Blitz:TheBombingofCoventry

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  • On14thNovember1940,theLuftwaffelaunchedthemostdeva… On14thNovember1940,theLuftwaffelaunchedthemostdevastatingbombingraidsofaronBritain.ThetargetwasCoventry,deepintheheartofEngland. Ina12-hourblitz,theLuftwaffedroppedthousandsoftonsofbombs.Three-quartersofthecitycentrewasdevastated,includingtheancientcathedral.TheNaziscoinedaphrase-'toCoventrate'-todescribetheintensedestruction. ItwasabaptismoffireforCoventryandBritain.Foryears,thegovernmentfearedthataerialbombardmentcoulddestroycivilianmorale.InCoventry,thosefearsweretested,andintheimmediateaftermathoftheblitztheevidencewasnotencouraging.Panicandhysteriagrippedthecity,andhalfofCoventry'spopulationfled.However,withinweeks-andcontrarytoallexpectations-thecityrevived.FactoriesweresoonturningoutaircraftpartswhichwouldbeusedtoavengetheattackonCoventry. TheRAFstudiedtheNazibombingtechniquesandperfectedtheartof'Coventration'.InDresden,HamburgandBerlin,theNazisreapedthewhirlwindtheyhadsownintheirdevastatingattack.