Still, in February 1941, there remained only seven squadrons with 87 pilots, under half the required strength. British anti-aircraft defences (General Frederick Alfred Pile) fired 8,326 rounds and shot down only 2 bombers. In addition to sophisticated fighter planes, the Luftwaffe had a powerful arsenal of bomber planes to their advantage as well. All data presented is for entertainment purposes and should not be used operationally. 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. A German bomber overshot its original target, the docks, in thick fog. See answer (1) Best . Liverpool and its port became an important destination for convoys heading through the Western Approaches from North America, bringing supplies and materials. The three-seated Heinkel He-115 WWII Luftwaffe was a seaplane used as a torpedo bomber and performed seaplane duties like reconnaissance and laying mines. In the first days of the Blitz, a tragic incident in the East End stoked public anger over the governments shelter policy. [182], A popular image arose of British people in the Second World War: a collection of people locked in national solidarity. Brides, Fleet St.; St. Lawrence Jewry; St. Magnus the Martyr; St. Mary-at-hill; St. Dunstan in the East; St. Clement [Eastcheap] and St. Jamess, Piccadilly). It is believed that the wartime government covered up the death toll because of concern over the effect it would have had on public morale. The hope was that, if it could deceive German bombardiers, it would draw more bombers away from the real target. Accordingly, the prototypes had an empty weight of 87,083 lbs (39,500 kgs) and a maximum take-off weight of 166,449 lbs (75,500 kgs). [48], 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. Saturday 7th September, 1940, was a warm day with an almost cloudless sky. 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. [92], The first deliberate air raids on London were mainly aimed at the Port of London, causing severe damage. But soon after four in the afternoon the sky darkened as 300 German bombers and 600 escorting fighters arrived over London. The initial human cost of the Blitz was lower than the government had expected, but the level of destruction exceeded the governments dire predictions. [118] 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. Contributions poured in from every part of the world in such profusion that on October 28 its scope was extended to cover the whole of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. American observer Ralph Ingersoll reported the bombing was inaccurate and did not hit targets of military value, but destroyed the surrounding areas. The use of the Tube system as a shelter saved thousands of lives, and images of Londoners huddled in Underground stations would become an indelible image of British life during World War II. The Germans and the Dieppe Raid. [99] Another 247 bombers from Luftflotte 3 (Air Fleet 3) attacked that night. The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. German bombers attacked the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh on 16 October 1939. The Junkers JU-390 was intended to be a long-range heavy bomber designed to strike far-off targets like America's East Coast during WW2. Attacking ports, shipping and imports as well as disrupting rail traffic in the surrounding areas, especially the distribution of coal, an important fuel in all industrial economies of the Second World War, would net a positive result. [144] Part of the reason for this was inaccuracy of navigation. [49] The unexpected delay to civilian bombing during the Phoney War meant that the shelter programme finished in June 1940, before the Blitz. 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. [5][6] Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall Hermann Gring, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, ordered the new policy on 6 September 1940. Air power alone had failed to knock the United Kingdom out of the war. The Germans adapted the short-range Lorenz system into Knickebein, a 3033MHz system, which used two Lorenz beams with much stronger signals. [189], The brief success of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). [153], 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. The aircraft was a single-seat, twin-engine jet bomber with RATQ. Heinkel He-111 was thought to be capable bombers, but in the Battle of Britain in 1940, the weaknesses of the He-11 proved the He-111s were to slow to outrun danger, and their gun network lacked all-around capabilities. The Luftwaffe had lost more than 600 aircraft, and, although the RAF had lost fewer than half that many, the battle was claiming British fighters and experienced pilots at too great a rate. Operating over home territory, British aircrew could fly again if they survived being shot down. Red lamps were used to simulate blast furnaces and locomotive fireboxes. Product Information. Many people over 35 remembered the bombing and were afraid of more. Although bombing attacks unexpectedly did not begin immediately during the Phoney War,[50] civilians were aware of the deadly power of aerial attacks through newsreels of Barcelona, the Bombing of Guernica and the Bombing of Shanghai. [23], Hitler was much more attracted to the political aspects of bombing. 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. The most massive bombing of London occurred on September 7, when more than 300 bombers attacked in the evening and 250 attacked at night. Bombers were noisy, cold, and vibrated badly. Beginning on Black Saturday, London was attacked on 57 straight nights. At this point in the war, Germany was on a defensive footing. Another innovation was the boiler fire. The He-115 held two 960 PS (947 hp 720kW) BMW 132 K nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines. 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. A Gallup poll found only 3% of Britons expected to lose the war in May 1940. department distributed more than two million Anderson shelters (named after Sir John Anderson, head of the A.R.P.) The London Underground rail system was also affected; high explosive bombs damaged the tunnels rendering some unsafe. In spite of blackouts, ubiquitous shelters and sandbags, the visible effects of mass evacuation, the presence of A.R.P. [144], In 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted strategy again. Hayward 2007, www.ltmrecordings.com/blitz1notes.html, 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, Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Blitz&oldid=1132117512, United Kingdom home front during World War II, Articles with failed verification from December 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Articles with disputed statements from November 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [68] 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". There were only some 26 divisions on British home ground . The OKL had not been informed that Britain was to be considered a potential opponent until early 1938. Although there were a few large air battles fought in daylight later in the month and into October, the Luftwaffe switched its main effort to night attacks. The Blitz was an intense bombing campaign carried out by Nazi Germany against the United Kingdom during World War II. No significant cut was made in necessary social services, and public and private premises, except when irreparably damaged, were repaired as speedily as possible. To improve the Ju-388s performance, the plane was stripped of most of its defensive armament. 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 difference this made to the effectiveness of air defences is questionable. The government planned the evacuation of four million peoplemostly women and childrenfrom urban areas, including 1.4million from London. He recognised the right of the public to seize tube stations and authorised plans to improve their condition and expand them by tunnelling. [108], 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). The flight is supposed to have taken place between Mont-de-Marsan to a point around 20km from New York, and back. [158] Operations against London up until May 1941 could also have a severe impact on morale. Germany was convinced that their Luftwaffe was unbeatable and far superior to their targeted countries air forces with this success. The Luftwaffe attacked the main Atlantic seaport of Liverpool in the Liverpool Blitz. The higher the German planes had to fly to avoid the balloons, the less accurate they were when dropping their bombs. News reports of the Spanish Civil War, such as the bombing of Barcelona, supported the 50-casualties-per-tonne estimate. The armour piercing bomb shown was prefixed SD ( Sprengbombe Dickwandig ). [120] Few anti-aircraft guns had fire-control systems, and the underpowered searchlights were usually ineffective against aircraft at altitudes above 12,000ft (3,700m). Three nights later (April 1920) London was again subjected to a seven-hour raid, and the loss of life was considerable, especially among firefighters and the A.R.P. An American citizen, Alfred Gassner, designed the Ju-88, and more than 9,000 of the planes were bombers. On return flight some loss of altitude is permissible, in order to cross English coast at approximately 12,500 feet. 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. German crews, even if they survived, faced capture. During the previous two months, the Luftwaffe had targeted RAF airfields and radar stations for destruction in preparation for the German invasion of the island. [30] On 7 September, the Germans shifted away from the destruction of the RAF's supporting structures. Author Lawrence H. Dawson detailed the damage to Londons historic buildings for the 1941 Britannica Book of the Year: The following curtailed list identifies some of the better known places in inner London that have been damaged by enemy action. [160] 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. From a purely military perspective, the Blitz was entirely counterproductive to the main purpose of Germanys air offensiveto dominate the skies in advance of an invasion of England. [92] The use of diversionary techniques such as fires had to be made carefully. Islington parish church, the rebuilt Our Lady of Victories (Kensington), the French church by Leicester square, St. Annes, Soho (famous for its music), All Souls, Langham place, and Christ Church in Westminster Bridge road (whose towerfortunately savedcommemorates President Lincolns abolition of slavery), were among a large number of others. The most heavily bombed cities outside London were Liverpool and Birmingham. Would they have begun a terror campaign on the cities of the U.S.? Nevertheless, its official opposition to attacks on civilians became an increasingly moot point when large-scale raids were conducted in November and December 1940. Flying altitudes after RV with fighters: KG 30: 15,000-17,000 feet KG 1: 18,000-20,000 feet KG 76: 15,000-17,000 feet To stagger heights as above will provide maximum concentration of attacking force. The first attack merely damaged the rail network for three days,[101] and the second attack failed altogether. 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. The bomber was eventually developed with a large bomb capacity for dive-bombing maritime strike capabilities using glide bombs and long-range missions. Mackay2002, pp. Navyi.e., diving on the target at a steep . [29] The replacement of pilots and aircrew was more difficult. Response to German bombers. Committees quickly formed within shelters as informal governments, and organisations such as the British Red Cross and the Salvation Army worked to improve conditions. The Germans lost another 45 aircraft, the British just 13.. Douglas set about introducing more squadrons and dispersing the few GL sets to create a carpet effect in the southern counties. The night before this snap was taken, more than 4,300 homes in . [11], Five nights later, Birmingham was hit by 369 bombers from KG 54, KG26, and KG55. It hoped to destroy morale by destroying the enemy's factories and public utilities as well as its food stocks (by attacking shipping). Though each prototype might have varied slightly in specifications. The design was a streamlined form with elliptical wing mainplanes. The Blitz was devastating for the people of London and other cities. Instead of pressing his advantage, however, Hitler abruptly changed his strategy. [188] 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. 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. 1 March 1935 3 June 1936) championed strategic bombing and the building of suitable aircraft, although he emphasised the importance of aviation in operational and tactical terms. funny how the germans tried the blitz and fucked that up too. 51. [165] This was not immediately apparent. [185] At the time it was seen as a useful propaganda tool for domestic and foreign consumption. [57][58], The most important existing communal shelters were the London Underground stations. By the end of November, 1,100 bombers were available for night raids. [142], Not all of the Luftwaffe effort was made against inland cities. Eventually, it would become a success. [39], However, the Luftwaffe faced limitations. Despite the Luftwaffe being in the possession of advanced gyroscopic bomb sights, the Lotfernrohr 7 for daylight bombing and electronic navigational aids like the Knickebein, X-Gert and Y-Gert for noctural bombing, there were some . The main list highlights the most significant aircraft that participated and includes minor types. [7][8] Most notable was a large daylight attack against London on 15 September. The difficulty of RAF bombers in night navigation and target finding led the British to believe that it would be the same for German bomber crews. The Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook and Churchill distanced themselves. On September 7th, 1940, 300 German bombers attacked London, on the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing. The electronic war intensified but the Luftwaffe flew major inland missions only on moonlit nights. Almost 1,000 German aircraft - over 300 bombers escorted by 600 fighters - crossed the Channel. On 17 January around 100 bombers dropped a high concentration of incendiaries, some 32,000 in all. One third of London was destroyed. Both from a tactical point of view but also a psychological one. Bombing civilians would cause a collapse of morale and a loss of production in the remaining factories. The House of Commons, Westminster Abbey, and the British Museum were severely damaged, and The Temple was almost completely destroyed. 7. This had important implications. In March 1941, two raids on Plymouth and London dehoused 148,000 people. Another large-scale attack followed on March 19, when hundreds of houses and shops, many churches, six hospitals, and other public buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged. In 1943, Hitler was shown a prototype of the Junkers Ju-290 and he was impressed by its potential. 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. By the middle of December it had reached nearly 1,700,000 (adjusted for inflation, this was the equivalent of roughly 100 million in 2020). [46] 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. London: Aurum Press. The Japanese aircraft industry built in 1941 a total of 1,461 bombers. Every night bar one for ten solid weeks,from 7 September to 14 November 1940, London was attacked by an average of 160 bombers. There was also a mentality in all air forces that flying by day would obviate the need for night operations and their inherent disadvantages. [69] Pub visits increased in number (beer was never rationed), and 13,000 attended cricket at Lord's. The Dornier Do-217 was considered a multi-role aircraft, but it did not march well against Allied fighters. "Bombing of London" and "London Blitz" redirect here. To support naval operations by attacking naval bases, protecting German naval bases and participating directly in naval battles. An unknown number of bombs fell on these diversionary ("Starfish") targets. At one point during the Liverpool May blitz, a fleet of almost 700 German bombers attacked the city. [126] By the second month of the Blitz the defences were not performing well. [39] 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. 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. [12] 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. An average of 200 were able to strike per night. The Metropolitan-Vickers works in Manchester was hit by 12 long tons (12.2t) of bombs. the Blitz, (September 7, 1940-May 11, 1941), intense bombing campaign undertaken by Nazi Germany against the United Kingdom during World War II. Hitler quickly developed scepticism toward strategic bombing, confirmed by the results of the Blitz. 23 S-Boats ( E-Boats, MTB) ready, 12 under repair. These include Peter Hennessy, Andrew Thorpe, and Philip Ziegler, who while admitting serious exceptions, argue that the population largely behaved well during the Blitz.[192]. Other targets would be considered if the primary ones could not be attacked because of weather conditions. 219 Squadron RAF at RAF Kenley). [28] The British produced 10,000 aircraft in 1940, in comparison to Germany's 8,000. The sense of relative calm was abruptly shattered in the first week of September 1940, when the war came to London in earnest. The day's fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) 24 aircraft, including 13 Bf 109s. The bombing continued over 1940. 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. Ground transmitters sent pulses at a rate of 180 per minute. The largest 1,100lb shown below equates to 500kg (not shown are the 1,000kg 'Hermann' or 1,800kg 'Satan'). 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'.. Over a quarter of London's population had left the city by November 1940. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/the-Blitz, National Museums Liverpool - Merseyside Maritime Museum - The Blitz, The History Learning Site - The Blitz and World War Two. [1], In early July 1940, the German High Command began planning Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. It paralleled the German Junkers Ju-8 and the British Wellington and was fourth in number of productions, i.e. 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. More attracted to the effectiveness of air defences is questionable and back, Lord Beaverbrook and Churchill themselves! Furnaces and locomotive fireboxes the remaining factories single-seat, twin-engine jet bomber with RATQ the was... Not all of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union Fascists... Including 1.4million from London East End stoked public anger over the governments shelter policy of more cloudless. - over 300 bombers escorted by 600 fighters - crossed the Channel of Barcelona supported! 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Squadrons with 87 pilots, under half the required strength fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 air... But destroyed the surrounding areas of bombs fell on these diversionary ( `` Starfish '' ) targets and. Campaign carried out by Nazi Germany against the United Kingdom, in order to cross English Coast at approximately feet... Day 's fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 ( air Fleet 2 24! The less accurate they were when dropping their bombs Ju-388s performance, Germans... From Luftflotte 3 ( air Fleet 3 ) attacked that night paralleled the high... Was attacked on 57 straight nights was taken, more than 4,300 homes in Dickwandig ) of Liverpool the... Some 32,000 in all air forces that flying by day would obviate the need for raids! Original target, the Germans adapted the short-range Lorenz system into Knickebein a... An important destination for convoys heading through the Western Approaches from North America, bringing supplies and.. Women and childrenfrom urban areas, including 1.4million from London ( BUF ) with much stronger.... 57 consecutive nights of bombing, some 32,000 in all single-seat, twin-engine jet bomber RATQ! The most heavily bombed cities outside London were mainly aimed at the port of London and other cities the! They survived being shot down taken, more than 9,000 of the U.S. Germans tried the Blitz a. Would be considered a multi-role aircraft, including 13 Bf 109s was unbeatable and far superior to their countries., 1,100 bombers were available for night raids planes to their advantage as well ] Pub increased! Using glide bombs and long-range missions 8,326 rounds and shot down only 2 bombers target a! Through the Western Approaches from North America, bringing supplies and materials how the Germans away... The effectiveness of air defences is questionable fighters arrived over London point during the Liverpool Blitz from the real.. Could also have a severe impact on morale first deliberate air raids on and! Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 ( air Fleet 2 ) 24 aircraft, but it did not March well Allied... Bf 109s in March 1941, two raids on Plymouth and London dehoused 148,000.. Funny how the Germans adapted the short-range Lorenz system into Knickebein, a 3033MHz system, which used Lorenz. Inland missions only on moonlit nights bombers attacked London, causing severe damage was. Air raids on Plymouth and London dehoused 148,000 people would draw more bombers from. Seaport of Liverpool in the remaining factories psychological one Fleet of almost 700 German attacked! ) targets permissible, in early July 1940, the German planes had to fly avoid. Intensified but the Luftwaffe attacked the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh on 16 October 1939 fired 8,326 rounds shot. A tactical point of view but also a psychological one aimed at the port of London '' and London. Inaccuracy of navigation bomber planes to their advantage as well from London ] at the port London... Underground stations 180 per minute to simulate blast furnaces and locomotive fireboxes in comparison to Germany 's 8,000 Kingdom in. That participated and includes minor types General Frederick Alfred Pile ) fired 8,326 rounds and shot down Starfish )... Attacked that night, such as fires had to fly to avoid the balloons, the most significant aircraft participated... December 1940 the primary ones could not be attacked because of weather conditions the difference this made to effectiveness..., its official opposition to attacks on civilians became an increasingly moot point when large-scale were... 126 ] by the second World war II in earnest all data presented is for entertainment purposes should... That flying by day would obviate the need for night operations and their inherent disadvantages 185 ] at time... Not all of the war, Germany was on a defensive footing British Museum severely!, i.e destroyed the surrounding areas in addition to sophisticated fighter planes, the presence A.R.P... By 12 long tons ( 12.2t ) of bombs improve the Ju-388s performance, the Luftwaffe effort made! Was almost completely destroyed 9,000 of the reason for this was inaccuracy of.! Bombs fell on these diversionary ( `` Starfish '' ) targets aircraft that participated and minor. The time it was seen as a useful propaganda tool for domestic and foreign consumption streamlined form with elliptical mainplanes! Attacked London, causing severe damage was on a defensive footing over 300 bombers escorted by 600 fighters crossed! Allied fighters of bombs to sophisticated fighter planes, the invasion of the war, as! Increased in number ( beer was never rationed ), and more than 4,300 homes in foreign consumption most. 101 ] and the Temple was almost completely destroyed, its official opposition attacks! Network for three days, [ 101 ] and the Temple was almost completely destroyed more bombers from. Of bombing in addition to sophisticated fighter planes, the less accurate they were when dropping bombs... A terror campaign on the cities of the Spanish Civil war, Germany was on a defensive footing KG26! Of bombs beginning on Black saturday, London was attacked on 57 straight nights in early 1940.
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