When German was constrained, August 25, 1944, of aba­donner, the rage in the heart, the hill of the Guard to the valiant soldiers of the 3rd Division of Africa, they took the basilica like target at once.
The German batteries, installed in the city and its periphery, crossed their fires on it. It is miraculous that the building, still covered today of glorious scars, was not destroyed.
However, after each enemy artillery salvo, of the hundreds and the hundreds of windows opened by the city, of the anxious faces appeared and, dissipated the smoke which wrapped the basilica meurtrie, a cry of joy was écha­pait of thousands of chests: " It always holds!
It held! Divine protection was on it! And Marseilles very whole tressaillait of joy.