But the great bulk of the traffic went on, and Londonersthough they glanced apprehensively each morning at the list of closed stretches of line displayed at their local station, or made strange detours round back streets in the busesstill got to work. London Blitz Worksheets & Teaching Resources | Teachers Pay Teachers London Blitz 1940: the first day's bomb attacks listed in full The main focus was London. For the London-based American football team, see, Directive 23: Gring and the Kriegsmarine, This was caused by moisture ruining the electrical. [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. [170] On 19 November, John Cunningham of No. Although many civilians had used them for shelter during the First World War, the government in 1939 refused to allow the stations to be used as shelters so as not to interfere with commuter and troop travel and the fears that occupants might refuse to leave. Soon a beam was traced to Derby (which had been mentioned in Luftwaffe transmissions). [76], Despite the attacks, defeat in Norway and France, and the threat of invasion, overall morale remained high. Reflections made by factory skylights were created by placing lights under angled wooden panels. The Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook and Churchill distanced themselves. 604 Squadron RAF shot down a bomber flying an AI-equipped Beaufighter, the first air victory for the airborne radar. The crew would be ordered to drop their bombs either by a code word from the ground controller or at the conclusion of the signal transmissions which would stop. [37], Regardless of the ability of the Luftwaffe to win air superiority, Hitler was frustrated it was not happening quickly enough. Dowding had to rely on night fighters. More might have been achieved had OKL exploited the vulnerability of British sea communications. [173] In May 1941, RAF night fighters shot down 38 German bombers. In late 1940, Churchill credited the shelters. [71], According to Anna Freud and Edward Glover, London civilians surprisingly did not suffer from widespread shell shock, unlike the soldiers in the Dunkirk evacuation. BBC - The Blitz: Oxford Street's store wars - BBC News Sewer, rail, docklands, and electric installations were damaged. [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"). (PROSE: Ash, TV: The Empty Child) It lasted from 7 September 1940 to 21 May 1941. [24], A major problem in the managing of the Luftwaffe was Gring. German crews, even if they survived, faced capture. [116] On 7 November, St Pancras, Kensal and Bricklayers Arms stations were hit and several lines of Southern Rail were cut on 10 November. On the night of 13/14 November, 77 He 111s of Kampfgeschwader 26 (26th Bomber Wing, or KG 26) bombed London while 63 from KG 55 hit Birmingham. The Luftwaffe lost 18 percent of the bombers sent on the operations that day and failed to gain air superiority. [10] Bombing failed to demoralise the British into surrender or do much damage to the war economy; eight months of bombing never seriously hampered British war production, which continued to increase. There is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed. 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. Children in the East End of London, made homeless by the Blitz From this point, there were air raids every day for two months. [56] Not only was there evacuation over land, but also by ship. Although bombing attacks unexpectedly did not begin immediately during the Phoney War,[51] civilians were aware of the deadly power of aerial attacks through newsreels of Barcelona, the Bombing of Guernica and the Bombing of Shanghai. [173] Losses were minimal. An unknown number of bombs fell on these diversionary ("Starfish") targets. [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. How Thousands of Civilians Were Killed by British Shells in the London OKL did not believe air power alone could be decisive and the Luftwaffe did not adopt an official policy of the deliberate bombing of civilians until 1942. Ex-Army personnel and his successors as Chief of the Luftwaffe General Staff, Albert Kesselring (3 June 1936 31 May 1937) and Hans-Jrgen Stumpff (1 June 1937 31 January 1939) are usually blamed for abandoning strategic planning for close air support. [42], Although it had equipment capable of doing serious damage, the Luftwaffe had an unclear strategy and poor intelligence. 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). Though they failed to make a large gain in influence, the membership of the Party had doubled by June 1941. London: A History - HISTORY [138] The strategic effect of the raid was a brief 20 percent dip in aircraft production. Summerfield and Peniston-Bird 2007, p. 4. With no sign of the RAF weakening and the Luftflotten suffering many losses, OKL was keen for a change in strategy. The maps help to contextualize the staggering statistics from the Blitz: in London alone, there were 57 consecutive nights of bombing. [32], The decision to change strategy is sometimes claimed as a major mistake by OKL. Upsurges in population in south Wales and Gloucester intimated where these displaced people went. 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. 4546. What he saw as the mythserene national unitybecame "historical truth". Whitechapel suffered greatly during this period. The Blitz and what was known as 'Black Saturday' was the start in Britain of what Poland and Western Europe had already experienced - total war. Although the weather was poor, heavy raids took place that afternoon on the London suburbs and the airfield at Farnborough. During World War I, German zeppelins and Gotha airplanes had bombed the city and forced people to take shelter in the tunnels. [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. The populace of the port of Hull became "trekkers", people who made a mass exodus from cities before, during and after attacks. Hull and Glasgow were attacked but 715 long tons (726t) of bombs were spread out all over Britain. The Germans conducted mass air attacks against industrial targets, towns, and cities, beginning with raids on London towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940 (a battle for daylight air superiority between the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force over the United Kingdom). Two heavy (50 long tons (51t) of bombs) attacks were also flown. 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 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. The bombing also helped to support the U-boat blockade by sinking some 58,000 long tons (58,900t) of shipping and damaging 450,000 long tons (457,000t) more. [76], Civilians of London played an enormous role in protecting their city. [1], In early July 1940, the German High Command began planning Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. [159] Operations against London up until May 1941 could also have a severe impact on morale. Three cross-beams intersected the beam along which the He 111 was flying. Damage was inflicted on the port installations, but many bombs fell on the city itself. [187] Historians' critical response to this construction focused on what were seen as over-emphasised claims of patriotic nationalism and national unity. [13], The air offensive against the RAF and British industry failed to have the desired effect. 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. 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. In those sites, carbon arc lamps were used to simulate flashes at tram overhead wires. 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. 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. [146] Eventually, he convinced Hitler of the need to attack British port facilities. [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. [109] Special units, such as KGr 100, became the Beleuchtergruppe (Firelighter Group), which used incendiaries and high explosives to mark the target area. [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. Moreover, bombers had four to five crewmen on board, representing a greater loss of manpower. [52], Based in part on the experience of German bombing in the First World War, politicians feared mass psychological trauma from aerial attacks and the collapse of civil society. When the second hand re-aligned with the first, the bombs were released. Blitz: A Novel (The Rook Files) Kindle Edition - amazon.com These units were fed from two adjacent tanks containing oil and water. 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. Port cities were also attacked to try to disrupt trade and sea communications. Intricately Color-Coded Maps Marking Bomb Damage from the London Blitz Over the next few days weather was poor and the next main effort would not be made until 15 September 1940. BBC - WW2 People's War - Timeline 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. [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. 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. At this time, the Underground lines were mostly owned and run by separate companies, all of which were merged together with . London History: A Look at The London Underground During - Londontopia The name "Blitz" comes from the word "blitzkrieg" which meant "lightning war". However, meteorological conditions over Britain were not favourable for flying and prevented an escalation in air operations. The Blitz timeline | Timetoast timelines [25] In 1940 and 1941, Gring's refusal to co-operate with the Kriegsmarine denied the entire Wehrmacht military forces of the Reich the chance to strangle British sea communications, which might have had a strategic or decisive effect in the war against the British Empire. [186] At the time it was seen as a useful propaganda tool for domestic and foreign consumption. London was bombed ever day and night, bar one, for 11 weeks. [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). Notable interviews include Thomas Alderson, the first recipient of the George Cross, John Cormack, who survived eight days trapped beneath rubble on Clydeside, and Herbert Morrison's famous "Britain shall not burn" appeal for more fireguards in December 1940. [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. From 1916 to 1918, German raids had diminished against countermeasures which demonstrated defence against night air raids was possible. Operating over home territory, British aircrew could fly again if they survived being shot down. British night-fighter operations out over the Channel were proving successful. At a London railway station, arriving troops pass by children who are being evacuated to the countryside. The BBC in the blitz - History of the BBC 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 blitz: an interactive timeline | World news | theguardian.com [169], Improved aircraft designs were in the offing with the Bristol Beaufighter, then under development. [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. Support for peace negotiations declined from 29% in February. It could be claimed civilians were not to be targeted directly, but the breakdown of production would affect their morale and will to fight. [121] Few anti-aircraft guns had fire-control systems, and the underpowered searchlights were usually ineffective against aircraft at altitudes above 12,000ft (3,700m). 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. On September 7, 1940, 350 German bombers escorted by fighters bombarded London on consecutive successions. 6063, 6768, 75, 7879, 21516. [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). 10 Group RAF, No. 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. 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 However, the use of delayed-action bombs, while initially very effective, gradually had less impact, partly because they failed to detonate. [24], Hitler was much more attracted to the political aspects of bombing. [111], Wartime observers perceived the bombing as indiscriminate. [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. Little tonnage was dropped on Fighter Command airfields; Bomber Command airfields were hit instead. [172], By April and May 1941, the Luftwaffe was still getting through to their targets, taking no more than one- to two-percent losses per mission. The London Blitz Timeline Nathaniel Zarate Sep 7 1940 September 7, 1940 On Saturday September 7th 1940, Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force to bomb London. 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. To destroy the enemy air force by bombing its bases and aircraft factories and defeat enemy air forces attacking German targets. [50] Panic during the Munich crisis, such as the migration by 150,000 people to Wales, contributed to fear of social chaos.[54]. 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 most intense series of these raids took place from September 1940 to May 1941 in a period that has become known as the Blitz. [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. [73][74][75], The cheerful crowds visiting bomb sites were so large they interfered with rescue work. The London Blitz The Blitz is the term used to describe the German bombing campaign that took place from September 7, 1940, through May 11, 1941. It was to be some months before an effective night-fighter force would be ready, and anti-aircraft defences only became adequate after the Blitz was over, so ruses were created to lure German bombers away from their targets. Instead, he wasted aircraft of Fliegerfhrer Atlantik (Flying Command Atlantic) on bombing mainland Britain instead of attacks against convoys. The policy of RAF Bomber Command became an attempt to achieve victory through the destruction of civilian will, communications and industry. Bungay, Stephen (2000). [12], Five nights later, Birmingham was hit by 369 bombers from KG 54, KG26, and KG55. To prevent the movement of large enemy ground forces to the decisive areas, by destroying railways and roads, particularly bridges and tunnels, which are indispensable for the movement and supply of forces. [115] The bombing disrupted rail traffic through London without destroying any of the crossings. The main damage was inflicted on the commercial and domestic areas. [171] In the bad weather of February 1941, Fighter Command flew 568 sorties to counter the Luftwaffe which flew 1,644 sorties. 4 June 1940 18 June 1940 22 June 1940 1 July 1940 . 15 Powerful Photos Of The WW2 Blitz | Imperial War Museums This meant that British coastal centres and shipping at sea west of Ireland were the prime targets. A building collapsing in Whitechapel during the Blitz. Sperrle, commanding Luftflotte 3, was ordered to dispatch 250 sorties per night including 100 against the West Midlands. The offensive came to be called the Blitz after the German word blitzkrieg ("lightning war"). 7 September 1940 In the run up to 7 September, the night the Blitz began, the Luftwaffe had targeted RAF airfields and radar stations for destruction in preparation for the German invasion of the. "Civilian morale during the Second World War: Responses to air raids re-examined.". He fell asleep at the controls of his Ju 88 and woke up to discover the entire crew asleep. This had important implications. The Blitz begins as Germany bombs London - HISTORY [192] The total number of evacuees numbered 1.4million, including a high proportion from the poorest inner-city families. Mackay2002, pp. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency . It was during the Second World War. (Photo by J. The attacks were authorized by Germany's chancellor, Adolf Hitler, after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. An average of 200 were able to strike per night. They believed the Luftwaffe had failed in precision attack and concluded the German example of area attack using incendiaries was the way forward for operations over Germany. Children pull crackers under paper decorations while jubilant adults smile . A third poll found 89% support for his leadership in October. Another poll found an 88% approval rating for Churchill in July. [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. [5][6] Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall Hermann Gring, commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, ordered the new policy on 6 September 1940. Hayward 2007, www.ltmrecordings.com/blitz1notes.html, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:33, German strategic bombing during World War I, Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany, Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence, Bombing of Wiener Neustadt in World War II, "The Blitz: The Bombing of Britain in WWII", "Families pay tribute to Stoke Newington war dead", Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britain, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy, Parliament & The Blitz UK Parliament Living Heritage, "London Blitz 1940: the first day's bomb attacks listed in full", Archive recordings from The Blitz, 194041 (audiobook), The Blitz: Sorting the Myth from the Reality, Exploring 20th century London The Blitz, Oral history interview with Barry Fulford, recalling his childhood during the Blitz, Interactive bombing map of Buckinghamshire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Blitz&oldid=1141315217. To paralyse the enemy armed forces by stopping production in armaments factories. On 17 April 346 tons (352t) of explosives and 46,000 incendiaries were dropped from 250 bombers led by KG 26. Important events of 1940, including the beginning of the London Blitz (pictured above) and the Battle of Britain. The Top Historical Events That Shaped London - Culture Trip Ground-based radar was limited, and airborne radar and RAF night fighters were generally ineffective. 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. [60], Each day orderly lines of people queued until 4:00pm, when they were allowed to enter the stations. The next night, a large force hit Coventry. The AFS had 138,000 personnel by July 1939. Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the pilot on course. Other targets would be considered if the primary ones could not be attacked because of weather conditions. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:33. With the doors to our museums physically closed, we are offering some exclusive World War II content from our galleries and collections. Areas of Learning Mathematics Literacy Communication and Language Understanding The World Physical Development Personal, Social & Emotional Development Expressive Arts and Design Theme and Topics Everyday Life Fantasy and Adventure Festivals and Cultural Celebrations Places Weather and Seasons Science & Investigation London Blitz: Bomb Sight interactive map created - BBC News [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. de Zeng, Henry L., Doug G. Stankey and Eddie J. Creek. The Royal Chapel, inner quadrangle and Palace gates were hit, and several workmen were injured. [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. This became official policy on 7 October. Timeline: London's Explosive History : NPR London: The Blitz, September 1940-June 1941 | Historic England A tall white house known locally as the 'leaning tower of Rotherhithe' has sold for 1.5million. London was then bombed for 57 consecutive nights, and often during daytime too. [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 first major raid took place on 7 September. In the following month, 22 German bombers were lost with 13 confirmed to have been shot down by night fighters. [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]. Only one year earlier, there had only been 6,600 full-time and 13,800 part-time firemen in the entire country. Roads and railways were blocked and ships could not leave harbour. [61] A single direct hit on a shelter in Stoke Newington on October 1940 killed 160 civilians. In July 1939, Gring arranged a display of the Luftwaffe's most advanced equipment at Rechlin, to give the impression the air force was more prepared for a strategic air war than was actually the case. The London Underground rail system was also affected; high explosive bombs damaged the tunnels rendering some unsafe. [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. He frequently complained of the Luftwaffe's inability to damage industries sufficiently, saying, "The munitions industry cannot be impeded effectively by air raids usually, the prescribed targets are not hit". In March 1941, two raids on Plymouth and London dehoused 148,000 people. On 10/11 March, 240 bombers dropped 193 tons (196t) of high explosives and 46,000 incendiaries.