CITY DEVASTATED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1940, Page 5

CITY DEVASTATED

BY WAVES OF BOMBERS WHOLE STREETS OF HOUSES SMASHED. CARE GIVEN TO HOMELESS PEOPLE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON. November .15. A pall of smoke covers Coventry. In the afternoon it was reported that there was no danger of a food shortage. The Ministry of Food took immediate steps to replace any damaged supplies, which were not great. It is revealed that squadron after squadron of bombers, at three-minute intervals, dive-bombed Coventry in formations. Whole streets were left without a house undamaged. Some streets were wiped out. There are craters in every road throughout the city. Many residents of Coventry are wandering aimlessly among the ruins. Police, the Military Pioneer Corps and Engineers are assisting in the restoration of services, but the amount of debris is hindering these operations and rescue work.

The casualties included many members of the Civil Defence services, police and firemen. Steps have been taken to shepherd the homeless to hastily-prepared feeding centres.

GRIM ORDEAL BORNE WITH GREAT COURAGE. MINISTRY OF SECURITY REPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, November 15. A Ministry of Home Security communique,* dealing with the Coventry raids, says: “The scale of the raids is comparable with that of the largest night attacks on London. The enemy was heavily engaged by intensive antiaircraft fire, which kept the aircraft at a great height and hindered accurate bombing of industrial targets, but the city itself suffered very seriously. The attack was begun by scattering incendiary bombs over a wide area. Fires broke out at many points and an indiscriminate bombardment of the whole city followed. It is feared that there is extensive damage and many buddings were destroyed. The people af Coventry bore the ordeal with great courage.”