The most devastating attack of the Coventry Blitz occurred. The Luftwaffe conducted a heavy raid on Coventry. This raid was the heaviest of the war on the city. Damage included the destruction of the Coventry Cathedral and the leveling of the medieval center of the city. 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.
November 1940. Known as the Battle of Morava-Ivan, the battle is launched by the Greek 9th, 10th and 15th Divisions in III Corps (Lieutenant-General Georgios Tsolakoglou). They are opposed by the Italian XXVI Corps, composed of the Parma, Piemonte and Venezia Divisions. Both sides have reinforcements handy. The objective is the capture of the Korçë plateau, which is strategically important because it provides a route into central Albania via the Devoll River Valley.
The Greeks launch the attack early in the morning and achieve surprise, not using artillery. The Greeks make good gains on the first day across the Albanian border. Some claim this represents the first Axis land defeat of the war, but that is a bit melodramatic, as the Germans were pushed back here and there during the invasions of France and Norway, too.
The British continue ferrying troops to Piraeus using four cruisers from Alexandria. Many of these are in support of the new RAF presence there, led by Air Vice-Marshal John H. D’Albiac.
In Malta, improved radio direction finder (RDF) equipment brought on the recent convoy from Alexandria significantly improves the RAF’s ability to spot Italian air attacks.
Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov departs from Berlin by train around noontime. He has made clear to the Germans that the USSR continues to focus on Europe and not elsewhere, as the Germans would prefer. The Germans view the meeting as a complete and utter failure. Molotov goes back to Moscow with the intention of following through with some written proposals, but at this point the whole exercise is pointless.
German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, chief of OKW, meets at Innsbruck with his opposite number in the Italian military, Marshal Pietro Badoglio. Badoglio, who has been chief of staff since 1925, knows the Italian military inside and out, and he makes clear to Keitel that the Italians in Egypt would advance no further. In addition, he has no plans to occupy southern Greece. These talks continue on the 15th.
Admiral Raeder confers with Hitler. He recommends postponing an invasion of the Soviet Union until the Kriegsmarine blockade of Great Britain diminishes its strength. Hitler, however, is of the opposite view: that destroying the Soviet Union will diminish Great Britain’s strength. Hitler sees the USSR as easy prey.
The Nazis legalized the human consumption of dog meat within the German Reich, effective January 1. The meat of dogs was legalized for human consumption today for greater Germany, effective Jan. 1, 1941. Inspection of dog meat will be made under provision of a new law effective on that date when that commodity is to be controlled in the same manner as meat from cattle, hogs, goats, horses and other domestic animals.
Neville Chamberlain’s funeral was held at Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, or Westminster Abbey, in London, England, United Kingdom. The ashes of former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain were buried today in the nave of Westminster Abbey, close by the graves of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The king’s brother, the Duke of Gloucester, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, members of his war cabinet, members of parliament, Mrs, Chamberlain and 1,000 other mourners were present.
Rumania’s Legionary (Iron Guard) government asks Germany for two tank units, which are immediately sent by Hitler along with instructors to train their Rumanian crews. Mussolini protests and suggests that Rumania also should ask for Italian troops. Rumania declines.
The Luftwaffe mounts one of the most controversial, long-remembered and devastating raids of World War II. Operation Moonlight Sonata (Mondscheinsonate) is the climax of a rather late decision by the Luftwaffe to target Coventry. Whereas the Germans began targeting cities such as London, Liverpool, and Bristol early in the campaign, Coventry has not become a prime target until much later. Coventry is an industrial city, with numerous factories such as a Daimler plant, nine aircraft factories, and two naval ordnance stores. Thus, it has military value and is not just a “terror target” like most of London.
The British have prior warning of the attack. A downed Luftwaffe airman reveals under interrogation several days previously that a “massive attack” on Coventry by “moonlight” is planned “between 15-20 November.” The attack will include “every Luftwaffe plane.” Winston Churchill (alone) apparently has advance warning of the attack from Ultra intercepts as well. Thus, the attack is not a big surprise — except for the people actually bombed, killed and wounded.
The increasing intensity of raids has caused a large fraction of Coventry residents to abandon the city at night and find lodgings in the countryside. This proves wise, as this entirely rational fear keeps the number of deaths and casualties due to Moonlight Sonata much lower than it would be otherwise. Anti-aircraft defenses have been concentrated in London and other larger targets, and only 24 3.7 inch and 12 40 mm Bofors guns — insufficient to disrupt a major attack — are available in Coventry. Fortunately, there are few casualties in shelters.
Some 400-515 Luftwaffe bombers from Field Marshal Sperrle’s Luftwaffe 3, guided by 13 special Heinkel He 111 radar-equipped bombers of KG 100, begin the attack not long after sunset at 19:20. The KG 100 bombers are guided by X-Gerät radio beams that the British have not yet figured out how to disrupt. The bombs rack up successes early, with the Coventry Cathedral ablaze in less than an hour. Hit by numerous bombs, the cathedral soon is a wreck, a roofless shell which becomes the symbol of the attack. The bombing intensifies until midnight and then tapers off as daylight approaches.
There are well over 500 deaths (nobody knows precisely), over 1000 other casualties, and destroys over 4300 homes. German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels coins the word “coventriert” (“Coventried”) to describe the utter devastation (as in, “Next, Southhampton will be Coventried!”). The use of pathfinder bombers is validated, and also the use of blockbuster bombs mixed with massive numbers of incendiaries.
The controversial aspect of the raid arises from the belief that the British could have vastly reduced the number of casualties due to their foreknowledge of the attack. In fact, the author of the book that revealed the Ultra secret in 1974, “The Ultra Secret,” Group Captain F. W. Winterbotham, tacitly blamed Churchill for the deaths because Churchill (supposedly) refused to authorize precautionary measures lest the war-winning Ultra secret is revealed. There are vociferous and highly credentialed people on both sides of that argument — the deniers claim that Churchill actually had limited knowledge from Ultra of the operation and did not know that Coventry was the target (other military intelligence besides Ultra, however, did pinpoint Coventry). The “avoidable tragedy” due to Churchill’s supposed silence and inaction has become part of the lore of the event and, to some extent, the common view about Operation Moonlight Sonata.
The RAF, for its part, does make use of the non-Ultra intelligence about Operation Moonlight Sonata. It has been mounting Operation Cold Water. This is an attempt to disrupt the coming Luftwaffe attack by taking concrete steps. Operation Cold Water, initiated at 03:00 on 11 November due to military intelligence, includes:
— monitoring German radio
— interfering with the Luftwaffe radio navigational beams
— patrolling over Luftwaffe airfields
— attacking the KG-100 airfields
— attacking the German navigational beam transmitters near Cherbourg
— mounting a massive counter-raid against “a selected city in Germany”
— maximum night fighters and anti-aircraft defenses.
These countermeasures, while perhaps appropriate from an abstract, intellectual perspective, do nothing to diminish the actual Luftwaffe raid. The RAF puts up 121 night fighters, but they do not score any victories because most are concentrated around London.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 35 Blenheims on an Intruder Operation at dusk to attack known Luftwaffe bomber airfields in France and Belgium because intelligence information had been received that a large-scale German raid was to take place this night on an unknown English city. 10 Blenheims carried out bombing attacks on airfields with results which were recorded as ‘generally unobserved’ The German raid duly took place on Coventry. The Blenheims all returned safely.
RAF Bomber Command dispatches 82 Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys overnight; the largest raid to Berlin by 50 aircraft, but only 25 of these reported reaching the city. The raids on the airfields — Schiphol and Soesterberg — were also to frustrate the suspected German bombing raid on England. 3 Hampdens were sent minelaying off Brest and Lorient. 10 aircraft — 4 Hampdens, 4 Whitleys, 2 Wellingtons — were lost from the bombing raids, the heaviest night loss of the war so far.
RAF squadrons began to deploy from their bases in the Middle East to Greece under the command of Air Vice-Marshal John H. D’Albiac to support the Greece against Italian attacks.
German bombers raided Alexandria, Egypt, sinking Egyptian steamer Zamzam.
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa transferred to convoy EN.25 and proceeded with this convoy to Pentland Firth.
Destroyer HMS Windsor arrived at Scapa Flow at 2030 to refuel on passage from the Clyde to Grimsby. Destroyer Windsor departed Scapa Flow at 0900/15th.
British minefield BS.46 was laid by minelayers HMS Teviotbank and HMS Plover and destroyer HMS Icarus.
Destroyer HMS Impulsive was in dock for vibration problems.
After the minelay, minelayer HMS Teviotbank was attacked by German aircraft at 1730/14th. There was no damage.
There was an unsuccessful attempt to refloat Destroyer HMS Fame on the 14th. Heavy swells prevented the successful operation. Another attempt to refloat destroyer Fame on the 16th failed when the pumps failed to control flooding.
In a British night raid on Berlin, two British naval officers were lost. Thirteen bombers were lost on the raid. P/T/Sub Lt (A) T. A. Neal, in a Whitley of 77 Squadron from Topcliffe, was killed when his aircraft was shot down. A/Sub Lt (A) I. R- Webb, in a Whitley of 58 Squadron from Linton on Ouse, was captured after his plane was shot down, but later died as a prisoner of war.
British steamer St Catherine (1216grt), en route to join convoy WN.35, was sunk by German bombing one quarter mile south of Outer Buoy, swept channel, Aberdeen. Fourteen crewmen and one passenger was lost on the steamer.
British steamer Buoyant (300grt) was sunk on a mine off Skegness.
Boom defence vessel HMS Ristango (178grt) was lost when she fouled the Medway Boom, Sheerness.
British drifter Shipmates (82grt) was sunk by German bombing in Dover Harbor.
British drifter The Boys (92grt) was lost in heavy weather in the Downs.
British steamer Fairy (207grt) was damaged by a mine near Chequer Buoy, off the mouth of the Humber.
British steamer Fishpool (4950grt) was damaged by German bombing 55‑00N, 17‑04W. Steamer Fishpool was assisted by Corvette HMS Gardenia.
The Mediterranean Fleet arrived back at Alexandria at 0700 after COATS and JUDGMENT.
Aircraft carrier HMS Argus escorted by destroyers HMS Wrestler, HMS Vidette, and HMS Wishart arrived at Gibraltar for operation WHITE.
A Greek destroyer flotilla under Admiral Kavadias made a sweep through the Otranto Strait and into the Adriatic Sea as far as the island of Sasseno. No contact was made and the Greek force returned to port.
Egyptian steamer Zamzam (8299grt) was damaged by German bombing at Alexandria.
Norwegian tanker Teddy (6750grt), which had been captured by German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis on the 8th, was scuttled by the Atlantis.
Convoy FN.334 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Watchman and sloop HMS Egret. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 16th.
Convoy FS.335 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer HMS Woolston and sloop HMS Lowestoft. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th.
Convoy HX.87 of sixteen steamers departed Halifax at 1000 escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS Columbia and HMCS St Francis and auxiliary patrol vessel HMCS Elk. At 1700/15th, the local escort turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, armed merchant cruiser HMS Alaunia, which was detached on the 26th. Destroyers HMS Broke and HMS Havelock and corvettes HMS Anemoneand HMS Mallow joined on the 26th. These escorts were detached to convoy HX.88 on the 27th. Destroyers HMS Witherington, HMS Hesperus, and HMS Hurricane joined on the 27th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.
Convoy HX.88 departed Halifax at 1505 escorted by Canadian destroyer HMCS Assiniboine and auxiliary patrol vessels HMCS French and HMCS Husky. Canadian destroyer Assiniboine turned the convoy over to armed merchant cruiser HMS Ausonia at 1500/15th. The armed merchant cruiser was detached on the 25th.
Convoy BHX.88 departed Bermuda on the 12th escorted by ocean escort armed merchant cruiser HMS Montclare. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.88 on the 17th and the armed merchant cruiser was detached. On 26 November, destroyers HMS Saladin and HMS Scimitar joined the escort. Destroyer HMS Broke and corvettes HMS Anemone, HMS Arabis, and HMS Mallow joined on the 27th. Destoyer Broke was detached on the 28th and corvette Arabis on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.
Ambassador William C. Bullitt has been offered the post of envoy to Groat Britain to succeed Joseph P. Kennedy, it was reported reliably tonight after he disclosed that he had sought unsuccessfully to leave the government service. Informed sources said Bullitt still was considering a request that he accept the London assignment but was disinclined to do so for the same reason that he submitted his resignation as ambassador to France. Bullitt, in a brief statement, said he did this because he “felt that I could be of more service to my country if I were free to write and speak without the restrictions imposed by official position.” No official information was available on whether Kennedy had submitted his resignation but it was believed that he had made known to the president his desire to be relieved. After talking with President Roosevelt and state department officials upon his recent return from London, Kennedy said he had no plans about going back.
A conference of 730 of the leading businessmen of New England, led by the Governors or the Governors elect of the six New England States, today heard Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy, declare in an extemporaneous address that the United States would not “appease anybody on earth.” At the opening of the annual New England Conference at the Hotel Statler here,. Secretary Knox asserted: “It doesn’t fit the American spirit, the American purpose, or the American security to talk appeasement in a world like this where force and force alone determines the fate of nations.” In his speech, broadcast both nationally and internationally, Secretary Knox denounced Adolf Hitler as “a fanatic, greedy for world domination,” who was “likely in the very near future” to attack Gibraltar by going through Spain.
Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson said today that preliminary reports on two munitions plant explosions Tuesday showed no evidence of sabotage, but that there was a “peculiar regularity about the explosions that might have suggested Teutonic efficiency.” Discussing the blasts during his weekly press conference, he said preliminary reports have been received concerning explosions at the United Railway Signal Co. plant at Woodbridge, New Jersey, and the Burton Explosive Co. plant at Newcastle, Pennsylvania. No report has been received on the blast at the Trojan Powder Co.’s Allentown, Pennsylvania, plant. He pointed out that the three explosions occurred within a short time.
A possible stumbling block to sine die adjournment of Congress arose today when many Democrats notified Speaker Rayburn that they would be unable to be present Tuesday when the adjournment resolution will be put to a vote.
Representative Martin Dies, Texas Democrat, charged tonight that members of the German diplomatic corps, whom he has invited to appear next Monday at a congressional committee investigation of their activities, have engaged in a “quiet campaign” to raise funds in the United States to help finance German rearmament. “Actually millions of dollars have been raised in this country,” he said, “to support the Fascist and Nazi regimes across the water.”
President Roosevelt stressed the immediate need “for some improvements in our major system of roads and concentration on connecting these with centers of mobilization and defense production,” in a message to the American Automobile Association which opened its annual convention here today. Expressing the conviction that, as far as the vital field of transportation is concerned, “defense needs can be met without any serious interference with civilian traffic.” the President, in his greeting to Thomas P. Henry of Detroit, president of the association, said. “You are holding your thirty-eighth annual convention at a very important time in the history of our country, I have observed with a great deal of interest that your major discussions will be devoted to aspects of national defense in which organizations such as yours can render most effective service. Transportation is, of course, vitally essential to national defense. We are fortunate that defense needs can be met without any serious interference with civilian traffic. Your organization can give great assistance in the coordination of normal and military highway use, and also render valuable aid in the securing of such additional facilities as may be found necessary. There is immediate need for some Improvements on our major system of roads and concentration on connecting these with centers of mobilization and defense production.
Rear Admiral Clark H. Woodward, commandant of the Third Naval District, declared last night that despite reports of heavy damage inflicted by British airplanes to Italian war vessels at Taranto he still held emphatically to the opinion that “no battleships, old or new, of any navy, in active service, have ever been destroyed by aerial bombs.”
A crowd that filled every one of the 1,700 seats in the Civic Auditorium and overflowed into the aisles and street, attended the funeral service today for Senator Key Pittman of Nevada.
The Queens–Midtown Tunnel was opened to traffic in New York City. It remains in operation today, connecting Long Island to Manhattan.
The first graduates from the Imperial training scheme in Canada begin to embark on passage to Great Britain.
The Royal Navy corvette HMS Trillium arrived at Halifax from the builder in Montreal, PQ.
Japanese military authorities announced today their troops had been. withdrawn from Southwestern Kwangtung Province, as they already had been withdrawn in neighboring Kwangsi Province, strengthening the belief in foreign circles. here of another impending move against French Indo-China. Just as they explained their withdrawal earlier from Kwangsi, the Japanese declared they were moving out of the Kwangtung area because their troops were no longer needed there in view of Japan’s newly gained bases in French Indo-China. Contradicting the Japanese explanation. Chinese said that the invaders had been driven out at bayonet point and that Yamchow had been completely reoccupied. Recapture of the town had been reported by the Chinese on Wednesday. A Chinese Army communiqué said Chinese forces had entered the town shortly after the Japanese embarked under cover of darkness. It was through Yamchow that the Japanese drove last November into Kwangsi to capture its capital, Nanning, only to abandon it recently. Some reports here had it that the Japanese planned to move deeper into Southeastern Asia from their new bases in Indo-China, with Saigon, port on the southern French Indo-Chinese coast, and Singapore. Britain’s great naval base to the south, their possible ultimate objectives. All this speculation was met with silence among Japanese military authorities.
Air Marshal Brooke-Popham arrives in Singapore. He is the new British Commander in Chief for the Far East.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 136.97 (+0.36)
Born:
Ray Poage, NFL tight end and split end (Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons), in Plainview, Texas (d. 1997).
Naval Construction:
The U.S. Navy Gleaves-class destroyer USS Emmons (DD-457) is laid down by the Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine, U.S.A.).
The U.S. Navy Gleaves-class destroyer USS Hobson (DD-464) is laid down by the Charleston Navy Yard (Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A.).
The Royal Canadian Navy Bangor-class (Reciprocating-engined) minesweeper HMCS Mahone (J 159) is launched by North Vancouver Ship Repairs Ltd. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada).
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Auricula (K 12) is launched by George Brown & Co. (Greenock, Scotland); completed by Kincaid.
The Royal Navy Flower-class corvette HMS Wallflower (K 44) is launched by the Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.).
History Diaries 