That night, the RAF bombed Munich, the homeland of the Nazi Party. When we consider how horrific these nights were, with people losing family, friends, homes, their town centre, and indeed everything they'd ever owned or worked for, it's not surprising that the Germans felt they could batter us into submission. Churchill was sent a summary of these reports on the morning of 14 November; he read them just after midday, on his return from Neville Chamberlain’s funeral. It wasn't a particularly effective raid from a strategic point of view, but Hitler saw this as a personal insult, and it inflamed his wish to seek revenge in the most devastating way he knew. Was Coventry sacrificed for the greater good? Most experts disagree with the thesis ‑ but some in the city are wondering if she may just be right. Which is why, according to poet and writer Jackie Litherland, many people have forgotten the real reason why the Nazis launched their savage attack on the city at the start of the second world war. The sirens first sounded in Coventry at 19.10. Hitler took revenge on Coventry for the bombing of Munich by … [13] “Action this Day”, Prime Minister’s Personal Minute, D114, 8 November 1940: Premier papers, 3/108. However, even allowing for our manufacturing targets, the justification for the bombing methods used in this raid is questionable and will be discussed further. [7] John Colville diary, 14 November 1940. I had a two- tier wedding cake and everyone helped with the ingredients. Most of the buildings were restored. [1] A larger number of civilians – 545 – had been killed in the Coventry-Birmingham area in the previous month. However, this whole mood of despair changed on November 16th when King George VI visited the city. Memorandum to Directorate of Home Operations, 12 November 1940: Air Ministry papers, 2/5238. The rest decided to stay in their city. (Premier papers, 3/108, folios 39-43). espite the government's reluctance to publicly declare that another war was likely, as early as 1934 preparations were being quietly made in case the unthinkable happened. The hatred engendered, however, by this demonstration of the mind of a dictator to remove history at will changed the nature of the war. The RAF had already bombed some ancient German cities which had similar industrial developments. The moment that German radio beams made it clear that Coventry was the target, the Air Ministry ordered eight British bombers to bomb the aerodromes—south of Cherbourg—from which the attackers were expected to take off. Within two weeks of the bombing some factories had opened up. And whether or not Litherland's theory has any basis in fact, at least her thoughts are a reminder of a city's lost historic heart. Taking into account the above reasons, Coventry could definitely be considered a military target, so chances are, an attack on a large scale would have happened sooner or later. [13] These instructions had been carried out. Missing his own family, and beset with troubles, he truly loved this moment. This is why the government was so angered by ‘Mass Observation’ – it feared that people in other cities might become distraught as a result of the belief that what had happened to Coventry might happen to their city. On the night of 14 November 1940, three hundred German bombers dropped 500 tons of explosives, 33,000 incendiary bombs and dozens of parachute mines on the industrial city of Coventry. In later years when the RAF and the USAAF bombed cities in Nazi Germany, they used the words ‘coventration bombing’ to described their blanket bombing attacks. On 3 May it was again the turn of Exeter. [14] But that could not save the city from the firestorm created by the incendiary bombs. The First World War had prompted a build up of armament factories in the city, and this was ramped up once again with the imminent arrival of World War Two. Its code name, Moonlight Sonata, had been read in the decrypts. Coventry's susceptibility was no surprise. These films were used in propaganda films in Nazi Germany and the Nazis created a new ‘verb’, to coventrate, which was their reference to the mass bombing of the city. Less than 40 anti-aircraft guns surrounded the city along with about 50 barrage balloons. 'The Coventry I Remember', by M. S. Garratt. “First reaction was shock. It was a perfect target for the second wave of bombers that came in at that time. … See MoreSee Less, Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email, The most recent issues of Finest Hour are available online to members. Coventry was bombed by the German Nazi's in an attempt to destroy the factories there that were making war bombs, vehicles etc. Despite its importance as a manufacturing centre, Coventry was poorly defended against an aerial attack.