The Blitz - 14th November 1940

The sound of the German bombers was caused by their unsynchronised engines, in other words the 2 engines were running at slightly different RPM to each other which caused the throbbing sound. The RAF bombers would synchronise their engines so they sounded smoother. I have an article somewhere about 308 Sqn. on the night of 14th November. Apparently the Poles were crying in rage and frustration at not being allowed to take off, they had a grandstand view of the city burning from the airfield. Airborne radar was still in its infancy and very few RAF planes were equipped with it, the previous post about Bader flying over the city shows how hard it was to spot aircraft at night by eyesight alone and anti aircraft shells hadn't got proximity fuses yet. The city was virtually defenceless and the Luftwaffe lost only one aircraft that night. Ultra, the decoded German messages, did not give the location of the raid, it is a myth Churchill sacrificed the city to keep the Germans from knowing the codes had been broken.

20a, never read that before, one hell of a guy that Bader. Covkidd, sounds right to me, it was a very distinctive sound, we really did see them pass in front of the moon and it was the same flight path and they came from the Rugby direction, and I stood in front of our shelter and watched them, and even when Coventry was not the target they seemed to use the same flight path, this is not 'bull' neither is my next piece. After one of the raids, a plane came down near Wolvey. He hit the ground so hard the engines were about two feet or more in the ground, we were told a Junkers 88. A few days later a friend asked me to go with him in his mother's car for mementoes, but what we found was a guy's 'thumb' which we found in the bottom of the hedgerow, we gave it to the Airforce Regt people.

Suggest reading "1940, Reality and Myth". I know Bader was part of the Duxford wing but that was not implemented till 16-19 Sept and then for one sortie only, Eagle Day. For much of the war Bader was stationed in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire and was frustrated by lack of action. Most of the action occurred over sectors 11 and 12. These areas were covered by Kenning, Biggin Hill, Manston and other local airfields. Today we can only go by what we read and what we believe. In Churchill's book covering the wartime years he claims that Parliament knew that a big raid was on the way but didn't know the exact target. He said that on the night of the raid he stood on a roof at Whitehall listening to distant aircraft thinking the target would be London and was a little surprised when they continued past. The only info' that we have on this subject now is the printed word. Each will believe what they want to believe.

Been looking through my book collection. I hesitate to call it a library. I can totally recommend both as between them they cover every topic on this thread. Believe them? Up to the reader. Norman

Just to clarify, a hundred fighters in total were sent to patrol the skies over Coventry on the night of November 14th/15th and five times as many anti-aircraft guns per head of the population as were stationed in London: Coventry: What Really Happened

Correct. Whereabouts in my above post did I state they were "dedicated night-fighters"? I was perfectly aware the RAF had makeshift night-fighters in the form of Hurricanes, Defiants and Blenheim bombers but no machines purpose-built for the job.

Thank you Dutchman for your link. Anyone who has read the Chuchillian Diaries or even simple books like above know that the War Cabinet was unsure of the exact target on 14th November. As for the engine noise I cannot understand that Germany was totally unable to get engines running all at the same speed when the rest of the world could.

I have seen the above photograph many times.1940, 242 Squadron was based at Coltishall, coastal defence. Anyone who was here on 14th of November will testify that it would have been extremely dangerous for fighter command to engage in combat by moonlight alone. Barrage balloons were employed and gunfire was continuous from many batteries in and around the city. Having said that I, like most others, have no idea if individual pilots wished to take off. I lived in Coventry throughout the war and was not aware of any fighter activity during bombing raids but would be quite happy to be proved wrong.

Norman, in an earlier post you kinda disbelieved me about the gunfire, no matter, I think people should realise since the bombing people are looking in a sentimental way, people killed and injured, I lost relatives too. But prior to the bombing it was military, Coventry was the richest, easiest target in the world, most major factories were in a mile of the city centre, they didn't need a bullseye, the whole damn board was a bullseye, and both sides of the Channel knew it. I've long praised the defence of the city, it was the best we had at the time, and they gave their best, no question to me. I knew a few of the AA gunners personally, most only five six years older than me, and Norman when the sirens went I was damn scared, with the power station only a few hundred yards away. What the Germans underestimated was the resilience of the Coventry people to get the factories back into production, and to work even harder. It was common knowledge around my area that the Polish boys were furious at being kept on the ground, everything filtered through to us by fire fighters, ARP, Home Guard, all who moved around the city. And I have to disagree again, there was fighter activity, no idea about that particular night but other times, yes. People, look at the picture in an earlier post, people walking through a pathway of rubble, still smouldering a pall of smoke, not a second glance from them, to me, it says 'hey, we can take it, and we will come back stronger', and that was the general feeling all round to me.

Kaga. I have never ever disbelieved you about the AA guns. I, like you were there at the time. If I gave that impression I am sorry. As for the 14th I would guess that 90% of bombs fell within one mile of Broadgate. I will not try to list them but would guess that nearly all factories fell beyond that circle. As you say you lived near the power station, a prime target but was it destroyed? Was Dunlop or Courtaulds hit? What major arms factory was put out of business on the 14th? On the early April raids Courtaulds factories were damaged, as was the Dunlop works and the old Riley factory. Some of the Morris, Sterling Metals and Alfred Herberts were damaged. November raid was just punishment as no vital, legitimate targets were destroyed.

Norman, at the time of last year's Riley rally in Coventry we were invited to take our cars up to the old Riley factory in Durbar Ave, its name escapes me now. We were invited to tour the factory by the works manager, and during the tour I questioned him about damage to the factory during the blitz because I, like you, believed this to have happened. He was very knowledgeable on the history of the factory but said that he was unaware of any serious damage. Some years ago I had a conversation with a man who worked at the Riley factory at that time. He was on firewatch in the evening and I recollect him saying that there were some incendiary bombs dropped but these were quickly dealt with.

Hi. My father was signaller on HMS Jervis Bay, a converted passenger liner with a couple of guns bolted to the deck. This ship was sunk by the Admiral Scheer on Nov 5th 1940 in North Atlantic. Dad was invalided out of the navy because of amputations caused by frostbite. He was recruited to work at the ex-Riley factory mid-1941 assisting in assembly of Bristol Beaufighter undercarriages that were assembled there. My stepmother was factory nurse there. Dad's first work there was to help clear up after damage caused by bombs. Although I mentioned other factories where I suspect damage and some that I know to have some damage done one that I am 1000% sure of is the Riley factory. After the war dad continued to work doing lining on the new range of cars.

Norman, hi, I wasn't thinking Foleshill or Holbrooks, I was round there most days, or my relatives were. No, I thought the Siddeley, Parkside, Alvis, and Humber suffered severe damage, if that was not the case then I apologise, we were badly informed. I left school in 1941, worked in Lythalls Lane behind those shops on the corner, small drilling machine on Spitfire gun parts. Sometime in 41 had my photo taken with my brother and sister, all in uniform, ah now where?, some 'hall', was it Cross Road up the Stoney Stanton Rd, could it have been Herberts Social Club? I know it was 41, my brother on aircraft-carrier was at Pearl Harbour day after the raid, have proof on that. For me they could have flattened the Sterling Metals anytime, I would have helped them, some days the dust covered all of Foleshill, my friend lived in Durbar Ave, how, god only knows. Big blot on Coventry's history.

Those factories could well have had some damage, I have no information. Like you Kaga, I was only a kid at the time so have little first hand knowledge. We are told that two radio beams crossed Coventry and the intersection was over the city centre. At the intersection the bomb aimers were to unload the bombs. That may be true or it may be myth. Pilots being harassed by AA guns and searchlights could well have missed the intended target, I don't know. What if that intersection was over the gas or electricity works,mnow they would have been prime targets and possibly crippled the city for some time. Take a trip up Foleshill Rd, up to Eagle St, there is only one building that I can think of that could be called pre war. The rest were destroyed on the 14th but most damage was in the city centre. The factories that you mention could quite well have had some damage, I know that the Alvis did as did 90 Gosford St but were they intended targets? We can never be sure. Norman

The radio beams triggered a timer release mechanism so much have intersected some distance before the target. The GEC factory in Gosford Street was totally destroyed, there was nothing left of it except an underground strong room. Having read the pilot's diary I think they mistook it for the Nuffield anti-aircraft factory next door which escaped almost unscathed.