The Germans conducted mass air attacks against industrial targets, towns, and cities, beginning with raids on London towards the end of the Battle of . [87], Because of the inaccuracy of celestial navigation for night navigation and target finding in a fast-moving aircraft, the Luftwaffe developed radio navigation devices and relied on three systems: Knickebein (Crooked leg), X-Gert (X-Device), and Y-Gert (Y-Device). de Zeng, Henry L., Doug G. Stankey and Eddie J. Creek. One third of London was destroyed. It was to be some months before an effective night-fighter force would be ready, and anti-aircraft defences only became adequate after the Blitz was over, so ruses were created to lure German bombers away from their targets. [187] Historians' critical response to this construction focused on what were seen as over-emphasised claims of patriotic nationalism and national unity. Although many civilians had used them for shelter during the First World War, the government in 1939 refused to allow the stations to be used as shelters so as not to interfere with commuter and troop travel and the fears that occupants might refuse to leave. Notable interviews include Thomas Alderson, the first recipient of the George Cross, John Cormack, who survived eight days trapped beneath rubble on Clydeside, and Herbert Morrison's famous "Britain shall not burn" appeal for more fireguards in December 1940. The Metropolitan-Vickers works in Manchester was hit by 12 long tons (12.2t) of bombs. The port cities of Bristol, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Southampton, Swansea, Belfast, and Glasgow were also bombed, as were the industrial centres of Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, and Sheffield. [109], By mid-November 1940, when the Germans adopted a changed plan, more than 11,600 long tons (11,800t) of high explosive and nearly 1,000,000 incendiaries had fallen on London. [42], Although it had equipment capable of doing serious damage, the Luftwaffe had an unclear strategy and poor intelligence. [122][123] In July 1940, only 1,200 heavy and 549 light guns were deployed in the whole of Britain. Seven major and eight heavy attacks were flown, but the weather made it difficult to keep up the pressure. This day marks the beginning of the Blitz when an attack on London is launched by the Germans, starting a nine-month long campaign against the city. [140] The first group to use these incendiaries was Kampfgruppe 100 which despatched 10 "pathfinder" He 111s. Hull and Glasgow were attacked but 715 long tons (726t) of bombs were spread out all over Britain. [148], Hitler's interest in this strategy forced Gring and Jeschonnek to review the air war against Britain in January 1941. The bombing effort was diluted by attacks against several sets of industries instead of constant pressure on the most vital. Around 250 tons (9,000 bombs) had been dropped, killing 1,413 people and injuring 3,500 more. 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. Nevertheless, its official opposition to attacks on civilians became an increasingly moot point when large-scale raids were conducted in November and December 1940. There was also a mentality in all air forces that flying by day would obviate the need for night operations and their inherent disadvantages. [173] Losses were minimal. 11 Feb 2020. The property stands alone on a section of riverbank on the Thames, in South East London 's . Let us find out other historical facts about London Blitz below: Facts about London Blitz 1: the German intelligence The government did not build them for large populations before the war because of cost, time to build and fears that their safety would cause occupants to refuse to leave to return to work or that anti-war sentiment would develop in large congregations of civilians. The effectiveness of British countermeasures against Knickebein caused the Luftwaffe to prefer fire light instead for target marking and navigation. To confuse the British, radio silence was observed until the bombs fell. [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. When the second hand re-aligned with the first, the bombs were released. The shortage of bombers caused OKL to improvise. [68], Although only a small number of Londoners used the mass shelters, when journalists, celebrities and foreigners visited they became part of the Beveridge Report, part of a national debate on social and class division. 'Blitz' is an abbreviation of the German word 'blitzkrieg', meaning 'lightning war'. 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. Before the war, the Chamberlain government stated that night defence from air attack should not take up much of the national effort. Roads and railways were blocked and ships could not leave harbour. The Blitz The heavy and frequent bombing attacks on London and other cities was known as the 'Blitz'. At least 3,363 Luftwaffe aircrew were killed, 2,641 missing and 2,117 wounded. Damage was inflicted on the port installations, but many bombs fell on the city itself. [160], On 13 March, the upper Clyde port of Clydebank near Glasgow was bombed (Clydebank Blitz). It showed the extent to which Hitler mistook Allied strategy for one of morale breaking instead of one of economic warfare, with the collapse of morale as a bonus. Support for peace negotiations declined from 29% in February. Instead, he wasted aircraft of Fliegerfhrer Atlantik (Flying Command Atlantic) on bombing mainland Britain instead of attacks against convoys. Reflections made by factory skylights were created by placing lights under angled wooden panels. 28384; Murray 1983, pp. Still, at Southampton, attacks were so effective morale did give way briefly with civilian authorities leading people en masse out of the city. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term Blitzkrieg, the German word meaning 'lightning war'.[4]. At around 4:00 PM on that September day, 348 German bombers escorted by 617 fighters Sept. 7, 1940 - the beginning of the London Blitz blasted London until 6:00 PM. [145] Use of incendiaries, which were inherently inaccurate, indicated much less care was taken to avoid civilian property close to industrial sites. An average of 200 were able to strike per night. 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). The number of suicides and drunkenness declined, and London recorded only about two cases of "bomb neurosis" per week in the first three months of bombing. 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. Still, in February 1941, there remained only seven squadrons with 87 pilots, under half the required strength. A summary of Harris' strategic intentions was clear. The first major raid took place on 7 September. People were forced to sleep in air raid shelters, and many people took shelter in underground stations. Democracies, where public opinion was allowed, were thought particularly vulnerable. The damage was considerable, and the Germans also used aerial mines. Summerfield and Peniston-Bird 2007, p. 3. London experienced regular attacks and on 10-11 May 1941 was hit by its biggest raid. Both the RAF and Luftwaffe struggled to replace manpower losses, though the Germans had larger reserves of trained aircrew. [23], Ultimately, Hitler was trapped within his own vision of bombing as a terror weapon, formed in the 1930s when he threatened smaller nations into accepting German rule rather than submit to air bombardment. German planners had to decide whether the Luftwaffe should deliver the weight of its attacks against a specific segment of British industry such as aircraft factories, or against a system of interrelated industries such as Britain's import and distribution network, or even in a blow aimed at breaking the morale of the British population. [13], The air offensive against the RAF and British industry failed to have the desired effect. The oil-fed fires were then injected with water from time to time; the flashes produced were similar to those of the German C-250 and C-500 Flammbomben. [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. Three cross-beams intersected the beam along which the He 111 was flying. Ground-based radar was limited, and airborne radar and RAF night fighters were generally ineffective. British anti-aircraft defences (General Frederick Alfred Pile) fired 8,326 rounds and shot down only 2 bombers. (PROSE: A History of Humankind) In 1903, after receiving a wealth of information from the future, Grigori Rasputin foresaw the Blitz. At 18:17, it released the first of 10,000 firebombs, eventually amounting to 300 dropped per minute. It was evoked by both the right and left political factions in Britain in 1982, during the Falklands War when it was portrayed in a nostalgic narrative in which the Second World War represented patriotism actively and successfully acting as a defender of democracy. Workers worked longer shifts and over weekends. 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. [145] The shift from precision bombing to area attack is indicated in the tactical methods and weapons dropped. From 1940 to 1941, the most successful night-fighter was the Boulton Paul Defiant; its four squadrons shot down more enemy aircraft than any other type. [131], Nevertheless, it was radar that proved to be the critical weapon in the night battles over Britain from this point onward. [1] It was the capital not just for the United Kingdom, but for the entire British Empire. To reduce losses further, strategy changed to prefer night raids, giving the bombers greater protection under cover of darkness. London: The Blitz, September 1940-June 1941 Records are incomplete, but between 7 October 1940 and 6 June 1941 almost 28,000 high explosive bombs and over 400 parachute mines were recorded landing on Greater London. [64][65] The government distributed Anderson shelters until 1941 and that year began distributing the Morrison shelter, which could be used inside homes. [180] The 10th directive in October 1940 mentioned morale by name but industrial cities were only to be targeted if weather prevented raids on oil targets.[181]. 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. [67] By the end of 1940 improvements had been made in the Underground and in many other large shelters. Corum 1997, pp. [88] Bomber crews already had some experience with the Lorenz beam, a commercial blind-landing aid for night or bad weather landings. Although bombing attacks unexpectedly did not begin immediately during the Phoney War,[51] civilians were aware of the deadly power of aerial attacks through newsreels of Barcelona, the Bombing of Guernica and the Bombing of Shanghai. Other targets would be considered if the primary ones could not be attacked because of weather conditions. [51], British air raid sirens sounded for the first time 22 minutes after Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany. 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. 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. Summerfield, Penny and Peniston-Bird, Corina. The light guns, about half of which were of the excellent Bofors 40 mm, dealt with aircraft only up to 6,000ft (1,800m). Summerfield and Peniston-Bird 2007, p. 84. [9] and a large raid on the night of 10-11 May 1941. [169] The Beaufighter had a maximum speed of 320mph (510km/h), an operational ceiling of 26,000ft (7,900m), a climb rate of 2,500ft (760m) per minute, and its battery of four 20mm (0.79in) Hispano cannon and six .303in Browning machine guns was much more lethal. [50], On the other hand, some historians have recently contended that this revisionism of the "Blitz spirit" narrative may have been an over-correction. Authorities provided stoves and bathrooms and canteen trains provided food. Plymouth was attacked five times before the end of the month while Belfast, Hull, and Cardiff were hit. 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. [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. [139], Although official German air doctrine did target civilian morale, it did not espouse the attacking of civilians directly. 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. 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. [40] The Port of London, in particular, was an important target, bringing in one-third of overseas trade. [145] Captured German aircrews also indicated the homes of industrial workers were deliberately targeted. 4 June 1940 18 June 1940 22 June 1940 1 July 1940 . [191] In other cities, class divisions became more evident. [12], Five nights later, Birmingham was hit by 369 bombers from KG 54, KG26, and KG55. 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. Battle of Britain timeline. There is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed. [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. [16], The Luftwaffe took a cautious view of strategic bombing but the OKL did not oppose the strategic bombardment of industries or cities. 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. The Blitz came to London on September Saturday 7 th 1940 and lasted for many days. Many civilians who were unwilling or unable to join the military joined the Home Guard, the Air Raid Precautions service (ARP), the Auxiliary Fire Service and many other civilian organisations. Over 2,000 AAA shells were fired, destroying two Ju 88s. The air campaign soon got underway against London and other British cities. [178][3], In aircraft production, the British were denied the opportunity to reach the planned target of 2,500 aircraft in a month, arguably the greatest achievement of the bombing, as it forced the dispersal of the industry, at first because of damage to aircraft factories and then by a policy of precautionary dispersal. The clock mechanism was co-ordinated with the distances of the intersecting beams from the target so the target was directly below when the bombs were released. Daylight bombing was abandoned after October 1940 as the Luftwaffe experienced unsustainable losses. The estimate of tonnes of bombs an enemy could drop per day grew as aircraft technology advanced, from 75 in 1922, to 150 in 1934, to 644 in 1937. [135] In particular, the West Midlands were targeted. The AOC Bomber Command, Arthur Harris, who did see German morale as an objective, did not believe that the morale-collapse could occur without the destruction of the German economy. The cities and the capital were bombed until the following morning, leaving more than 430 dead and over 1600 people badly injured. Tawny Pipit (1944) While the likes of Welcome Mr. Washington (1944), Great Day (1945) and I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945) extended British hospitality to visiting Americans, Anthony Asquith's The Demi-Paradise (1943) was alone in offering the hand of friendship to our Soviet allies. Liverpool suffered 180 long tons (183t) of bombs dropped. [119] The Ministry of Home Security reported that although the damage caused was "serious" it was not "crippling" and the quays, basins, railways and equipment remained operational.
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