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[139], Probably the most devastating attack occurred on the evening of 29 December, when German aircraft attacked the City of London itself with incendiary and high explosive bombs, causing a firestorm that has been called the Second Great Fire of London. The Luftwaffe had dropped 16,331 long tons (16,593t) of bombs. The policy of RAF Bomber Command became an attempt to achieve victory through the destruction of civilian will, communications and industry. The Children's Overseas Reception Board was organised by the government to help parents send their children overseas to four British Dominions Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. [145] Part of the reason for this was inaccuracy of navigation. Entertainment included concerts, films, plays and books from local libraries. Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the pilot on course. [13], The German air offensive failed because the Luftwaffe High Command (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe, OKL) did not develop a methodical strategy for destroying British war industry. [149] Some 50 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers and Jabos (fighter-bombers) were used, officially classed as Leichte Kampfflugzeuge ("light bombers") and sometimes called Leichte Kesselringe ("Light Kesselrings"). The docks drew produce and people from all over the world; they survived the bombings of World War II and the economic downturn of the 1970s and 80s to become a hive of industry and activity once again. All but seven of its 12,000 houses were damaged. On 9 April 1941, Luftflotte 2 dropped 150 tons (152t) of high explosives and 50,000 incendiaries from 120 bombers in a five-hour attack. Bombsite rubble from Birmingham was used to make runways on US Air Force bases in Kent and Essex in southeast England. Another innovation was the boiler fire. Wever's vision was not realised, staff studies in those subjects fell by the wayside and the Air Academies focused on tactics, technology and operational planning, rather than on independent strategic air offensives. In Sunderland on 25 April, Luftflotte 2 sent 60 bombers which dropped 80 tons (81.3t) of high explosive and 9,000 incendiaries. [21], In 1936, Wever was killed in an air crash and the failure to implement his vision for the new Luftwaffe was largely attributable to his successors. [114] It is not clear whether the power station or any specific structure was targeted during the German offensive as the Luftwaffe could not accurately bomb select targets during night operations. People were forced to sleep in air raid shelters, and many people took shelter in underground stations. [13] In April 1941, when the targets were British ports, rifle production fell by 25 percent, filled-shell production by 4.6 percent and in small-arms production 4.5 percent. It was decided to recreate normal residential street lighting, and in non-essential areas, lighting to recreate heavy industrial targets. Five main rail lines were cut in London and rolling stock damaged. As the mere threat of it had produced diplomatic results in the 1930s, he expected that the threat of German retaliation would persuade the Allies to adopt a policy of moderation and not to begin a policy of unrestricted bombing. The primary goal of Bomber Command was to destroy the German industrial base (economic warfare) and in doing so reduce morale. [93] The use of diversionary techniques such as fires had to be made carefully. [161] Still, while heavily damaged, British ports continued to support war industry and supplies from North America continued to pass through them while the Royal Navy continued to operate in Plymouth, Southampton, and Portsmouth. Rumours that Jewish support was underpinning the Communist surge were frequent. [89][90], Knickebein was in general use but the X-Gert (X apparatus) was reserved for specially trained pathfinder crews. Bombers were flown with airborne search lights out of desperation but to little avail. More might have been achieved had OKL exploited the vulnerability of British sea communications. [117] Attacks against East End docks were effective and many Thames barges were destroyed. [29] The British produced 10,000 aircraft in 1940, in comparison to Germany's 8,000. [38][a], It was decided to focus on bombing Britain's industrial cities, in daylight to begin with. The Blitz (shortened from German 'Blitzkrieg', "lightning war") was the period of sustained strategic bombing of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. [76], Despite the attacks, defeat in Norway and France, and the threat of invasion, overall morale remained high. Throughout 1940, dummy airfields were prepared, good enough to stand up to skilled observation. Still, in February 1941, there remained only seven squadrons with 87 pilots, under half the required strength. It was supposed Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and the Royal Navy could not operate under conditions of German air superiority. 10 Group RAF, No. The government up until November 1940, was opposed to the centralised organisation of shelter. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Douglas set about introducing more squadrons and dispersing the few GL sets to create a carpet effect in the southern counties. Upsurges in population in south Wales and Gloucester intimated where these displaced people went. The amount of firm operational and tactical preparation for a bombing campaign was minimal, largely because of the failure by Hitler as supreme commander to insist upon such a commitment. [10] Bombing failed to demoralise the British into surrender or do much damage to the war economy; eight months of bombing never seriously hampered British war production, which continued to increase. So worried were the government over the sudden campaign of leaflets and posters distributed by the Communist Party in Coventry and London, that the police were sent to seize their production facilities. Hello, I Am Charlie from London - Stephane Husar 2014-07-15 The Demon in the Embers - Julia Edwards 2016-09-02 . The Luftwaffe gradually decreased daylight operations in favour of night attacks to evade attacks by the RAF, and the Blitz became a night bombing campaign after October 1940. Important events of 1940, including the beginning of the London Blitz (pictured above) and the Battle of Britain. [53] Winston Churchill told Parliament in 1934, "We must expect that, under the pressure of continuous attack upon London, at least three or four million people would be driven out into the open country around the metropolis". Official histories concluded that the mental health of a nation may have improved, while panic was rare. 'Blitz' is an abbreviation of the German word 'blitzkrieg', meaning 'lightning war'. The action did not guarantee automatic success. 80 Wing RAF. The Blitz began on 7 September, 'Black Saturday', when German bombers attacked London, leaving 430 dead and 1,600 injured. Moreover, bombers had four to five crewmen on board, representing a greater loss of manpower. [46], In an operational capacity, limitations in weapons technology and quick British reactions were making it more difficult to achieve strategic effect. The government planned the evacuation of four million peoplemostly women and childrenfrom urban areas, including 1.4million from London. Three cross-beams intersected the beam along which the He 111 was flying. The Communists attempted to blame the damage and casualties of the Coventry raid on the rich factory owners, big business and landowning interests and called for a negotiated peace. Wever outlined five points of air strategy: Wever argued that OKL should not be solely educated in tactical and operational matters but also in grand strategy, war economics, armament production and the mentality of potential opponents (also known as mirror imaging). If a vigilant bomber crew could spot the fighter first, they had a decent chance of evading it. Roads and railways were blocked and ships could not leave harbour. [47] Up to nine special transmitters directed their signals at the beams in a manner that subtly widened their paths, making it harder for bomber crews to locate targets; confidence in the device was diminished by the time the Luftwaffe was ready to conduct big raids. Timeline London portal v t e The United Kingdom took part in World War II from 3 September 1939 until 15 August 1945. [57] The programme favoured backyard Anderson shelters and small brick surface shelters. Night fighters could claim only four bombers for four losses. The aerial bombing was now principally aimed at the destruction of industrial targets, but also continued with the objective of breaking the morale of the civilian population. The London Blitz The Blitz is the term used to describe the German bombing campaign that took place from September 7, 1940, through May 11, 1941. When the third cross-beam was reached the bomb aimer activated a third trigger, which stopped the first hand of the clock, with the second hand continuing. [190], The brief success of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). The Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook and Churchill distanced themselves. [171] In the bad weather of February 1941, Fighter Command flew 568 sorties to counter the Luftwaffe which flew 1,644 sorties. "Bombing of London" and "London Blitz" redirect here. Cardiff was bombed on three nights; Portsmouth centre was devastated by five raids. For the London-based American football team, see, Directive 23: Gring and the Kriegsmarine, This was caused by moisture ruining the electrical. 7 September 1940 In the run up to 7 September, the night the Blitz began, the Luftwaffe had targeted RAF airfields and radar stations for destruction in preparation for the German invasion of the. Its aircraftDornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88, and Heinkel He 111swere capable of carrying out strategic missions[41] but were incapable of doing greater damage because of their small bomb-loads. This led to their agreeing to Hitler's Directive 23, Directions for operations against the British War Economy, which was published on 6 February 1941 and gave aerial interdiction of British imports by sea top priority. It is argued that persisting with attacks on RAF airfields might have won air superiority for the Luftwaffe. At least 3,363 Luftwaffe aircrew were killed, 2,641 missing and 2,117 wounded. Far from displaying the nation's unity in times of war, the scheme backfired, often aggravating class antagonism and bolstering prejudice about the urban poor. [80], Pre-war dire predictions of mass air-raid neurosis were not borne out. There was also a mentality in all air forces that flying by day would obviate the need for night operations and their inherent disadvantages. The electronic war intensified but the Luftwaffe flew major inland missions only on moonlit nights. [79] The Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence (WVS) was established in 1938 by the Home Secretary, Samuel Hoare, who considered it the female branch of the ARP. The London boroughs of City of Westminster and St Marylebone - 8.3 square miles of central London stretching from the north bank of the Thames up to Paddington and St John's Wood - were to suffer considerable bombing during the ensuing London Blitz of 7 September 1940 - 11 May 1941 and in later attacks during 1944 -1945. THIS DAY IN HISTORY September 07 1940 September 07 The Blitz begins as Germany bombs London On September 7, 1940, 300 German bombers raid London, in the first of 57 consecutive nights of. [69] Contrary to pre-war fears of anti-Semitic violence in the East End, one observer found that the "Cockney and the Jew [worked] together, against the Indian". He fell asleep at the controls of his Ju 88 and woke up to discover the entire crew asleep. [97] Of this total around 400 were killed. [35][104][105], On 14 October, the heaviest night attack to date saw 380 German bombers from Luftflotte 3 hit London. A further attack on the Clyde, this time at Greenock, took place on 6 and 7 May. The Blitz referred to the bombing of most major British cities by the Germans in World War II. Famed SF author Connie Willis' first novel in five years, Blackout, returns to a scenario she's explored before: Time-traveling scholars find themselves changing historical events they're only . The first major raid took place on 7 September. The Romanov family was the imperial house of the Russian Empire from 1613 until being forced out of power in 1917 during the Russian Revolution. [7][8] Notable attacks included a large daylight attack against London on 15 September, a large raid on December 29 1940 against London resulting in a firestorm known as the Second Great Fire of London. [67] By the end of 1940 improvements had been made in the Underground and in many other large shelters. Bombers were noisy, cold, and vibrated badly. [70] Pub visits increased in number (beer was never rationed), and 13,000 attended cricket at Lord's. At this time, the Underground lines were mostly owned and run by separate companies, all of which were merged together with . [13] British wartime studies concluded that most cities took 10 to 15 days to recover when hit severely, but some, such as Birmingham, took three months. [11][12] The greatest effect was to force the British to disperse the production of aircraft and spare parts. [17], The vital industries and transport centres that would be targeted for shutdown were valid military targets. [108], Kesselring, commanding Luftflotte 2, was ordered to send 50 sorties per night against London and attack eastern harbours in daylight. 1940 30 June: The order is given by Reichsmarschall Hermann Gering, head of the Luftwaffe, to draw the RAF into battle. Whitechapel suffered greatly during this period. It hoped to destroy morale by destroying the enemy's factories and public utilities as well as its food stocks (by attacking shipping). [179], Some writers claim the Air Staff ignored a critical lesson, that British morale did not break and that attacking German morale was not sufficient to induce a collapse. It would prove formidable but its development was slow. Locating targets in skies obscured by industrial haze meant the target area needed to be illuminated and hit "without regard for the civilian population". A tall white house known locally as the 'leaning tower of Rotherhithe' has sold for 1.5million. The considerable rail network distributed to the rest of the country. The moon was full and the Thames had a very low ebb tide. [131] Whitehall's disquiet at the failures of the RAF led to the replacement of Dowding (who was already due for retirement) with Sholto Douglas on 25 November. [164], In the north, substantial efforts were made against Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland, which were large ports on the English east coast. When a continuous sound was heard from the second beam the crew knew they were above the target and dropped their bombs. 8200 tons (8,330t) of bombs were dropped that month, about 10 percent in daylight, over 5400 tons (5,490t) on London during the night. Only a few weeks after the British victory in the Battle of. Launched in May 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, discover our collection of resources about the resilience of London during World War II. The name "Blitz" comes from the word "blitzkrieg" which meant "lightning war". On the night of 22/23 July 1940, Flying Officer Cyril Ashfield (pilot), Pilot Officer Geoffrey Morris (air observer) and Flight Sergeant Reginald Leyland (Air Intercept radar operator) of the Fighter Interception Unit became the first pilot and crew to intercept and destroy an enemy aircraft using onboard radar to guide them to a visual interception, when their AI night fighter brought down a Do 17 off Sussex. The Luftwaffe lost 18 percent of the bombers sent on the operations that day and failed to gain air superiority. [49], In addition to high-explosive and incendiary bombs, the Germans could use poison gas and even bacteriological warfare, all with a high degree of accuracy. Two aerials at ground stations were rotated so that their beams converged over the target. "[25] Such principles made it much harder to integrate the air force into the overall strategy and produced in Gring a jealous and damaging defence of his "empire" while removing Hitler voluntarily from the systematic direction of the Luftwaffe at either the strategic or operational level. In September, there had been no less than 667 hits on railways in Great Britain, and at one period, between 5,000 and 6,000 wagons were standing idle from the effect of delayed action bombs. This caused more than 2,000 fires; 1,436 people were killed and 1,792 seriously injured, which affected morale badly. Between 1940 and 1945, over 52,000 civilians were killed in Britain during bombing raids by German aircraft. Loge had cost the Luftwaffe 41 aircraft; 14 bombers, 16 Messerschmitt Bf 109s, seven Messerschmitt Bf 110s and four reconnaissance aircraft. German crews, even if they survived, faced capture. A significant number of the aircraft not shot down after the resort to night bombing were wrecked during landings or crashed in bad weather. To confuse the British, radio silence was observed until the bombs fell. [28], The Luftwaffe's poor intelligence meant that their aircraft were not always able to locate their targets, and thus attacks on factories and airfields failed to achieve the desired results. To reduce losses further, strategy changed to prefer night raids, giving the bombers greater protection under cover of darkness. [13] The strategic impact on industrial cities was varied; most took from 10 to 15 days to recover from heavy raids, although Belfast and Liverpool took longer. In subsequent months a steady number of German bombers would fall to night fighters. [115] In the initial operations against London, it did appear as if rail targets and the bridges over the Thames had been singled out: Victoria Station was hit by four bombs and suffered extensive damage. The difficulty of RAF bombers in night navigation and target finding led the British to believe that it would be the same for German bomber crews. One third of London was destroyed. [52], Based in part on the experience of German bombing in the First World War, politicians feared mass psychological trauma from aerial attacks and the collapse of civil society. Hayward 2007, www.ltmrecordings.com/blitz1notes.html, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:33, German strategic bombing during World War I, Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany, Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence, Bombing of Wiener Neustadt in World War II, "The Blitz: The Bombing of Britain in WWII", "Families pay tribute to Stoke Newington war dead", Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britain, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy, Parliament & The Blitz UK Parliament Living Heritage, "London Blitz 1940: the first day's bomb attacks listed in full", Archive recordings from The Blitz, 194041 (audiobook), The Blitz: Sorting the Myth from the Reality, Exploring 20th century London The Blitz, Oral history interview with Barry Fulford, recalling his childhood during the Blitz, Interactive bombing map of Buckinghamshire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Blitz&oldid=1141315217. In late 1943, just before the Battle of Berlin, Harris declared the power of Bomber Command would enable it to achieve "a state of devastation in which surrender is inevitable". Air raids caused about 2,300 casualties in London in World War I, and during the Battle of Britain in World War II, the city was bombed relentlessly by the German Luftwaffethe London Blitz . Explore the London Blitz during 7th October 1940 to 6th June 1941 Aggregate Bomb Census Information Powered by Leaflet CartoDB - Map data OpenStreetMap.org contributors The National Archives give no warranty to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for purpose of the information provided. The difference this made to the effectiveness of air defences is questionable. [92], German beacons operated on the medium-frequency band and the signals involved a two-letter Morse identifier followed by a lengthy time-lapse which enabled the Luftwaffe crews to determine the signal's bearing. Tickets were issued for bunks in large shelters, to reduce the amount of time spent queuing. The air campaign soon got underway against London and other British cities. But the Luftwaffe's effort eased in the last 10 attacks as seven Kampfgruppen moved to Austria in preparation for the Balkans Campaign in Yugoslavia and Greece. [155], The diversion of heavier bombers to the Balkans meant that the crews and units left behind were asked to fly two or three sorties per night. By 1938, experts generally expected that Germany would try to drop as much as 3,500 tonnes in the first 24 hours of war and average 700 tonnes a day for several weeks. But their operations were to no avail; the worsening weather and unsustainable attrition in daylight gave the OKL an excuse to switch to night attacks on 7 October. The Blitz was a huge bombing campaign of London and other English cities carried about by the German airforce from September 1940 to May 1941.

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