14 Nov 1940

United Kingdom
  • A massive night time raid on Coventry, England by 437 German He 111 bombers, dubbed Operation Moonlight Sonata, killed 568, injured 863, and destroyed 60,000 buildings (including the city's 14th Century cathedral) with 450 tons of high explosive bombs, 50 parachute bombs, and 36,000 incendiary bombs. Only one German bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. British intelligence officers received this information two days prior from a captured German airman, but they incorrectly thought the information was meant for deceit and the actual target would be London. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Coventry, England | AC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
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Arthur Coningham speaking with men and women of Air Formation Signals section of Headquarters Unit of 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force, Bad Eilsen, Germany, Germany, early Jul 1945


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