Coventry Blitz: Scenes from the attack

Coventry blitz: What was lost in 1940?

The Coventry Blitz: Scenes of devastation from 1940

On the night of 14–15 November 1940, 515 German bombers dropped over 500 tons of explosives on Coventry in Operation Moonlight Sonata - a raid so devastating it gave rise to a new Nazi word: ‘Koventrieren’ (to ‘Coventrate’) meaning ‘to completely destroy.’ It began with just 13 Heinkel He111 “pathfinders,” lighting the city with flares so the waves behind them could find their targets - a chilling innovation that shaped all future bombing raids. My father witnessed the firestorm that consumed Co

Today marks 80 years since a landmark day in Coventry’s history. On November 14th 1940 more than 500 people were killed and countless homes destroyed in a devastating airborne attack on the city. Coventry’s Medieval Cathedral was partly destroyed but the ruins still stand today and remain a jewel in the crown of the City, and an iconic symbol of Remembrance, the embodiment of the City’s past. Rather than divide Coventry the devastating bombings brought people together in an effort to rebuild, an