[192] The total number of evacuees numbered 1.4million, including a high proportion from the poorest inner-city families. [127] By the second month of the Blitz the defences were not performing well. [145], In 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted strategy again. 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. [92] The counter-operations were carried out by British Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) units under Wing Commander Edward Addison, No. [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. [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. [169], Improved aircraft designs were in the offing with the Bristol Beaufighter, then under development. Edgar Jones, et al. [29] The British produced 10,000 aircraft in 1940, in comparison to Germany's 8,000. [157] Air attacks sank 39,126 long tons (39,754t) of shipping, with another 111,601 long tons (113,392t) damaged. The pilot flew along an approach beam, monitored by a ground controller. 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. [128] London's defences were rapidly reorganised by General Pile, the Commander-in-Chief of Anti-Aircraft Command. [141][failed verification] Altogether, 130 German bombers destroyed the historical centre of London. 1940 30 June: The order is given by Reichsmarschall Hermann Gering, head of the Luftwaffe, to draw the RAF into battle. 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. [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. [94] A total of 348 bombers and 617 fighters took part in the attack. [161] This raid was significant, as 63 German fighters were sent with the bombers, indicating the growing effectiveness of RAF night fighter defences. Before the war, the Chamberlain government stated that night defence from air attack should not take up much of the national effort. A trial blackout was held on 10 August 1939 and when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September, a blackout began at sunset. [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. [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. 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. (PROSE: Ash, TV: The Empty Child) It lasted from 7 September 1940 to 21 May 1941. [194], In one 6-month period, 750,000 tons (762,000t) of bombsite rubble from London were transported by railway on 1,700 freight trains to make runways on Bomber Command airfields in East Anglia. The Blitz (the London Blitz) was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7th September 1940 and 10th May 1941 during the World War Two Every night bar one for ten solid weeks,from 7 September to 14 November 1940, London was attacked by an average of 160 bombers. The Blitz The heavy and frequent bombing attacks on London and other cities was known as the 'Blitz'. At the beginning of the war in 1939, London was the largest city in the world, with 8.2 million inhabitants. In one incident on 28/29 April, Peter Stahl of KG 30 was flying on his 50th mission. 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. [93], For industrial areas, fires and lighting were simulated. [184], Raids during the Blitz produced the greatest divisions and morale effects in the working-class areas, with lack of sleep, insufficient shelters and inefficiency of warning systems being major causes. The property stands alone on a section of riverbank on the Thames, in South East London 's . The policy of RAF Bomber Command became an attempt to achieve victory through the destruction of civilian will, communications and industry. [138] The strategic effect of the raid was a brief 20 percent dip in aircraft production. [40] The Port of London, in particular, was an important target, bringing in one-third of overseas trade. The populace of the port of Hull became "trekkers", people who made a mass exodus from cities before, during and after attacks. They also noted regional production was severely disrupted when city centres were devastated through the loss of administrative offices, utilities and transport. Destroying RAF Fighter Command would allow the Germans to gain control of the skies over the invasion area. Many civilians who were unwilling or unable to join the military joined the Home Guard, the Air Raid Precautions service (ARP), the Auxiliary Fire Service and many other civilian organisations. By the end of 1941, the WVS had one million members. [115] In the initial operations against London, it did appear as if rail targets and the bridges over the Thames had been singled out: Victoria Station was hit by four bombs and suffered extensive damage. Important events of 1940, including the beginning of the London Blitz (pictured above) and the Battle of Britain. Over 2,000 AAA shells were fired, destroying two Ju 88s. 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. 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. 604 Squadron RAF shot down a bomber flying an AI-equipped Beaufighter, the first air victory for the airborne radar. Regional commissioners were given plenipotentiary powers to restore communications and organise the distribution of supplies to keep the war economy moving. (AUDIO: The Wanderer) Despite being forbidden under the terms of the Treaty of . 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. Eventually, it would become a success. [156] Westminster Abbey and the Law Courts were damaged, while the Chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed. [183], A popular image arose of British people in the Second World War: a collection of people locked in national solidarity. [26], The deliberate separation of the Luftwaffe from the rest of the military structure encouraged the emergence of a major "communications gap" between Hitler and the Luftwaffe, which other factors helped to exacerbate. A Gallup poll found only 3% of Britons expected to lose the war in May 1940. [62], Communal shelters never housed more than one seventh of Greater London residents. [24], A major problem in the managing of the Luftwaffe was Gring. [95][96], Initially, the change in strategy caught the RAF off-guard and caused extensive damage and civilian casualties. Underground officials were ordered to lock station entrances during raids but by the second week of heavy bombing, the government relented and ordered the stations to be opened. [161] 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. The production of false radio navigation signals by re-transmitting the originals became known as meaconing using masking beacons (meacons). Only one year earlier, there had only been 6,600 full-time and 13,800 part-time firemen in the entire country. Ground transmitters sent pulses at a rate of 180 per minute. Bungay, Stephen (2000). At around 4:00 PM on that September day, 348 German bombers escorted by 617 fighters Sept. 7, 1940 - the beginning of the London Blitz blasted London until 6:00 PM. Another poll found an 88% approval rating for Churchill in July. 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. Jones began a search for German beams; Avro Ansons of the Beam Approach Training Development Unit (BATDU) were flown up and down Britain fitted with a 30MHz receiver. Dozens of men, women and children celebrate a Christmas party at a London Underground station during the Blitz in 1940. [143], Not all of the Luftwaffe effort was made against inland cities. A significant number of the aircraft not shot down after the resort to night bombing were wrecked during landings or crashed in bad weather. By 19/20 April 1941, it had dropped 3,984 mines, .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}13 of the total dropped. [124] Although the use of the guns improved civilian morale, with the knowledge the German bomber crews were facing the barrage, it is now believed that the anti-aircraft guns achieved little and in fact the falling shell fragments caused more British casualties on the ground. [40] Late in the afternoon of 7 September 1940, the Germans began Operation London (Unternehmen Loge, Loge being the codename for London) and Operation Sea Snake (Unternehmen Seeschlange), the air offensives against London and other industrial cities. X-Gert receivers were mounted in He 111s, with a radio mast on the fuselage. The fake fires could only begin when the bombing started over an adjacent target and its effects were brought under control. "Civilian morale during the Second World War: Responses to air raids re-examined.". 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. Instead, he wasted aircraft of Fliegerfhrer Atlantik (Flying Command Atlantic) on bombing mainland Britain instead of attacks against convoys. [142] Civilian casualties on London throughout the Blitz amounted to 28,556 killed, and 25,578 wounded. The Blitz as it became known in the British press was a sustained aerial attack, sending waves of bombs raining down onto British towns and cities. It believed it could greatly affect the balance of power on the battlefield by disrupting production and damaging civilian morale. 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. [149], By now, the imminent threat of invasion had all but passed as the Luftwaffe had failed to gain the prerequisite air superiority. The GL carpet was supported by six GCI sets controlling radar-equipped night-fighters. People referred to raids as if they were weather, stating that a day was "very blitzy". The debris of St Thomas's Hospital, London, the morning after receiving a direct hit during the Blitz, in front of the Houses of . 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. [90][91], Y-Gert was an automatic beam-tracking system and the most complex of the three devices, which was operated through autopilot. The attack started at 16:43 and lasted for 12 hours. Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) (shelved 1 time as london-blitz) avg rating 4.29 99,548 ratings published 2020. The London Underground rail system was also affected; high explosive bombs damaged the tunnels rendering some unsafe. The primary goal of Bomber Command was to destroy the German industrial base (economic warfare) and in doing so reduce morale. [190], The brief success of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). "[25] Such principles made it much harder to integrate the air force into the overall strategy and produced in Gring a jealous and damaging defence of his "empire" while removing Hitler voluntarily from the systematic direction of the Luftwaffe at either the strategic or operational level. [27], Although not specifically prepared to conduct independent strategic air operations against an opponent, the Luftwaffe was expected to do so over Britain. On September 13, 1940, shortly after the start of Germany's bombing campaign on the towns and cities of Britain, five high explosive bombs were dropped on Buckingham Palace. [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". Damage was inflicted on the port installations, but many bombs fell on the city itself. Ironically, the Blitz was the result of an . 348 bombers led by 617 fighters barraged London around 4:00 in the afternoon that day. The blasts at Hyde Park and Regents Park kill 11 people and injure 50 others. The next night, a large force hit Coventry. Famed SF author Connie Willis' first novel in five years, Blackout, returns to a scenario she's explored before: Time-traveling scholars find themselves changing historical events they're only . While direct attacks against civilians were ruled out as "terror bombing", the concept of attacking vital war industriesand probable heavy civilian casualties and breakdown of civilian moralewas ruled as acceptable.[18]. 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. 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. [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 light guns, about half of which were of the excellent Bofors 40 mm, dealt with aircraft only up to 6,000ft (1,800m). The tactic was expanded into Feuerleitung (Blaze Control) with the creation of Brandbombenfelder (Incendiary Fields) to mark targets. [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. London was then bombed for 57 consecutive nights, and often during daytime too. 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. 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. [13], The air offensive against the RAF and British industry failed to have the desired effect. The electronic war intensified but the Luftwaffe flew major inland missions only on moonlit nights. [60] In March 1943, 173 men, women and children were crushed to death at Bethnal Green tube station in a crowd surge after a woman fell down the steps as she entered the station. 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. [135] In particular, the West Midlands were targeted. When the second hand re-aligned with the first, the bombs were released. The OKL had not been informed that Britain was to be considered a potential opponent until early 1938. dodged bombs to make her way across London from her aunts house to dance class. [32], The decision to change strategy is sometimes claimed as a major mistake by OKL. 11 Feb 2020. 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. [116] On 7 November, St Pancras, Kensal and Bricklayers Arms stations were hit and several lines of Southern Rail were cut on 10 November. The first cross-beam alerted the bomb-aimer, who activated a bombing clock when the second cross-beam was reached. World War 2 Timeline - 1940. by Ben Johnson. Three cross-beams intersected the beam along which the He 111 was flying. He fell asleep at the controls of his Ju 88 and woke up to discover the entire crew asleep. This meant that British coastal centres and shipping at sea west of Ireland were the prime targets. Ingersol wrote that Battersea Power Station, one of the largest landmarks in London, received only a minor hit. The Luftwaffe was not pressed into ground support operations because of pressure from the army or because it was led by ex-soldiers, the Luftwaffe favoured a model of joint inter-service operations, rather than independent strategic air campaigns. By September 1940, the large-scale German air raids which had been expected twelve months earlier finally arrived. The first jamming operations were carried out using requisitioned hospital electrocautery machines. 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. 10 Group RAF, No. [120], British night air defences were in a poor state.

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