The spire of Coventry Cathedral to-day stood as a sentinel over the grim scene of destruction below following a dusk-to-dawn raid on the town which the Nazis claimed was the biggest attack in the history of air war. Casualties are officially estimated as being in the region of 1,000.
Some fires were still alight when, with the coming of dawn, the German bombers flew off to terminate a night of merciless, indiscriminate bombing. The Luftwaffe, carrying through the raid (which Berlin, claiming that 500 ╒planes took part, described as reprisal for the R.A.F. attack on Munich), used terror-bombing tactics. From dusk to dawn there was seldom a period of more than two minutes when a bomb could not be heard falling. The centre of the city bears witness to the savagery of their attack.
In the first six hours of the attack wave upon wave of 25 or more bombers in quick succession scattered hundreds of bombs of all types over a wide area. Brilliant moonlight was not sufficient for the German airmen, who dropped flares and incendiary bombs to light up the scene soon to be bathed in a great red glow.
The barrage from the ground defences never slackened and for most of the night the raiders were kept at a great height from which accurate bombing was impossible.
CATHEDRAL A MASS OF RUBBLE
The famous Cathedral is little more than a skeleton, masses of rubble forming huge mounds within its bare walls, while other targets including two hospitals, two churches, hotels, clubs, cinemas, public-shelters, public baths, police station, and post office.
The Provost (the Very Rev. R. T. Howard) and a party of cathedral watchers attempted to deal with twelve incendiary bombs. They tackled them with sand and attempted to smother them, until a shower of other incendiaries, accompanied this time by high explosives, rendered impossible their efforts to save the Cathedral, only the tower and steeple of which remain. ╥The Cathedral,╙ said the Provost, ╥will rise again, will be rebuilt, and it will be as great a pride to future generations as it has been to generations in the past.╙
To-night the Cathedral was a reeking shell. Blackened arches and window faces of fretted stone, still stately for all their disfigurement, framed a picture of hideous destruction. Blocks of masonry, heavy pieces of church furniture, and plaques commemorating famous men were merged into a common dust.
In addition to the two churches, a Methodist chapel was wrecked, as well as a library (with thousands of volumes and treasured manuscripts), a hall, a ward and operating theatre of one hospital, the outbuildings of an isolation hospital, two hotels, and a newspaper office. Some retail shops, large stores, and office buildings were destroyed by fire or damaged by high-explosive bombs.
FIREMEN USE DYNAMITE
With some of the gas, electricity, and water mains damaged, shortage of water handicapped the firemen, and in some cases it was necessary to use dynamite to prevent neighbouring property from being involved in the flames.
In the city and suburbs it was impossible to walk down many streets without seeing some kind of damage. The centre of the town has been seriously damaged by fire and high-explosive bombs. Groups of refugees thronged the roads from the town, making their way from their devastated homes in the hope of reaching country billets before to-night╒s black-out.
Few shops were open, but throughout the day shopkeepers and businessmen have been salvaging what remained of their possessions. The amazing thing about them was that they could still smile. They were grubbing about among shattered timber and bricks, rescuing stock-in-trade, typewriters, files of business papers, and the like, and putting the best face upon calamity. Some shopkeepers whose shops had gone sold their recovered wares on the pavement, while businessmen went about the job of setting themselves up in new premises.
Together with this private enterprise went official action. The Ministry of Food had promptly stepped in to make sure that the people should have their quota of goods in spite of damage to shops. An Official was instructed to check the food position and, if necessary, to draw upon emergency stocks. He found, however, that the town╒s supplies were not materially affected. The Mayor (Alderman J. A. Moseley) also gave the assurance that ╥everything possible will be done for the sufferers and the homeless.╙
Mobile canteens are doing magnificent work in helping to feed the homeless people, and this evening private cars, loaded to capacity with comforts were pouring into the city.
