HAVOC AT COVENTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 300, 18 November 1940, Page 7

HAVOC AT COVENTRY

SCENE OF DEVASTATION. INDISCRIMINATE ATTACK. (United Press Association— Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Nov. 15. The spire of Coventry Cathedral to-day stood as a sentinel over the grim scene of destruction after the all-nig’ht raid on the town. The cathedral is little more than a skeleton. It was impossible to walk in the streets in the centre of the city and the suburbs this morning' without seeing' either damage or sheer devastation. The casualties arc reported to lie 200 killed and 800 injured. The dead include five air raid wardens and seven firemen. Eighteen persons were killed in one public shelter. Groups of refugees throughout the day thro.ngod the roads leading from the town, making their way from then devastated homes in the hope of reaching billets in the open country before the black-out. Mobile canteens throughout the day performed magnificent work in helping to feed the homeless. Comforts arc pouring into the city from towns and villages for miles around. - . Firemen battled all night against tremendous odds. The rain of bombs damaged the gas, electricity and water-mains and tlie shortage of water forced the firemen to dynamite buildings to prevent the spread of the flames. . The Minister of Home Security (Mr Herbert Morrison) arrived a few hours after the raid and toured the wrecked citv. He said the local authorities were taking full and prompt measures to deal with the emergency.

The people of Coventry regard this' as a nasty business, hut they realise that it would lie a thousand times worse if Hitler ever came here. Such actions can only add to the determination of the people to put everything possible into the war effort. FACTORIES AT WORK. To-night, despite the terrific devastation, the hum of the war factories can still be heard and the city’s war effort is almost unimpaired. Tens of thousands of skilled workers, both . jnen and women, carried on throughout the day and night.

Coventry’s three main streets are reduced to ruins and in some places it is impossible to tell what was once roadway and once shops and houses. The contours of the streets have been completely obliterated.

The demolished buildings include two clubs, live cinemas, most of the central hotels, and hundreds of shops and business premises. Hundreds of suburban houses have been battened and thousands rendered homeless. A council house containing the police headquarters is almost the only building of any size within half a mile of the centre of the city. In the early hours of to-day thousands of weary children trudged from the city, carrying salvaged goods and pushing perambulators, carts and bicycles laden with their meagre possessions Oddlv enough, many Elizabethan half-timbered houses withstood the bomb blasts, whereas modern buildings collapsed. .Many public shelters received direct hits," causing heavy casualties, hut hundreds of shelters in the suburbs stood up, saving thousands of lives. UNEQUALLED DEVASTATION. Correspondents declared that nothing in Madrid or i< inland or even Lontlm, compared with Coventry’s devastation. Ail agreed that it was to describe the spirit of tiie people'. Wardens reported that there was no panic and no hysteria throughout the night. A cordon has been drawn around the city to prevent the influx of the curious. Within the city a few battered shops reopened at the usual time. Those irreparably damaged displayed remnants of goods on the footpaths, and trading was going on while firemen a few yards away battled to subdue the fires and rescue squads toiled to release those who had been trapped. The local agents of the Ministry ol Food cut out red tape, enabling the people to obtain supplies without ration cards. Tho Lord Mayor of London sent £IO,OOO from the distress fund for the relief of the sufferers. Tho Times in a leader says the Government rightly concealed neither the name of the city nor the gravity of the damage because the public would be glad of the chance to express their pity and admiration or the sufferers’ ordeal so heroically endured. The high casualty rate, the destruction of many houses, and the severe damage to the cathedral in Coventry have aroused more intense feelings of antagonism against the Nazis and their methods than any other incident in the indiscriminate bombardment to which London consistently, and some provincial cities periodically, have been subjected.

‘‘STBIKE ANYWHEBE.”

While tlicro is no question that an industrial plant is a legitimate objective, the wholesale unloading of highexplosive and incendiary bombs from aeroplanes unable to penetrate the target area because of anti-aircraft fire is thought to provide conclusive evidence that, while the Nazis may he assigned military targets, they arc also told to strike anywhere in a very general area regardless of what may actually be hit if they are in any way obstructed from reaching their particular target. One Nazi explanation of this attack was “a reprisal for bombing Munich.” The Daily Telegraph says: “Certainly it shows all the symptoms of having been inspired by exasperation. It is undoubtedly a reflection of the heaviness of the blows the R.A.F. has been dealing at German industry and military power. The Times says: “Why that particular excuse should be given for this particular attack is not clear. The enemy has invariably done as much harm as he could by indiscriminate bombing since he first launched the air offensive on Britain, and it is not for lack of will that he has so far failed to inflict similar casualties and damage upon other places.” The King, accomnanicd hv Mr Morrison. spent more than four hours in Coventry. The King was everywhere greeted bv cheering crowds, with cries of “God save you,” and “Thank you for coming.” The King frequently commented to the Mayor on the wonderful spirit of the peonle. His Maiestv talked to the neople, and saw for himself what was being done for the many hundreds who lost tliei'; homes. Where the damage was worst the King watched soldiers clearing the roads and working with the A.TCP. personnel on the remains of many lniibl ines.

The Earl of Dudley, regional commis-

sioner, was also present. A leading member of the aircraft industry said that, while it was wrong to' describe the damage to the industry at Coventry as negligible, interference of production would not he large and conditions should he practically normal shortly as iar as armament work was concerned. The buildings destroyed in addition to the Cathedral and old Palace yard include .the baths, library, two churches, five cinemas, two largo hotels, a newspaper office and seven stores. The Regional Commissioners said the municipal authorities and population had taken up the work of restoring normality speedily. Mr Morrison said: “I am proud of the way tlie corporation behaved. It is a great tribute to the fine spirit of British local government.”