, people tried to escape by whatever means they had. Large crowds of panicked people, children, elderly with any possessions they could grab were running from the city, which became almost deserted. Just on 5 August, 10,000 people fled the shelled town. The Germans took additional hostages, mistreating them and even killing some. Only after the intervention of the Catholic Church were some released and others sent to POW camps in Cottbus.
Read more about this topic: Destruction Of Kalisz
Famous quotes containing the words raids and/or city:
“Prosperity cannot be restored by raids upon the public Treasury.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)
“Union of the weakest develops strength
Not wisdom. Can all men, together, avenge
One of the leaves that have fallen in autumn?
But the wise man avenges by building his city in snow.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)