Coventry — the night of November 14

An industrial center of the Midlands, Coventry concentrates armament, aviation and machine-tool factories. On the night of November 14-15, 1940, the Luftwaffe launches against it Operation Moonlight Sonata: more than 400 bombers, guided by radio beams, are to destroy the city in a concentrated attack — a demonstration of "radio-beam warfare" and area bombing.

The medieval city, densely built and full of old houses, is terribly vulnerable. The first waves drop incendiary bombs that light innumerable fires; the following waves add high-explosive bombs that hamper rescue and feed a firestorm. Water runs short when the mains are broken.

That night, the civil defense services — firemen, ARP wardens, ambulance crews — face a blaze beyond their means. Should the teams be dispersed to save as many lives as possible in the residential districts, the effort concentrated on the armament factories judged to have priority, or pulled back to spare the rescuers in the face of an uncontrollable fire?