h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Coventration - The Coventry Blitz - A31933109
Author: McKay The Disorganised - Now with new positive outlook. - U200618

Another piece of Coventry history for your delectation and criticism.

Good one McKay.

Just spotted a few things ...


The date at the beginning isn't house style.


More raids followed, and a serious of attacks in October left 176 people dead, >>>> series of attacks ...


final a third beam was added to indicate the precise moment to release the payload >>>> finally a third ...


108 buses were destroyed and the tram system was destroyed. >>>> I'd lose the first *were destroyed* and change *was* the *were* ...


King George VI visited the city on November 16th and toured the devestation. >>>> devastation


a mass grave in the London Road cemtary >>>> cemetary


Theorists claim that the sending of a single extra AA battery was a sop to the government's consience, >>>> I don't get this ... but it could just be me.


nearly 500 dead, 1,000 injured and further damage to historic buildings like St Mary's Hall >>>> full stop after Mary's Hall.



Brilliant.

A poignant piece - well done

I think you should mention that this type of bombing raid happened on both sides (eg Dresden) and that out of the ashes has risen not only a new cathedral but a great spirit of reconciliation. These would merit separate entries, of course, but I believe they should be mentioned here.

Icy

I'd agree with the addition of something about the Allied versions of these raids (there's a quite good reference here http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/thousands.html if you need something)

Only skimmed it so sorry if you have got this in there: may be worth mentioning that the Germans managed to miss almost all (if not literally all) of their actual targets (factories and whatnot), the radio accuracy system wasn't actually much cop.

I'll have a better read later. When I was working for English Heretics I did a big project on the Coventry Blitz for the 2003 Festival of History, so the subject holds a bit of interest for me.

Thanks Fizzy

I've done all those and changedhe AA battery to an anti-aircraft battery. Does that make it clearer ?

Good point Icy, I am researching a piece on The Cross of Nails Society, and I'm thinking about a piece on Colonel Arthur 'Bomber' Harris, which would include Dresden.

However, I've added a paragraph - what do you think ?

Thanks Whisky - see my reply to Icy, and ell me what you think.

Thanks Mr D.

I have mentioned that factories were back at work within 2 days, but do you think it should be more speciic.

I'll welcome any input you have.

Nothing to add, exept that reading things like this always makes my stomach cramp, and wish they had never happened.

Things to correct:

'X-Gerat system - X-Gerät (Gerät)

Luftlotte 3. - Luftflotte

Bel

Oh, and I just remembered: Blitz here has the association with something very fast, so 'Blitzkrieg' meant sort of 'hit and run', get something done very quickly.

Good entry, and interesting. But I think a couple of things could do with some clarification.

Could you perhaps explain (by way of a footnote even) what an ‘oil-mine’ is? Some sort of incendiary device I suppose, but personally I’ve never heard of it.

Perhaps I'm missing something but the figures for the dead don't seem to quite tie up
>…568 civilians were known to have been killed<
>Some estimates place the death toll at nearer to 1,000.<

>…the first of two mass burials took place. 172 bodies were placed in a mass grave<
>…a second mass burial took place. 808 souls were laid to rest in the combined mass graves.<

If 980 were buried in the two mass graves the figure of ‘nearer to 1000’ surely would have been the accepted death toll. Or was the difference military personnel?

DK

Not sure about being more specific... maybe just something about how there were few (if any... can't remember exact details as it was over four years ago and if they still exist all my notes are on the English Heretics' network which I no longer have access to) direct hits on any of the actual targets.

That's fine, McKay - it only needed a mention.

I look forward to reading the Cross of Nails entry

Icy

The Rational:

"As well there was the munitions factory in Red Lane" - as well seems to fit better at end of sentence


New Tech:

This feels odd:

"This top secret guidance technique led the planes of Kampfgeschwader 100 Squadron to Coventry. It was a technique the British forces were aware of..."

Supposedly top secret then?


Conspiracy:

"were they placed in the invidious position" they were placed



Good entry vp

Thanks Bel - I didn't know how to do the amlaut.

Lightning also has implications of fast in English, and is often used in metaphor "She nodded and his trousers were off like lightning. Alas, lightning also described the performance."

I've added that footnote Deke - the 808 total was in the combined mass graves, but many bodies were never found, and the 1,000 figure comes from estimates put together after the war.

That makes sense, McKay. It was just something that suddenly occurred to me, thought I'd mention it - not for inclusion in the entry, but as an aside.

I had a bit of a second thought here Icy - and added some more Dresden stuff. Partially due to an off-site comment about more people dying in Dresden than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. The actual figures of Dresden are horrific enough without the hyperbole promoted by Goebbels just after the event, and repeated by Kurt Vonnegaut Jnr, who was actually present, and was traumatised digging out the bodies as a POW afterwards.

All sorted thanks VP.