[170] On 19 November, John Cunningham of No. The failure to prepare adequate night air defences was undeniable but it was not the responsibility of the AOC Fighter Command to dictate the disposal of resources. During World War I, German zeppelins and Gotha airplanes had bombed the city and forced people to take shelter in the tunnels. Many popular works of fiction during the 1920s and 1930s portrayed aerial bombing, such as H. G. Wells' novel The Shape of Things to Come and its 1936 film adaptation, and others such as The Air War of 1936 and The Poison War. [85] Although night air defence was causing greater concern before the war, it was not at the forefront of RAF planning after 1935, when funds were directed into the new ground-based radar day fighter interception system. The Battle of Britain Roads and railways were blocked and ships could not leave harbour. They emphasised the core strategic interest was attacking ports but they insisted in maintaining pressure or diverting strength, onto industries building aircraft, anti-aircraft guns, and explosives. Still, many British citizens, who had been members of the Labour Party, itself inert over the issue, turned to the Communist Party. The policy of RAF Bomber Command became an attempt to achieve victory through the destruction of civilian will, communications and industry. Smaller raids are not included in the tonnages. Between 1940 and 1941, the Germans attacked Britain by bombing London. It is argued that persisting with attacks on RAF airfields might have won air superiority for the Luftwaffe. [60], Each day orderly lines of people queued until 4:00pm, when they were allowed to enter the stations. On September 7, 1940, 350 German bombers escorted by fighters bombarded London on consecutive successions. [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. Attacks from below offered a larger target, compared to attacking tail-on, as well as a better chance of not being seen by the crew (so less chance of evasion), as well as greater likelihood of detonating its bomb load. [13], The German air offensive failed because the Luftwaffe High Command (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe, OKL) did not develop a methodical strategy for destroying British war industry. Many Londoners, in particular, took to using the Underground railway system, without authority, for shelter and sleeping through the night. [173] On 3/4 May, nine were shot down in one night. Destroying RAF Fighter Command would allow the Germans to gain control of the skies over the invasion area. [36] Other historians argue that the outcome of the air battle was irrelevant; the massive numerical superiority of British naval forces and the inherent weakness of the Kriegsmarine would have made the projected German invasion, Unternehmen Seelwe (Operation Sea Lion), a disaster with or without German air superiority. It expected about 90% of evacuees to stay in private homes, conducted an extensive survey to determine the amount of space available and made detailed preparations for transporting evacuees.
Blitz Incidents: High Holborn - the morning of 8th October 1940 - Blogger 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". 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. The Blitz referred to the bombing of most major British cities by the Germans in World War II. 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. These units were fed from two adjacent tanks containing oil and water. The OKL had not been informed that Britain was to be considered a potential opponent until early 1938. Daniel Todman reveals how Britons rebuilt their lives, and their cities, in the aftermath of the raids Published: December 1, 2017 at 4:27 pm Subs offer [149], From the German point of view, March 1941 saw an improvement. By 16 February 1941, this had grown to 12; with 5 equipped, or partially equipped with Beaufighters spread over 5 Groups. The London Underground rail system was also affected; high explosive bombs damaged the tunnels rendering some unsafe. IWM C 5424 1. 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 defences failed to prevent widespread damage but on some occasions did prevent German bombers concentrating on their targets. de Zeng, Henry L., Doug G. Stankey and Eddie J. Creek. [161] This raid was significant, as 63 German fighters were sent with the bombers, indicating the growing effectiveness of RAF night fighter defences. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (Kindle Edition) by. More than 70,000 buildings . [40] The Luftwaffe's decision in the interwar period to concentrate on medium bombers can be attributed to several reasons: Hitler did not intend or foresee a war with Britain in 1939, the OKL believed a medium bomber could carry out strategic missions just as well as a heavy bomber force, and Germany did not possess the resources or technical ability to produce four-engined bombers before the war. [11][162] Plymouth in particular, because of its vulnerable position on the south coast and close proximity to German air bases, was subjected to the heaviest attacks. The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. At least 3,363 Luftwaffe aircrew were killed, 2,641 missing and 2,117 wounded. The Metropolitan-Vickers works in Manchester was hit by 12 long tons (12.2t) of bombs.
80th anniversary of The Blitz: How London kept calm and carried on - 9News First, the difficulty in estimating the impact of bombing upon war production was becoming apparent, and second, the conclusion British morale was unlikely to break led the OKL to adopt the naval option. In the Myth of the Blitz, Calder exposed some of the counter-evidences of anti-social and divisive behaviours. From 7 September 1940, London was systematically bombed by the Luftwaffe for 56 of the following 57 days and nights. The Communist Party made political capital out of these difficulties. Ironically, the Blitz was the result of an . Official histories concluded that the mental health of a nation may have improved, while panic was rare. [170] In November and December 1940, the Luftwaffe flew 9,000 sorties against British targets and RAF night fighters claimed only six shot down. [100] Another 247 bombers from Luftflotte 3 (Air Fleet 3) attacked that night. It could be claimed civilians were not to be targeted directly, but the breakdown of production would affect their morale and will to fight. 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. The Germans conducted mass air attacks against industrial targets, towns, and cities, beginning with raids on London towards the end of the Battle of . Gring's lack of co-operation was detrimental to the one air strategy with potentially decisive strategic effect on Britain. 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. What he saw as the mythserene national unitybecame "historical truth". [159] Operations against London up until May 1941 could also have a severe impact on morale. Later in . [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. [83] Until September 1939, the RAF lacked specialist night-fighting aircraft and relied on anti-aircraft units, which were poorly equipped and lacking in numbers. [51], British air raid sirens sounded for the first time 22 minutes after Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany. On 8 May 1941, 57 ships were destroyed, sunk or damaged, amounting to 80,000 long tons (81,300t). [171] In the bad weather of February 1941, Fighter Command flew 568 sorties to counter the Luftwaffe which flew 1,644 sorties.
Bomb Sight - Mapping the World War 2 London Blitz Bomb Census Here are the flats today, courtesy of Street View . Children in the East End of London, made homeless by the Blitz From this point, there were air raids every day for two months. [116] On 7 November, St Pancras, Kensal and Bricklayers Arms stations were hit and several lines of Southern Rail were cut on 10 November. [13], The air offensive against the RAF and British industry failed to have the desired effect. [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. [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. [57] The programme favoured backyard Anderson shelters and small brick surface shelters. In March 1941, two raids on Plymouth and London dehoused 148,000 people. The property stands alone on a section of riverbank on the Thames, in South East London 's . Only one bomber was lost, to anti-aircraft fire, despite the RAF flying 125-night sorties. German crews, even if they survived, faced capture. Bombers were noisy, cold, and vibrated badly. The populace of the port of Hull became "trekkers", people who made a mass exodus from cities before, during and after attacks. The government saw the leading role taken by the Communist Party in advocating the building of deep shelters as an attempt to damage civilian morale, especially after the MolotovRibbentrop Pact of August 1939. [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. 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.
10 Facts about London Blitz | Less Known Facts The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: The Blitz [44] Disputes among OKL staff revolved more around tactics than strategy. This philosophy proved impractical, as Bomber Command lacked the technology and equipment for mass night operations, since resources were diverted to Fighter Command in the mid-1930s and it took until 1943 to catch up. [106], Loge continued during October. He was always reluctant to co-operate with Raeder. 604 Squadron RAF shot down a bomber flying an AI-equipped Beaufighter, the first air victory for the airborne radar. The first three directives in 1940 did not mention civilian populations or morale in any way. Moreover, the OKL could not settle on an appropriate strategy. [136] The Germans were surprised by the success of the attack. A present day image of the Freedom Press, Whitechapel, London. People were forced to sleep in air raid shelters, and many people took shelter in underground stations. It hoped to destroy morale by destroying the enemy's factories and public utilities as well as its food stocks (by attacking shipping). [43] The Luftwaffe's strategy became increasingly aimless over the winter of 19401941. From 1943 to the end of the war, he [Harris] and other proponents of the area offensive represented it [the bomber offensive] less as an attack on morale than as an assault on the housing, utilities, communications, and other services that supported the war production effort. Dowding had introduced the concept of airborne radar and encouraged its usage. The receipt of the German signal by the receiver was duly passed to the transmitter, the signal to be repeated. The next night, a large force hit Coventry. [35], While Gring was optimistic the Luftwaffe could prevail, Hitler was not.
The BBC in the blitz - History of the BBC WW2 Timeline | Timeline Cards (teacher made) - Twinkl People left shelters when told instead of refusing to leave, although many housewives reportedly enjoyed the break from housework. [152] Raeder's successorKarl Dnitzwouldon the intervention of Hitlergain control of one unit (KG 40), but Gring would soon regain it. Ingersol wrote that Battersea Power Station, one of the largest landmarks in London, received only a minor hit. The primary goal of Bomber Command was to destroy the German industrial base (economic warfare) and in doing so reduce morale. Many people over 35 remembered the bombing and were afraid of more. The German bombing of Britain from 1940-45 exacted a terrible price, in lives lost, infrastructure wrecked and nerves shattered. Rumours that Jews were inflating prices, were responsible for the Black Market, were the first to panic under attack (even the cause of the panic) and secured the best shelters via underhanded methods, were also widespread. The RAF and the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) adopted much of this apocalyptic thinking. [131], Nevertheless, it was radar that proved to be the critical weapon in the night battles over Britain from this point onward. [77] Before the war, civilians were issued with 50million respirators (gas masks) in case bombardment with gas began before evacuation. The Blitz began on 7 September, 'Black Saturday', when German bombers attacked London, leaving 430 dead and 1,600 injured. Dowding was summoned on 17 October, to explain the poor state of the night defences and the supposed (but ultimately successful) "failure" of his daytime strategy. [62], Communal shelters never housed more than one seventh of Greater London residents. [134], From November 1940 to February 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted its strategy and attacked other industrial cities. [108], Kesselring, commanding Luftflotte 2, was ordered to send 50 sorties per night against London and attack eastern harbours in daylight. [161] Another raid was carried out on 11/12 May 1941. Fighter Command lost 17 fighters and six pilots. 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. 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 moon was full and the Thames had a very low ebb tide. It would prove formidable but its development was slow. A significant number of the aircraft not shot down after the resort to night bombing were wrecked during landings or crashed in bad weather. [76], Despite the attacks, defeat in Norway and France, and the threat of invasion, overall morale remained high. For one thing, Gring's fear of Hitler led him to falsify or misrepresent what information was available in the direction of an uncritical and over-optimistic interpretation of air strength. Many unemployed people were drafted into the Royal Army Pay Corps and with the Pioneer Corps, were tasked with salvaging and clean-up. The bombings left parts of London in ruins, and when the war ended in 1945 much of the city had to be rebuilt. 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.
The Second Great Fire Of London - 29th December 1940 However, resentment of rich self-evacuees or hostile treatment of poor ones were signs of persistence of class resentments although these factors did not appear to threaten social order. While wartime bombings affected London in both world wars, it was the Blitz that truly altered the cityscape forever. 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. The production of false radio navigation signals by re-transmitting the originals became known as meaconing using masking beacons (meacons). The Battle of Britain and the Blitz were two central moments in the British war effort during World War II. This became official policy on 7 October. [23], While the war was being planned, Hitler never insisted upon the Luftwaffe planning a strategic bombing campaign and did not even give ample warning to the air staff that war with Britain or even Russia was a possibility. Regional commissioners were given plenipotentiary powers to restore communications and organise the distribution of supplies to keep the war economy moving. In one incident on 28/29 April, Peter Stahl of KG 30 was flying on his 50th mission. [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. They also noted regional production was severely disrupted when city centres were devastated through the loss of administrative offices, utilities and transport. [139], Although official German air doctrine did target civilian morale, it did not espouse the attacking of civilians directly. 219 Squadron RAF at RAF Kenley). 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. This led the British to develop countermeasures, which became known as the Battle of the Beams. 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.