The Germans, hard pressed by the French, evacuated Rheims on September 12. Two days later, at 9 a.m., they bombarded the town. Their fire was especially directed against the headquarters of General Franchet d'Espérey, near the Town Hall. On the following days, firing was resumed at the same hour. On the 17th, the first fires broke out. Many civilians were killed or wounded. The vicinity of the Cathedral, which was believed to be specially aimed at, was among the places that suffered most. To protect the Cathedral, which the Germans had fitted up on the 12th for the reception of their wounded, some seventy to eighty German wounded were accommodated on straw in the nave. The Red Cross flag was displayed on each tower, and notice given to the enemy. [Illustration: GERMAN SHELLS BURSTING IN A STREET OF RHEIMS] [Illustration: THE MONT DE PIÉTÉ] On the 18th, the bombardment began again at 8.15 a.m. In addition to the Sub-Prefecture, which was almost entirely destroyed, as were also many important factories, the Cathedral, in spite of the Red Cross flag, was struck by 8-in. shells, which damaged the outside sculptures of the lower windows of the main transept, smashing the 13th and 14th century stained-glass. Splinters of stone killed a French gendarme and two wounded Germans in the lower part of the south nave. On the 19th, the bombardment was intensified. The Town Hall, Museum, hospitals (including that of the Girls' High School), the south side of the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace were all hit. Towards noon, incendiary shells were rained on the centre of the town. At about 4 p.m., a shell fired the wooden scaffolding round the north-west tower which had been under repair since 1913. The fire spread quickly to the roof, the molten lead from which set fire to the straw in the nave. [Illustration: THE SAINT FRÈRES FACTORY IN RUINS (OCT. 1916) (_15 Rue de l'University_)] [Illustration: CENTRAL WOOL CONTROL OFFICE IN SEPT., 1915] In spite of a rescue party, who risked their lives in getting out the wounded, a dozen of the German wounded perished in the flames. The conflagration spread to the Archbishop's Palace, from which it was impossible to remove the tapestries or the pre-historic Roman and Gothic collections. The Protestant Church, the Offices of the Controller of silk and woollen cloths, and the Colbert barracks along the eastern boulevards were burnt. Everywhere new centres caught fire, and nearly thirty-five acres of buildings were destroyed. On the 20th, the bombardment continued with equal violence, then after a respite of two days began again. Of the Place Royale and the Rue Colbert nothing remained but a heap of ruins. [Illustration: THE PROTESTANT CHURCH IN AUGUST, 1917 (_Boulevard Lundy_)] [Illustration: KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL IN THE BOULEVARD LUNDY] On November 1 the number of civilians killed by shell fire had increased to 282.