The Luftwaffe attacked the main Atlantic seaport of Liverpool in the Liverpool Blitz. Mackay2002, pp. (PROSE: Ash, TV: The Empty Child) It lasted from 7 September 1940 to 21 May 1941. [190], The brief success of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). [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. [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"). [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. Roads and railways were blocked and ships could not leave harbour. [3] OKL instead sought clusters of targets that suited the latest policy (which changed frequently), and disputes within the leadership were about tactics rather than strategy. Bomb-Damage Maps Reveal London's World War II Devastation. [93], The first deliberate air raids on London were mainly aimed at the Port of London, causing severe damage. [156] Westminster Abbey and the Law Courts were damaged, while the Chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed. [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). The first German attack on London actually occurred by accident. This became official policy on 7 October. Ingersol wrote that Battersea Power Station, one of the largest landmarks in London, received only a minor hit. London Blitz History, Facts & Importance | What was the Blitz of WW2 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 . Official histories concluded that the mental health of a nation may have improved, while panic was rare. [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. [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. [12], Five nights later, Birmingham was hit by 369 bombers from KG 54, KG26, and KG55. [117] Attacks against East End docks were effective and many Thames barges were destroyed. [50], On the other hand, some historians have recently contended that this revisionism of the "Blitz spirit" narrative may have been an over-correction. Blitz Incidents Thursday, 2 January 2014 High Holborn - the morning of 8th October 1940 I had no idea fighter-bombers were used against London as early as 1940, yet on Tuesday 8th October just before 9 am a raid took place that certainly hit targets across the centre of London, including Whitehall, at the very heart of British government. 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. [13][14], In the 1920s and 1930s, airpower theorists such as Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell claimed that air forces could win wars, obviating the need for land and sea combat. [122][123] In July 1940, only 1,200 heavy and 549 light guns were deployed in the whole of Britain. [88] Bomber crews already had some experience with the Lorenz beam, a commercial blind-landing aid for night or bad weather landings. London alone had 1,589 assembly points and although most children boarded evacuation trains at their local stations, trains ran out of the capital's main stations every nine minutes for nine hours. [87] Dowding accepted that as AOC, he was responsible for the day and night defence of Britain but seemed reluctant to act quickly and his critics in the Air Staff felt that this was due to his stubborn nature. Cardiff was bombed on three nights; Portsmouth centre was devastated by five raids. PDF The Great Fire Of London Ks1 Resources Copy The British were still one-third below the establishment of heavy anti-aircraft artillery AAA (or ack-ack) in May 1941, with only 2,631 weapons available. To paralyse the enemy armed forces by stopping production in armaments factories. [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). The system worked on 6677MHz, a higher frequency than Knickebein. 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. Tickets were issued for bunks in large shelters, to reduce the amount of time spent queuing. [99] Fighter Command lost 23 fighters, with six pilots killed and another seven wounded. [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. Throughout 193339 none of the 16 Western Air Plans drafted mentioned morale as a target. On September 7, 1940, 350 German bombers escorted by fighters bombarded London on consecutive successions. [35][104][105], On 14 October, the heaviest night attack to date saw 380 German bombers from Luftflotte 3 hit London. 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. Many unemployed people were drafted into the Royal Army Pay Corps and with the Pioneer Corps, were tasked with salvaging and clean-up. [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. The Top Historical Events That Shaped London - Culture Trip Blitz WW2 - The Battle of London | Military History Matters London Blitz bomb web map a hit-and-miss affair The - The Register The primary goal of Bomber Command was to destroy the German industrial base (economic warfare) and in doing so reduce morale. 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'.. The lack of bombing in the Phoney War contributed significantly to the return of people to the cities, but class conflict was not eased a year later when evacuation operations had to be put into effect again. Below is a table by city of the number of major raids (where at least 100 tons of bombs were dropped) and tonnage of bombs dropped during these major raids. The effectiveness of British countermeasures against Knickebein caused the Luftwaffe to prefer fire light instead for target marking and navigation. 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. The light guns, about half of which were of the excellent Bofors 40 mm, dealt with aircraft only up to 6,000ft (1,800m). Around 250 tons (9,000 bombs) had been dropped, killing 1,413 people and injuring 3,500 more. Although the stress of the war resulted in many anxiety attacks, eating disorders, fatigue, weeping, miscarriages, and other physical and mental ailments, society did not collapse. This had important implications. Poor intelligence about British industry and economic efficiency led to OKL concentrating on tactics rather than strategy. 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. The property stands alone on a section of riverbank on the Thames, in South East London 's . The first three directives in 1940 did not mention civilian populations or morale in any way. During World War I, German zeppelins and Gotha airplanes had bombed the city and forced people to take shelter in the tunnels. Britons in incredible photos marking 80 years since the Blitz [31], The circumstances affected the Germans more than the British. Bombers were flown with airborne search lights out of desperation but to little avail. There is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed. 1940 30 June: The order is given by Reichsmarschall Hermann Gering, head of the Luftwaffe, to draw the RAF into battle. He recognised the right of the public to seize tube stations and authorised plans to improve their condition and expand them by tunnelling. 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. [98] The fighting in the air was more intense in daylight. Who . He was always reluctant to co-operate with Raeder. On 10/11 March, 240 bombers dropped 193 tons (196t) of high explosives and 46,000 incendiaries. Its round-the-clock bombing of London was an immediate attempt to force the British government to capitulate, but it was also striking at Britain's vital sea communications to achieve a victory through siege. [24][182] [127] By the second month of the Blitz the defences were not performing well. The tactic was expanded into Feuerleitung (Blaze Control) with the creation of Brandbombenfelder (Incendiary Fields) to mark 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. Two heavy (50 long tons (51t) of bombs) attacks were also flown. 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. To reduce losses further, strategy changed to prefer night raids, giving the bombers greater protection under cover of darkness. The North Sea port of Hull, a convenient and easily found target or secondary target for bombers unable to locate their primary targets, suffered the Hull Blitz. The production of false radio navigation signals by re-transmitting the originals became known as meaconing using masking beacons (meacons). X- and Y-Gert beams were placed over false targets and switched only at the last minute. Children pull crackers under paper decorations while jubilant adults smile . [45] This method condemned the offensive over Britain to failure before it began. What he saw as the mythserene national unitybecame "historical truth". [127] Other sources say 449 bombers and a total of 470 long tons (478t) of bombs were dropped. [32], The decision to change strategy is sometimes claimed as a major mistake by OKL. 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. More than 70,000 buildings . [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. Much of the city centre was destroyed. An average of 200 were able to strike per night. Much civil-defence preparation in the form of shelters was left in the hands of local authorities and many areas such as Birmingham, Coventry, Belfast and the East End of London did not have enough shelters. The shortage of bombers caused OKL to improvise. Both the RAF and Luftwaffe struggled to replace manpower losses, though the Germans had larger reserves of trained aircrew. [109], These decisions, apparently taken at the Luftflotte or Fliegerkorps level, meant attacks on individual targets were gradually replaced by what was, for all intents and purposes, an unrestricted area attack or Terrorangriff (Terror Attack). Warehouses, rail lines and houses were destroyed and damaged, but the docks were largely untouched. [164], In the north, substantial efforts were made against Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland, which were large ports on the English east coast. British anti-aircraft defences (General Frederick Alfred Pile) fired 8,326 rounds and shot down only 2 bombers. Over 2,000 AAA shells were fired, destroying two Ju 88s. The German bombing of Britain from 1940-45 exacted a terrible price, in lives lost, infrastructure wrecked and nerves shattered. The air campaign soon got underway against London and other British cities. [40], However, the Luftwaffe faced limitations. [22], Hitler paid less attention to the bombing of opponents than air defence, although he promoted the development of a bomber force in the 1930s and understood it was possible to use bombers for strategic purposes. Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) (shelved 1 time as london-blitz) avg rating 4.29 99,548 ratings published 2020. The electronic war intensified but the Luftwaffe flew major inland missions only on moonlit nights. [173] On 3/4 May, nine were shot down in one night. A summary of Harris' strategic intentions was clear. Two hours later, guided by the fires set by the first assault, a second group of raiders commenced another attack that lasted until 4:30 the following morning. [166] This was not immediately apparent. [2], The British began to assess the impact of the Blitz in August 1941 and the RAF Air Staff used the German experience to improve Bomber Command's offensives. [167] The Bristol Blenheim F.1 carried four .303in (7.7mm) machine guns which lacked the firepower to easily shoot down a Do 17, Ju 88 or Heinkel He 111. 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. The exhausted population took three weeks to overcome the effects of an attack. [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. Civilians left for more remote areas of the country. 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 . [168] The Blenheim had only a small speed advantage to overtake a German bomber in a stern-chase. [195] Many sites of bombed buildings, when cleared of rubble, were cultivated to grow vegetables to ease wartime food shortages and were known as victory gardens.[196]. Still, at Southampton, attacks were so effective morale did give way briefly with civilian authorities leading people en masse out of the city. The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. [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. British fighter aircraft production continued at a rate surpassing Germany's by 2 to 1. [192] The total number of evacuees numbered 1.4million, including a high proportion from the poorest inner-city families. [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. By September 1940, the large-scale German air raids which had been expected twelve months earlier finally arrived. Timeline of events in 1940 during World War 2 - Historic UK Airfields became water-logged and the 18 Kampfgruppen (bomber groups) of the Luftwaffe's Kampfgeschwadern (bomber wings) were relocated to Germany for rest and re-equipment. The pilot flew along an approach beam, monitored by a ground controller. Minister of Home Security Herbert Morrison was also worried morale was breaking, noting the defeatism expressed by civilians. By the height of the Blitz, they were becoming more successful. The History Press | The evacuation of children during the Second World War The Blitz The heavy and frequent bombing attacks on London and other cities was known as the 'Blitz'. 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. Other targets would be considered if the primary ones could not be attacked because of weather conditions. Blitz Incidents: High Holborn - the morning of 8th October 1940 - Blogger 6063, 6768, 75, 7879, 21516. The government up until November 1940, was opposed to the centralised organisation of shelter. [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. [173] In May 1941, RAF night fighters shot down 38 German bombers. The London Blitz, 1940 - EyeWitness to History Why TikTok is being banned on gov't phones in US and beyond [161] This raid was significant, as 63 German fighters were sent with the bombers, indicating the growing effectiveness of RAF night fighter defences. Too early and the chances of success receded; too late and the real conflagration at the target would exceed the diversionary fires. 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. In subsequent months a steady number of German bombers would fall to night fighters. Democracies, where public opinion was allowed, were thought particularly vulnerable. Of greater potential was the GL (Gunlaying) radar and searchlights with fighter direction from RAF fighter control rooms to begin a GCI system (Ground Control-led Interception) under Group-level control (No. 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. History of the Battle of Britain The Blitz - The Hardest Night The Blitz - The Hardest Night 10/11 May 1941, 11:02pm - 05:57am The most devastating raid on London took place on the night of 10/11 May 1941. [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. In Sunderland on 25 April, Luftflotte 2 sent 60 bombers which dropped 80 tons (81.3t) of high explosive and 9,000 incendiaries. Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the pilot on course. [9] and a large raid on the night of 10-11 May 1941. Summerfield, Penny and Peniston-Bird, Corina. 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). London Blitz Facts | London Blitz WWII - DK Find Out Ed Murrow reporting on war torn London during the blitz. Bombsite rubble from Birmingham was used to make runways on US Air Force bases in Kent and Essex in southeast England. Outside the capital, there had been widespread harassing activity by single aircraft, as well as fairly strong diversionary attacks on Birmingham, Coventry and Liverpool, but no major raids. Beginning. [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. [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. [146] Eventually, he convinced Hitler of the need to attack British port facilities. [44] Disputes among OKL staff revolved more around tactics than strategy. Liverpool suffered 180 long tons (183t) of bombs dropped. [186] At the time it was seen as a useful propaganda tool for domestic and foreign consumption. This led the British to develop countermeasures, which became known as the Battle of the Beams. However, as with the attacks in the south, the Germans failed to prevent maritime movements or cripple industry in the regions. The debris of St Thomas's Hospital, London, the morning after receiving a direct hit during the Blitz, in front of the Houses of . 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. 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". Over the next few days weather was poor and the next main effort would not be made until 15 September 1940. Loge had cost the Luftwaffe 41 aircraft; 14 bombers, 16 Messerschmitt Bf 109s, seven Messerschmitt Bf 110s and four reconnaissance aircraft. [43] The Luftwaffe's strategy became increasingly aimless over the winter of 19401941. Want to Read. For the London-based American football team, see, Directive 23: Gring and the Kriegsmarine, This was caused by moisture ruining the electrical. Each setback caused more civilians to volunteer to become unpaid Local Defence Volunteers. A third poll found 89% support for his leadership in October. WW2: Eight months of Blitz terror - BBC Teach Battle of Britain and the Blitz - Military History - Oxford - obo 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. Authorities expected that the raids would be brief and in daylight, rather than attacks by night, which forced Londoners to sleep in shelters. Entertainment included concerts, films, plays and books from local libraries. 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). Reception committees were completely unprepared for the condition of some of the children. It reveals the devastation caused by the Blitz over eight months. All but one railway station line was blocked for several weeks. The GL carpet was supported by six GCI sets controlling radar-equipped night-fighters. This heavy bombing by German forces began in September 1940 and lasted for 57 days. The OKL had not been informed that Britain was to be considered a potential opponent until early 1938. [101] On 8 September the Luftwaffe returned; 412 people were killed and 747 severely wounded. Added to the tension of the mission which exhausted and drained crews, tiredness caught up with and killed many. It could be claimed civilians were not to be targeted directly, but the breakdown of production would affect their morale and will to fight. [60], Each day orderly lines of people queued until 4:00pm, when they were allowed to enter the stations. [38][a], It was decided to focus on bombing Britain's industrial cities, in daylight to begin with. Battle of Britain timeline. The name "Blitz" comes from the word "blitzkrieg" which meant "lightning war". 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. Intricately Color-Coded Maps Marking Bomb Damage from the London Blitz Ground transmitters sent pulses at a rate of 180 per minute. Nearly 350 German bombers (escorted by over 600 fighters) dropped explosives on East London, targeting the docks in particular. [93] In general, German bombers were likely to get through to their targets without too much difficulty. X-Gert receivers were mounted in He 111s, with a radio mast on the fuselage. [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. Battle of Britain timeline - RAF Benevolent Fund 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. Erich Raedercommander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarinehad long argued the Luftwaffe should support the German submarine force (U-Bootwaffe) in the Battle of the Atlantic by attacking shipping in the Atlantic Ocean and attacking British ports. Contact Us 0207 608 5516 Call today: 9am - 5.30pm London was bombed ever day and night, bar one, for 11 weeks. The Second Great Fire Of London - 29th December 1940 Blitz: A Novel (The Rook Files) Kindle Edition - amazon.com [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.
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