7. The Onset of Guernica’s Doom
Guernica’s population was in good spirits when the alarm first sounded, and maintained good order as a Catholic priest took charge. About five minutes later, a single Condor Legion Heinkel He 111 arrived. Unchallenged by any air defenses, it circled the town at a low altitude, before it finally dropped six heavy bombs in the town’s center, apparently intended for the train station, and disappeared. The bombs missed the station, but struck nearby houses and other buildings. People emerged from the shelters, and many began to clear the rubble and help the injured. Five minutes later, another German bomber arrived, and dropped another six heavy bombs on Guernica’s center. About fifteen minutes later, three more German warplanes, Junkers Ju 52s converted into bombers this time, struck. They dropped bombs of varying sizes as they subjected the town to carpet bombing – a tactic invented by the Condor Legion.
