COVENTRY TACTICS REPEATED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21817, 21 November 1940, Page 5

COVENTRY TACTICS REPEATED

MIDLANDS TOWN HAMMERED Assault On London Redoubled United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 20, 9.19 p.m.) LONDON, November 19. Repeating the Coventry tactics, wave after wave of bombers inflicted a hammering on a West Midlands town to-night as part of a nationwide onslaught ranging from London and East Anglia westward to Wales and north-west to Northern Ireland. A West Midlands town was heavily attacked and a shopping street in a town in a neighbouring county received severe damage. Bombs also fell on several other Midlands towns, many hamlets and villages, in spite of fierce ground fire. According to a message from Berlin it is announced that thousands of bombs of all calibres were dropped in the Birmingham raid, equalling, possibly surpassing, that on Coventry. As if bent on compensating for the few nights of comparative relief the raiders assaulted London with redoubled violence. The attack, aided by the first clear night since Friday, was maintained without remission for some hours. The Germans crossed the Kent coast Immediately after dark, penetrating a dense mist over the Straits of Dover. Liverpool was twice raided during the night. North-east and south-east Scotland were also visited. Coventry Death Roll Growing Arrangements have been made for burying Coventry’s victims in a common grave over which a memorial will be erected after the war. Bodies are still being recovered from the ruins, and the death roll is steadily mounting. The Minister of Food (Lord Woolton), in an interview, said 25,000 twopound loaves of bread were sent to Coventry within 24 hours. He decided that the quantity was not enough. He was told four hours later that the figure had been Increased to 40,000, which was too much. Although smoke was still rising from the ruins yesterday, Coventry had rallied, and was cleaning up the city and restoring business and home life. Evacuees who returned to their offices and factories volunteered to assist in clearing the debris when they found their ordinary work interrupted. Demolition squads used steel cacbles and dynamite to destroy dangerous walls and buildings. Long queues were lined up to receive free bread and other foods from mobile canteens, field kitchens and communal meal centres. The Government has commandeered many houses for the homeless. Bus services are resuming. Family Wiped Out The almost total extinction of a London family by a bomb while sleeping in a shelter followed a reunion party to celebrate reconciliation after disagreement. The victims were Mr W. Blake, his wife, son-in-law, sons, daughters-in-law, daughters, and grandchildren. The number of victims is not revealed. One son who was unable to attend the party was the only escapee. The disagreement arose because one son-in-law disagreed with Blake about the safety of the shelter and declared that all would be caught like rats if the house collapsed. Consequently the son-in-law had not slept there for a week. The disagreement was then made up. and Mrs Blake suggested a family reunion. A heavy bomb hit the house, which collapsed. It is now disclosed that St. James’ Church, Piccadilly, was demolished in a recent raid. The verger was killed and his wife wounded. The church, which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1684. On Heavy Scale An Air Ministry communique says: After a day of little activity the enemy resumed the offensive at dusk to-night. Bombs were dropped at many points in England Including the London area, also one town in Scotland, but the main attack was directed against the Midlands and was on a very heavy scale. It began soon after darkness and continued for about nine hours. Many incendiaries and high explosive bombs were dropped and extensive damage was done in several areas. A number of fires, some serious, were started, but they are now under control. Much damage to dwellings and other buildings was done in one district, but it was not so severe elsewhere. Full reports are not yet available but it is thought that the casualties were comparatively small considering the severity of the attack. A number of persons are known to have been killed. At least five enemy bombers were destroyed during the night. A Berlin report dealing with an extensive attack on Birmingham says at least 20 fires broke out lighting up the whole city and guiding succeeding waves of bombers. The city’s defences were ineffective and neither hindered nor deterred the Germans from attacking at various altitudes in various formations. British bombers attempting to attack Berlin to-night were driven back before reaching the outskirts of the city, where the planes scattered.