Coventry, Nov. 16.
The proud spire of Coventry Cathedral yesterday stood as a sen-tind over a grim scene of destruction following Thursday "night's apparent German attempt to make Coventry a second Guernica.
From dusk to dawn there was seldom a period above two minutes when a bomb could rot be heard falling. In the first six hours of the attack, wave upon wave of 25 or more bombers in quick success sion scattered hundreds of bomb of all types over a wide area. The brilliant moonlight was not sufficient for the raiders, who dropped flares and incendiary bombs to light up the scene, which was soon bathed in a great red glow.
The barrage from the ground defences. never slackened and the ráidérs were mostly kept at a great height from which accurate bombing was impossible.
Some fires were still alight when the Germans flew off, terminating a! night of merciless and indiscriminate bombing.
Mr. Herbert Morrison, Minister of Home Security and Home Secretary, visited Coventry yesterday and, according to a communique, toured the most heavily damaged parts of the city. He was most impressed by the courage. and cheerfulness with which the people had faced the ordeal.
Not many. shops are open today but in the window of a fruit store, damaged by a blast, was a notice: "Business as usual. Nuts to Hitler.
'A gallant attempt to deal with 12 incendiary bombs which fell on the Cathedral was made by the Provost, the Rev. R. T. Howard, and a party of "Cathedral watchers." They were attempting to smother them with sand. when another shower of incendiaries, accompanied this time by b: gh-explosives, fell in the Cathe: dra! and rendered their efforts ime possible. Only the tower and the steeple remain.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.