Reflections made by factory skylights were created by placing lights under angled wooden panels. [19] General Walther Wever (Chief of the Luftwaffe General Staff Over a period of nine months, over 43,500 civilians were killed in the raids, which focused on major cities and industrial centres. It believed it could greatly affect the balance of power on the battlefield by disrupting production and damaging civilian morale. The Luftwaffe lost 18 percent of the bombers sent on the operations that day and failed to gain air superiority. Though they failed to make a large gain in influence, the membership of the Party had doubled by June 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. Dowding had introduced the concept of airborne radar and encouraged its usage. With no sign of the RAF weakening and the Luftflotten suffering many losses, OKL was keen for a change in strategy. [184], Raids during the Blitz produced the greatest divisions and morale effects in the working-class areas, with lack of sleep, insufficient shelters and inefficiency of warning systems being major causes. The 'all clear' was sounded at 05.00 on 8 September - 420 people were killed and over 1600 seriously wounded. TikTok said in a blog post in June that it will route all data from U.S. users to servers controlled by Oracle, the Silicon Valley company it chose as its U.S. tech partner in 2020 in an effort to . 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. Support for peace negotiations declined from 29% in February. 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. [94], On 9 September the OKL appeared to be backing two strategies. [166] This was not immediately apparent. [156] Hitler now had his sights set on attacking the USSR with Operation Barbarossa, and the Blitz came to an end. Five main rail lines were cut in London and rolling stock damaged. The programme evacuated 2,664 boys and girls (ages 5 - 15) until its ending in October after the sinking of the SS City of Benares with the loss of 81 children out of 100 on board. [86], Hugh Dowding, Air Officer Commanding Fighter Command, defeated the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, but preparing day fighter defences left little for night air defence. These attacks produced some breaks in morale, with civil leaders fleeing the cities before the offensive reached its height. X-Gert receivers were mounted in He 111s, with a radio mast on the fuselage. Minister of Home Security Herbert Morrison was also worried morale was breaking, noting the defeatism expressed by civilians. The British government grew anxious about the delays and disruption of supplies during the month. At 18:17, it released the first of 10,000 firebombs, eventually amounting to 300 dropped per minute. X- and Y-Gert beams were placed over false targets and switched only at the last minute. The OKL had not been informed that Britain was to be considered a potential opponent until early 1938. [152] Raeder's successorKarl Dnitzwouldon the intervention of Hitlergain control of one unit (KG 40), but Gring would soon regain it. 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. [40] The Port of London, in particular, was an important target, bringing in one-third of overseas trade. [117] Attacks against East End docks were effective and many Thames barges were destroyed. Destroying RAF Fighter Command would allow the Germans to gain control of the skies over the invasion area. Thereafter, he would refuse to make available any air units to destroy British dockyards, ports, port facilities, or shipping in dock or at sea, lest Kriegsmarine gain control of more Luftwaffe units. The first attack merely damaged the rail network for three days,[102] and the second attack failed altogether. 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. [147] At Raeder's prompting, Hitler correctly noted that the greatest damage to the British war economy had been done through the destruction of merchant shipping by submarines and air attacks by small numbers of Focke-Wulf Fw 200 naval aircraft and ordered the German air arm to focus its efforts against British convoys. The shortage of bombers caused OKL to improvise. [50], On the other hand, some historians have recently contended that this revisionism of the "Blitz spirit" narrative may have been an over-correction. This is a Timeline of the United Kingdom home front during World War II covering Britain 1939-45.Timeline of the United Kingdom home front during World War II covering Britain 1939-45. [88] Bomber crews already had some experience with the Lorenz beam, a commercial blind-landing aid for night or bad weather landings. The general neglect of the RAF until the late spurt in 1938, left few resources for night air defence and the Government, through the Air Ministry and other civil and military institutions was responsible for policy. de Zeng, Henry L., Doug G. Stankey and Eddie J. Creek. In the last days of the battle, the bombers became lures in an attempt to draw the RAF into combat with German fighters. A significant number of the aircraft not shot down after the resort to night bombing were wrecked during landings or crashed in bad weather. But the Blitz started in earnest on the afternoon of 7 September when the German Luftwaffe filled the skies in the first major daytime raid on London. Rapid frequency changes were introduced for X-Gert, whose wider band of frequencies and greater tactical flexibility ensured it remained effective at a time when British selective jamming was degrading the effectiveness of Y-Gert. [135] In particular, the West Midlands were targeted. The Blitz referred to the bombing of most major British cities by the Germans in World War II. Its explosive sound describes the Luftwaffe's almost continual aerial bombardment of the British Isles from. [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. 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. British anti-aircraft defences (General Frederick Alfred Pile) fired 8,326 rounds and shot down only 2 bombers. [160], On 13 March, the upper Clyde port of Clydebank near Glasgow was bombed (Clydebank Blitz). 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. [173] In May 1941, RAF night fighters shot down 38 German bombers. Another innovation was the boiler fire. Jones began a search for German beams; Avro Ansons of the Beam Approach Training Development Unit (BATDU) were flown up and down Britain fitted with a 30MHz receiver. 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 . [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. 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. [49], In 1937 the Committee on Imperial Defence estimated that an attack of 60 days would result in 600,000 dead and 1.2million wounded. Added to the tension of the mission which exhausted and drained crews, tiredness caught up with and killed many. News reports of the Spanish Civil War, such as the bombing of Barcelona, supported the 50-casualties-per-tonne estimate. In recent years a large number of wartime recordings relating to the Blitz have been made available on audiobooks such as The Blitz, The Home Front and British War Broadcasting. 348 bombers led by 617 fighters barraged London around 4:00 in the afternoon that day. Nevertheless, its official opposition to attacks on civilians became an increasingly moot point when large-scale raids were conducted in November and December 1940. 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. Democracies, where public opinion was allowed, were thought particularly vulnerable. [1], In early July 1940, the German High Command began planning Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. 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. Workers worked longer shifts and over weekends. 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. Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the pilot on course. 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. Who . [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. This meant that British coastal centres and shipping at sea west of Ireland were the prime targets. [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. [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. 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. [143], Not all of the Luftwaffe effort was made against inland cities. Bomb damage around St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. [168] The Boulton Paul Defiant, despite its poor performance during daylight engagements, was a much better night fighter. Important events of 1940, including the beginning of the London Blitz (pictured above) and the Battle of Britain. [173] On 3/4 May, nine were shot down in one night. On 17 September he postponed Operation Sea Lion (as it turned out, indefinitely) rather than gamble Germany's newly gained military prestige on a risky cross-Channel operation, particularly in the face of a sceptical Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. By the end of 1941, the WVS had one million members. Although the weather was poor, heavy raids took place that afternoon on the London suburbs and the airfield at Farnborough. [159] Operations against London up until May 1941 could also have a severe impact on morale. The meacon system involved separate locations for a receiver with a directional aerial and a transmitter. Contact Us 0207 608 5516 Call today: 9am - 5.30pm [55] The relocation of the government and the civil service was also planned but would only have occurred if necessary so as not to damage civilian morale. 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. Underground officials were ordered to lock station entrances during raids but by the second week of heavy bombing, the government relented and ordered the stations to be opened. This timeline highlights key moments in the run up to and during the Battle of Britain. [64][65] The government distributed Anderson shelters until 1941 and that year began distributing the Morrison shelter, which could be used inside homes. [136] The Germans were surprised by the success of the attack. German crews, even if they survived, faced capture. [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". The Communist Party made political capital out of these difficulties. Industry, seats of government and communications could be destroyed, depriving an opponent of the means to make war. [37], Regardless of the ability of the Luftwaffe to win air superiority, Hitler was frustrated it was not happening quickly enough. Home Secretary Sir John Anderson was replaced by Morrison soon afterwards, in the wake of a Cabinet reshuffle as the dying Neville Chamberlain resigned. Much damage was done. The Luftwaffe had dropped 16,331 long tons (16,593t) of bombs. Unpopular with many of his fellow MP's, Prime Minister Chamberlain agreed to replace him under pressure from . By the height of the Blitz, they were becoming more successful. Contributions rose to the 5,000 "Spitfire Funds" to build fighters and the number of work days lost to strikes in 1940 was the lowest in history. Yet when compared with Luftwaffe daylight operations, there was a sharp decline in German losses to one percent. In those sites, carbon arc lamps were used to simulate flashes at tram overhead wires. A Raid From Above [127] Other sources say 449 bombers and a total of 470 long tons (478t) of bombs were dropped. The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: London During the Blitz London during the Blitz A view of Big Ben through barbed wire entanglement. 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. 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". Little tonnage was dropped on Fighter Command airfields; Bomber Command airfields were hit instead. This led the British to develop countermeasures, which became known as the Battle of the Beams. [1] It was the capital not just for the United Kingdom, but for the entire British Empire. A present day image of the Freedom Press, Whitechapel, London. More than 70,000 buildings . [165], The last major attack on London was on 10/11 May 1941, on which the Luftwaffe flew 571 sorties and dropped 787 long tons (800t) of bombs. 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. Want to Read. Two heavy (50 long tons (51t) of bombs) attacks were also flown. A building collapsing in Whitechapel during the Blitz. "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. To prevent German formations from hitting targets in Britain, Bomber Command would destroy Luftwaffe aircraft on their bases, aircraft in their factories and fuel reserves by attacking oil plants. 80 Wing RAF. [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. [149], By now, the imminent threat of invasion had all but passed as the Luftwaffe had failed to gain the prerequisite air superiority. It could be claimed civilians were not to be targeted directly, but the breakdown of production would affect their morale and will to fight. [citation needed] This image entered the historiography of the Second World War in the 1980s and 1990s,[dubious discuss] especially after the publication of Angus Calder's book The Myth of the Blitz (1991). [5] Large air battles broke out, lasting for most of the day. [190], The brief success of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). Whitechapel suffered greatly during this period. By September 1940, the Luftwaffe had lost the Battle of Britain and the German air fleets (Luftflotten) were ordered to attack London, to draw RAF Fighter Command into a battle of annihilation. 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. There is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed. [95][96], Initially, the change in strategy caught the RAF off-guard and caused extensive damage and civilian casualties. Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) (shelved 1 time as london-blitz) avg rating 4.29 99,548 ratings published 2020. [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. The number of contacts and combats rose in 1941, from 44 and two in 48 sorties in January 1941, to 204 and 74 in May (643 sorties). Dozens of men, women and children celebrate a Christmas party at a London Underground station during the Blitz in 1940. [173] On 19/20 April 1941, in honour of Hitler's 52nd birthday, 712 bombers hit Plymouth with a record 1,000tons (1,016t) of bombs. 219 Squadron RAF at RAF Kenley). [128] London's defences were rapidly reorganised by General Pile, the Commander-in-Chief of Anti-Aircraft Command. [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. [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. Only one year earlier, there had only been 6,600 full-time and 13,800 part-time firemen in the entire country. The first German attack on London actually occurred by accident. The German bombing of Britain from 1940-45 exacted a terrible price, in lives lost, infrastructure wrecked and nerves shattered. [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. All but one railway station line was blocked for several weeks. [145] The shift from precision bombing to area attack is indicated in the tactical methods and weapons dropped. The GL carpet was supported by six GCI sets controlling radar-equipped night-fighters. It also took part in the bombing over Britain. [56] Not only was there evacuation over land, but also by ship. [34] It has also been argued that it was doubtful the Luftwaffe could have won air superiority before the "weather window" began to deteriorate in October. A tall white house known locally as the 'leaning tower of Rotherhithe' has sold for 1.5million. [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. It had no time to gather reliable intelligence on Britain's industries. Hull and Glasgow were attacked but 715 long tons (726t) of bombs were spread out all over Britain. The Royal Chapel, inner quadrangle and Palace gates were hit, and several workmen were injured. [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. [169], Improved aircraft designs were in the offing with the Bristol Beaufighter, then under development. 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. 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. 4 June 1940 18 June 1940 22 June 1940 1 July 1940 . [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. [30] The replacement of pilots and aircrew was more difficult. The next night, a large force hit Coventry. The day's fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) 24 aircraft, including 13 Bf 109s. Red lamps were used to simulate blast furnaces and locomotive fireboxes. Children pull crackers under paper decorations while jubilant adults smile . The London Blitz started quietly. The maps help to contextualize the staggering statistics from the Blitz: in London alone, there were 57 consecutive nights of bombing. 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. He fell asleep at the controls of his Ju 88 and woke up to discover the entire crew asleep. [58], Deep shelters provided most protection against a direct hit. There were also many new civil defence roles that gave a sense of fighting back rather than despair. The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. [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. People were forced to sleep in air raid shelters, and many people took shelter in underground stations. 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. [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. Eventually, it would become a success. [92] The counter-operations were carried out by British Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) units under Wing Commander Edward Addison, No. 604 Squadron RAF shot down a bomber flying an AI-equipped Beaufighter, the first air victory for the airborne radar. Authorities expected that the raids would be brief and in daylight, rather than attacks by night, which forced Londoners to sleep in shelters. [22], Two prominent enthusiasts for ground-support operations (direct or indirect) were Hugo Sperrle the commander of Luftflotte 3 (1 February 1939 23 August 1944) and Hans Jeschonnek (Chief of the Luftwaffe General Staff from 1 February 1939 19 August 1943). The government up until November 1940, was opposed to the centralised organisation of shelter. In mid-September 1940, about 150,000 people a night slept in the Underground, although by winter and spring the numbers declined to 100,000 or less. [89][90], Knickebein was in general use but the X-Gert (X apparatus) was reserved for specially trained pathfinder crews. However, as with the attacks in the south, the Germans failed to prevent maritime movements or cripple industry in the regions. A trial blackout was held on 10 August 1939 and when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September, a blackout began at sunset. In the following month, 22 German bombers were lost with 13 confirmed to have been shot down by night fighters. [171] In the bad weather of February 1941, Fighter Command flew 568 sorties to counter the Luftwaffe which flew 1,644 sorties. When the Luftwaffe struck at British cities for the first time on 7 September 1940, a number of civic and political leaders were worried by Dowding's apparent lack of reaction to the new crisis. Most residents found that such divisions continued within the shelters and many arguments and fights occurred over noise, space and other matters. Other units ceased using parachute flares and opted for explosive target markers. The first three directives in 1940 did not mention civilian populations or morale in any way. The bombing effort was diluted by attacks against several sets of industries instead of constant pressure on the most vital. [51], British air raid sirens sounded for the first time 22 minutes after Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany. Regional commissioners were given plenipotentiary powers to restore communications and organise the distribution of supplies to keep the war economy moving. 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.

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