At 18:17, it released the first of 10,000 firebombs, eventually amounting to 300 dropped per minute. The Royal Chapel, inner quadrangle and Palace gates were hit, and several workmen were injured. When this proved impossible, he began to fear that popular feeling would turn against his regime, and he redoubled efforts to mount a similar "terror offensive" against Britain in order to produce a stalemate in which both sides would hesitate to use bombing at all. [161] This raid was significant, as 63 German fighters were sent with the bombers, indicating the growing effectiveness of RAF night fighter defences. Bombers were noisy, cold, and vibrated badly. [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. 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. [99] Fighter Command lost 23 fighters, with six pilots killed and another seven wounded. An American witness wrote "By every test and measure I am able to apply, these people are staunch to the bone and won't quit the British are stronger and in a better position than they were at its beginning". In 1938, a committee of psychiatrists predicted three times as many mental as physical casualties from aerial bombing, implying three to four million psychiatric patients. This involved the bombing of English Channel convoys, ports, and RAF airfields and supporting industries. There is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed. Curiously, while 43 percent of the contacts in May 1941 were by visual sightings, they accounted for 61 percent of the combats. [140] The first group to use these incendiaries was Kampfgruppe 100 which despatched 10 "pathfinder" He 111s. [40], However, the Luftwaffe faced limitations. London: Aurum Press. 11 Group RAF and No. Reception committees were completely unprepared for the condition of some of the children. The first three directives in 1940 did not mention civilian populations or morale in any way. [132] On 19 November 1940 the famous RAF night fighter ace John Cunningham shot down a Ju 88 bomber using airborne radar, just as Dowding had predicted. [120], British night air defences were in a poor state. Only one year earlier, there had only been 6,600 full-time and 13,800 part-time firemen in the entire country. Civilians left for more remote areas of the country. This philosophy proved impractical, as Bomber Command lacked the technology and equipment for mass night operations, since resources were diverted to Fighter Command in the mid-1930s and it took until 1943 to catch up. Roads and railways were blocked and ships could not leave harbour. The German Luftwaffe dropped thousands of bombs on London from 1939 to 1945, killing almost 30,000 people. Moreover, bombers had four to five crewmen on board, representing a greater loss of manpower. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency . [107], Luftwaffe policy at this point was primarily to continue progressive attacks on London, chiefly by night attack; second, to interfere with production in the vast industrial arms factories of the West Midlands, again chiefly by night attack; and third to disrupt plants and factories during the day by means of fighter-bombers. [145] Part of the reason for this was inaccuracy of navigation. Night fighters could claim only four bombers for four losses. From the beginning of the National Socialist regime until 1939, there was a debate in German military journals over the role of strategic bombardment, with some contributors arguing along the lines of the British and Americans. [12], Five nights later, Birmingham was hit by 369 bombers from KG 54, KG26, and KG55. The Battle of Britain: Timeline July 26, 2010 2 mins read The dates of the four phases of the Battle of Britain are contested by some, and have been inserted in brackets only as a guideline. The name "Blitz" comes from the word "blitzkrieg" which meant "lightning war". On 15 October, the bombers returned and about 900 fires were started by the mix of 376 tons (382t) of high explosive and 10 tons of incendiaries dropped. [145] Use of incendiaries, which were inherently inaccurate, indicated much less care was taken to avoid civilian property close to industrial sites. Support for peace negotiations declined from 29% in February. For all the destruction of life and property, the observers sent out by the Ministry of Home Security failed to discover the slightest sign of a break in morale. Many houses and commercial centres were heavily damaged, the electrical supply was knocked out, and five oil tanks and two magazines exploded. [90][91], Y-Gert was an automatic beam-tracking system and the most complex of the three devices, which was operated through autopilot. To confuse the British, radio silence was observed until the bombs fell. By September 1940, London had already experienced German bombing. The GL carpet was supported by six GCI sets controlling radar-equipped night-fighters. However, the use of delayed-action bombs, while initially very effective, gradually had less impact, partly because they failed to detonate. 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. Their incendiary bombs The shortage of bombers caused OKL to improvise. The moon was full and the Thames had a very low ebb tide. [137] Around 21 factories were seriously damaged in Coventry, and loss of public utilities stopped work at nine others, disrupting industrial output for several months. Still, many British citizens, who had been members of the Labour Party, itself inert over the issue, turned to the Communist Party. To paralyse the enemy armed forces by stopping production in armaments factories. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (Kindle Edition) by. For the London-based American football team, see, Directive 23: Gring and the Kriegsmarine, This was caused by moisture ruining the electrical. [141][failed verification] Altogether, 130 German bombers destroyed the historical centre of London. [50] The unexpected delay to civilian bombing during the Phoney War meant that the shelter programme finished in June 1940, before the Blitz. [2], The military effectiveness of bombing varied. Within four months, 88 percent of evacuated mothers, 86 percent of small children, and 43 percent of schoolchildren had been returned home. Over the next few days weather was poor and the next main effort would not be made until 15 September 1940. The main focus was London. It is argued that persisting with attacks on RAF airfields might have won air superiority for the Luftwaffe. [90][91], In June 1940, a German prisoner of war was overheard boasting that the British would never find the Knickebein, even though it was under their noses. [146] Eventually, he convinced Hitler of the need to attack British port facilities. [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. London experienced regular attacks and on 10-11 May 1941 was hit by its biggest raid. [76], Despite the attacks, defeat in Norway and France, and the threat of invasion, overall morale remained high. These attacks produced some breaks in morale, with civil leaders fleeing the cities before the offensive reached its height. The government saw the leading role taken by the Communist Party in advocating the building of deep shelters as an attempt to damage civilian morale, especially after the MolotovRibbentrop Pact of August 1939. [109] Special units, such as KGr 100, became the Beleuchtergruppe (Firelighter Group), which used incendiaries and high explosives to mark the target area. Locating targets in skies obscured by industrial haze meant the target area needed to be illuminated and hit "without regard for the civilian population". From 7 September 1940, London was systematically bombed by the Luftwaffe for 56 of the following 57 days and nights. Although the weather was poor, heavy raids took place that afternoon on the London suburbs and the airfield at Farnborough. [50], On the other hand, some historians have recently contended that this revisionism of the "Blitz spirit" narrative may have been an over-correction. A significant number of the aircraft not shot down after the resort to night bombing were wrecked during landings or crashed in bad weather. It reveals the devastation caused by the Blitz over eight months. Just three and twelve were claimed by the RAF and AA defences respectively. The difference this made to the effectiveness of air defences is questionable. The cities and the capital were bombed until the following morning, leaving more than 430 dead and over 1600 people badly injured. The Blitz came to London on September Saturday 7 th 1940 and lasted for many days. The exhausted population took three weeks to overcome the effects of an attack. Here are the flats today, courtesy of Street View . X-Gert receivers were mounted in He 111s, with a radio mast on the fuselage. Of the "heavies", some 200 were of the obsolescent 3in (76mm) type; the remainder were the effective 4.5in (110mm) and 3.7in (94mm) guns, with a theoretical "ceiling"' of over 30,000ft (9,100m) but a practical limit of 25,000ft (7,600m) because the predictor in use could not accept greater heights. [121] Few anti-aircraft guns had fire-control systems, and the underpowered searchlights were usually ineffective against aircraft at altitudes above 12,000ft (3,700m). [38][a], It was decided to focus on bombing Britain's industrial cities, in daylight to begin with. Despite the bombing, British production rose steadily throughout this period, although there were significant falls during April 1941, probably influenced by the departure of workers for Easter Holidays, according to the British official history. [173] Losses were minimal. 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. [117] Attacks against East End docks were effective and many Thames barges were destroyed. [131], Nevertheless, it was radar that proved to be the critical weapon in the night battles over Britain from this point onward. [35][36], It was also possible, if RAF losses became severe, that they could pull out to the north, wait for the German invasion, then redeploy southward again. 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. Who . Contact Us 0207 608 5516 Call today: 9am - 5.30pm [39] The attacks were focused against western ports in March. Battle noises were muffled and sleep was easier in the deepest stations, but many people were killed from direct hits on stations. When Gring decided against continuing Wever's original heavy bomber programme in 1937, the Reichsmarschall's own explanation was that Hitler wanted to know only how many bombers there were, not how many engines each had. At a London railway station, arriving troops pass by children who are being evacuated to the countryside. The effectiveness of British countermeasures against Knickebein caused the Luftwaffe to prefer fire light instead for target marking and navigation. [189] The "Communist threat" was deemed important enough for Herbert Morrison to order, with the support of the Cabinet, the cessation of activities of the Daily Worker, the Communist newspaper. If a vigilant bomber crew could spot the fighter first, they had a decent chance of evading it. Over 2,000 AAA shells were fired, destroying two Ju 88s. Though they failed to make a large gain in influence, the membership of the Party had doubled by June 1941. [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. [127] In November 1940, 6,000 sorties and 23 major attacks (more than 100 tons [102t] of bombs dropped) were flown. [61] A single direct hit on a shelter in Stoke Newington on October 1940 killed 160 civilians. Bomb-Damage Maps Reveal London's World War II Devastation. In Wartime One Girls Journey From The Blitz To Sadlers Wells is understandable in our digital library an online permission to it is set as public . But the great bulk of the traffic went on, and Londonersthough they glanced apprehensively each morning at the list of closed stretches of line displayed at their local station, or made strange detours round back streets in the busesstill got to work. [103] The air battle was later commemorated by Battle of Britain Day. The first jamming operations were carried out using requisitioned hospital electrocautery machines. [33] Others argue that the Luftwaffe made little impression on Fighter Command in the last week of August and first week of September and that the shift in strategy was not decisive. The bombing effort was diluted by attacks against several sets of industries instead of constant pressure on the most vital. [72] The psychoanalysts were correct, and the special network of psychiatric clinics opened to receive mental casualties of the attacks closed due to lack of need. A trial blackout was held on 10 August 1939 and when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September, a blackout began at sunset. He fell asleep at the controls of his Ju 88 and woke up to discover the entire crew asleep. IWM C 5424 1. Air attacks continued sporadically, then in 1944 an entirely new threat arrived in the form . Liverpool suffered 180 long tons (183t) of bombs dropped. Hull and Glasgow were attacked but 715 long tons (726t) of bombs were spread out all over Britain. [95][96], Initially, the change in strategy caught the RAF off-guard and caused extensive damage and civilian casualties. [25], When Hitler tried to intervene more in the running of the air force later in the war, he was faced with a political conflict of his own making between himself and Gring, which was not fully resolved until the war was almost over. The attacks were authorized by Germany's chancellor, Adolf Hitler, after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. The Luftwaffe flew 4,000 sorties that month, including 12 major and three heavy attacks. The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The Blitz as it became known in the British press was a sustained aerial attack, sending waves of bombs raining down onto British towns and cities. The Blitz refers to the strategic bombing campaign conducted by the Germans against London and other cities in England from September of 1940 through May of 1941, targeting populated areas, factories and dock yards. [70], Although the intensity of the bombing was not as great as pre-war expectations so an equal comparison is impossible, no psychiatric crisis occurred because of the Blitz even during the period of greatest bombing of September 1940. [154], Even so, the decision by the OKL to support the strategy in Directive 23 was instigated by two considerations, both of which had little to do with wanting to destroy Britain's sea communications in conjunction with the Kriegsmarine. Get 20% off purchases above 10.Apply discount code SAVE20 at checkout.. Company Search. 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. The day's fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) 24 aircraft, including 13 Bf 109s. It hoped to destroy morale by destroying the enemy's factories and public utilities as well as its food stocks (by attacking shipping). On occasion, only one-third of German bombs hit their targets. (Photo by J. Workers worked longer shifts and over weekends. [170] On 19 November, John Cunningham of No. One-third of London's streets were impassable. On September 7, 1940, 350 German bombers escorted by fighters bombarded London on consecutive successions. However, resentment of rich self-evacuees or hostile treatment of poor ones were signs of persistence of class resentments although these factors did not appear to threaten social order. More than 40,000civilians were killed by Luftwaffe bombing during the war, almost half of them in the capital, where more than a million houses were destroyed or damaged. But even in May, 67 percent of the sorties were visual cat's-eye missions. Tickets were issued for bunks in large shelters, to reduce the amount of time spent queuing. [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. The maximum range of Y-Gert was similar to the other systems and it was accurate enough on occasion for specific buildings to be hit. He recognised the right of the public to seize tube stations and authorised plans to improve their condition and expand them by tunnelling. [152] Raeder's successorKarl Dnitzwouldon the intervention of Hitlergain control of one unit (KG 40), but Gring would soon regain it. They believed the Luftwaffe had failed in precision attack and concluded the German example of area attack using incendiaries was the way forward for operations over Germany. This weight of attack went on for two months, with the Luftwaffe dropping 12,400 long tons (12,600t) of bombs. [174] By the end of May, Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 had been withdrawn, leaving Hugo Sperrle's Luftflotte 3 as a token force to maintain the illusion of strategic bombing. The action did not guarantee automatic success. Lights were not allowed after dark for almost six years and the blackout became by far the most unpopular aspect of the war for civilians, even more than rationing. Between 1940 and 1941, the Germans attacked Britain by bombing London. The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War.The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term Blitzkrieg, the German word meaning 'lightning war'.. [127] Over 10,000 incendiaries were dropped. [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. Browse 1,952 london blitz stock photos and images available, or search for the blitz or world war ii to find more great stock photos and pictures. It believed it could greatly affect the balance of power on the battlefield by disrupting production and damaging civilian morale. [47], London had nine million peoplea fifth of the British populationliving in an area of 750 square miles (1,940 square kilometres), which was difficult to defend because of its size. [50] Panic during the Munich crisis, such as the migration by 150,000 people to Wales, contributed to fear of social chaos.[54]. The most intense series of these raids took place from September 1940 to May 1941 in a period that has become known as the Blitz. [11][12] The greatest effect was to force the British to disperse the production of aircraft and spare parts. July 20, 1982: Two IRA bombs explode in central London less than two hours apart. Many Londoners, in particular, took to using the Underground railway system, without authority, for shelter and sleeping through the night. Entertainment included concerts, films, plays and books from local libraries. These units were fed from two adjacent tanks containing oil and water. On the night of 13/14 November, 77 He 111s of Kampfgeschwader 26 (26th Bomber Wing, or KG 26) bombed London while 63 from KG 55 hit Birmingham. but even after the Blitz ended, danger remained. By December, this had increased to 92 percent. Before the war, the Chamberlain government stated that night defence from air attack should not take up much of the national effort. Both the RAF and Luftwaffe struggled to replace manpower losses, though the Germans had larger reserves of trained aircrew. By September 1940, the large-scale German air raids which had been expected twelve months earlier finally arrived. [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. [51], British air raid sirens sounded for the first time 22 minutes after Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany. At around 8.30pm on Sunday 13 October, a high-explosive bomb plunged through the Coronation Avenue flats on Stoke Newington High Street, and exploded directly above a shelter made up of three interconnected basements. [40] The Port of London, in particular, was an important target, bringing in one-third of overseas trade. In Portsmouth Southsea and Gosport waves of 150 bombers destroyed vast swaths of the city with 40,000 incendiaries. [156] The Luftwaffe attacks failed to knock out railways or port facilities for long, even in the Port of London, a target of many attacks. It expected about 90% of evacuees to stay in private homes, conducted an extensive survey to determine the amount of space available and made detailed preparations for transporting evacuees. The word "blitz" comes from the German term. Bombing civilians would cause a collapse of morale and a loss of production in the remaining factories. 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. An interactive map showing the location of bombs dropped on London during World War II has been created. Three cross-beams intersected the beam along which the He 111 was flying. Red lamps were used to simulate blast furnaces and locomotive fireboxes. 80 Wing RAF. A Raid From Above No follow-up raids were made, as OKL underestimated the British power of recovery (as Bomber Command would do over Germany from 1943 to 1945). Regional commissioners were given plenipotentiary powers to restore communications and organise the distribution of supplies to keep the war economy moving. [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. [136] The Germans were surprised by the success of the attack. 28384; Murray 1983, pp. Loge had cost the Luftwaffe 41 aircraft; 14 bombers, 16 Messerschmitt Bf 109s, seven Messerschmitt Bf 110s and four reconnaissance aircraft. [150] The OKL had always regarded the interdiction of sea communications of less importance than bombing land-based aircraft industries. The defences failed to prevent widespread damage but on some occasions did prevent German bombers concentrating on their targets. [23], While the war was being planned, Hitler never insisted upon the Luftwaffe planning a strategic bombing campaign and did not even give ample warning to the air staff that war with Britain or even Russia was a possibility. [93], For industrial areas, fires and lighting were simulated. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term Blitzkrieg, the German word meaning 'lightning war'.[4]. Around 200 people were killed and another 2,000 injured. [81], British air doctrine, since Hugh Trenchard had commanded the Royal Flying Corps (19151917), stressed offence as the best means of defence,[82] which became known as the cult of the offensive. "Pathfinders" from 12 Kampfgruppe 100 (Bomb Group 100 or KGr100) led 437 bombers from KG 1, KG 3, KG26, KG 27, KG55 and Lehrgeschwader 1 (1st Training Wing, or LG1) which dropped 350 long tons (356t) of high explosive, 50 long tons (50.8t) of incendiaries, and 127 parachute mines. The first attack merely damaged the rail network for three days,[102] and the second attack failed altogether. News reports of the Spanish Civil War, such as the bombing of Barcelona, supported the 50-casualties-per-tonne estimate. There was also minor ethnic antagonism between the small Black, Indian and Jewish communities, but despite this these tensions quietly and quickly subsided. [133] By mid-November, nine squadrons were available, but only one was equipped with Beaufighters (No. In late 1940, Churchill credited the shelters. In one incident on 28/29 April, Peter Stahl of KG 30 was flying on his 50th mission. The meacon system involved separate locations for a receiver with a directional aerial and a transmitter. 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". [62], Communal shelters never housed more than one seventh of Greater London residents. To start off, the idea of the London Underground as a bomb shelter wasn't a new one by 1940. The government up until November 1940, was opposed to the centralised organisation of shelter. 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 name "Blitz" comes from the word "blitzkrieg" which meant "lightning war". He told OKL in 1939 that ruthless employment of the Luftwaffe against the heart of the British will to resist would follow when the moment was right. [149] This strategy had been recognised before the war, but Operation Eagle Attack and the following Battle of Britain had got in the way of striking at Britain's sea communications and diverted German air strength to the campaign against the RAF and its supporting structures. British night-fighter operations out over the Channel were proving successful. Its hope was to destroy its targets and draw the RAF into defending them, allowing the Luftwaffe to destroy their fighters in large numbers, thereby achieving air superiority. While direct attacks against civilians were ruled out as "terror bombing", the concept of attacking vital war industriesand probable heavy civilian casualties and breakdown of civilian moralewas ruled as acceptable.[18]. [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. Summerfield and Peniston-Bird 2007, p. 4. [94], On 15 September the Luftwaffe made two large daylight attacks on London along the Thames Estuary, targeting the docks and rail communications in the city. [112] In fact, on 8 September 1940 both Battersea and West Ham Power Station were both shut down after the 7 September daylight attack on London. Around 66,000 houses were destroyed and 77,000 people made homeless ("bombed out"[158]), with 1,900 people killed and 1,450 seriously hurt on one night. [194], In one 6-month period, 750,000 tons (762,000t) of bombsite rubble from London were transported by railway on 1,700 freight trains to make runways on Bomber Command airfields in East Anglia. This became official policy on 7 October. KGr 100 increased its use of incendiaries from 13 to 28 percent. Reports suggested the attacks blocked the movement of coal to the Greater London regions and urgent repairs were required. Let us find out other historical facts about London Blitz below: Facts about London Blitz 1: the German intelligence While wartime bombings affected London in both world wars, it was the Blitz that truly altered the cityscape forever. [190], The brief success of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). The loss of sleep was a particular factor, with many not bothering to attend inconvenient shelters. Mackay2002, pp. [80], Pre-war dire predictions of mass air-raid neurosis were not borne out. (PROSE: A History of Humankind) In 1903, after receiving a wealth of information from the future, Grigori Rasputin foresaw the Blitz. These were marked out by parachute flares. [48] Based on experience with German strategic bombing during World War I against the United Kingdom, the British government estimated that 50 casualtieswith about one-third killedwould result for every tonne of bombs dropped on London. Its explosive sound describes the Luftwaffe's almost continual aerial bombardment of the British Isles from. The Luftwaffe attacked the main Atlantic seaport of Liverpool in the Liverpool Blitz. Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the pilot on course. Using historical paintings, a timeline, and a simple map, children can discover why the re started, how it spread, and the damage it caused. The British government grew anxious about the delays and disruption of supplies during the month. There were also many new civil defence roles that gave a sense of fighting back rather than despair. 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 . [156], The Luftwaffe could still inflict much damage and after the German conquest of Western Europe, the air and submarine offensive against British sea communications became much more dangerous than the German offensive during the First World War. The mines' ability to destroy entire streets earned them respect in Britain, but several fell unexploded into British hands allowing counter-measures to be developed which damaged the German anti-shipping campaign. Dowding had introduced the concept of airborne radar and encouraged its usage. It had no time to gather reliable intelligence on Britain's industries. [40] Late in the afternoon of 7 September 1940, the Germans began Operation London (Unternehmen Loge, Loge being the codename for London) and Operation Sea Snake (Unternehmen Seeschlange), the air offensives against London and other industrial cities.
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