[127] In November 1940, 6,000 sorties and 23 major attacks (more than 100 tons [102t] of bombs dropped) were flown. The Germans adapted the short-range Lorenz system into Knickebein, a 3033MHz system, which used two Lorenz beams with much stronger signals. "Civilian morale during the Second World War: Responses to air raids re-examined.". 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. To reduce losses further, strategy changed to prefer night raids, giving the bombers greater protection under cover of darkness. Dozens of men, women and children celebrate a Christmas party at a London Underground station during the Blitz in 1940. Before the war, the Chamberlain government stated that night defence from air attack should not take up much of the national effort. One-third of London's streets were impassable. Added to the fact an interception relied on visual sighting, a kill was most unlikely even in the conditions of a moonlit sky. The name "Blitz" comes from the word "blitzkrieg" which meant "lightning war". The primary goal of Bomber Command was to destroy the German industrial base (economic warfare) and in doing so reduce morale. Liverpool and its port became an important destination for convoys heading through the Western Approaches from North America, bringing supplies and materials. The Blitz refers to the strategic bombing campaign conducted by the Germans against London and other cities in England from September of 1940 through May of 1941, targeting populated areas, factories and dock yards. [157] Air attacks sank 39,126 long tons (39,754t) of shipping, with another 111,601 long tons (113,392t) damaged. With the doors to our museums physically closed, we are offering some exclusive World War II content from our galleries and collections. [122][123] In July 1940, only 1,200 heavy and 549 light guns were deployed in the whole of Britain. Here are the flats today, courtesy of Street View . The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain. [40], However, the Luftwaffe faced limitations. [31] On 7 September, the Germans shifted away from the destruction of the RAF's supporting structures. [5] Large air battles broke out, lasting for most of the day. 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. 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. In the Myth of the Blitz, Calder exposed some of the counter-evidences of anti-social and divisive behaviours. Air attacks continued sporadically, then in 1944 an entirely new threat arrived in the form . It was decided to recreate normal residential street lighting, and in non-essential areas, lighting to recreate heavy industrial targets. [97] Of this total around 400 were killed. Most residents found that such divisions continued within the shelters and many arguments and fights occurred over noise, space and other matters. 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. Birmingham and Coventry were subject to 450 long tons (457t) of bombs between them in the last 10 days of October. This caused more than 2,000 fires; 1,436 people were killed and 1,792 seriously injured, which affected morale badly. A present day image of the Freedom Press, Whitechapel, London. He was always reluctant to co-operate with Raeder. [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). 11 Group RAF and No. There was also a mentality in all air forces that flying by day would obviate the need for night operations and their inherent disadvantages. [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. [93], For industrial areas, fires and lighting were simulated. British anti-aircraft defences (General Frederick Alfred Pile) fired 8,326 rounds and shot down only 2 bombers. Hitler quickly developed scepticism toward strategic bombing, confirmed by the results of the Blitz. On 8 May 1941, 57 ships were destroyed, sunk or damaged, amounting to 80,000 long tons (81,300t). [156] Westminster Abbey and the Law Courts were damaged, while the Chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed. [145] Part of the reason for this was inaccuracy of navigation. He recognised the right of the public to seize tube stations and authorised plans to improve their condition and expand them by tunnelling. [b] The British had anticipated the change in strategy and dispersed its production facilities, making them less vulnerable to a concentrated attack. [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. 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. [156], German air supremacy at night was also now under threat. 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. [50] Panic during the Munich crisis, such as the migration by 150,000 people to Wales, contributed to fear of social chaos.[54]. The Royal Chapel, inner quadrangle and Palace gates were hit, and several workmen were injured. [170] In November and December 1940, the Luftwaffe flew 9,000 sorties against British targets and RAF night fighters claimed only six shot down. [136] The raid against Coventry was particularly devastating, and led to widespread use of the phrase "to coventrate". A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency . The attacks were authorized by Germany's chancellor, Adolf Hitler, after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. [145] Captured German aircrews also indicated the homes of industrial workers were deliberately targeted. While wartime bombings affected London in both world wars, it was the Blitz that truly altered the cityscape forever. Before getting into detail, an overview of the area around St. Paul's Cathedral will help set the scene. [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. This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:33. 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. News reports of the Spanish Civil War, such as the bombing of Barcelona, supported the 50-casualties-per-tonne estimate. When a continuous sound was heard from the second beam the crew knew they were above the target and dropped their bombs. 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. [161] This raid was significant, as 63 German fighters were sent with the bombers, indicating the growing effectiveness of RAF night fighter defences. [15] It was thought that "the bomber will always get through" and could not be resisted, particularly at night. These attacks produced some breaks in morale, with civil leaders fleeing the cities before the offensive reached its height. [112] In fact, on 8 September 1940 both Battersea and West Ham Power Station were both shut down after the 7 September daylight attack on London. Many Londoners, in particular, took to using the Underground railway system, without authority, for shelter and sleeping through the night. Over several months, the 20,000 shells spent per raider shot down in September 1940, was reduced to 4,087 in January 1941 and to 2,963 shells in February 1941. Sewer, rail, docklands, and electric installations were damaged. Dec. 17, 1983: Six people are. 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. [9] and a large raid on the night of 10-11 May 1941. Operating over home territory, British aircrew could fly again if they survived being shot down. By the end of November, 1,100 bombers were available for night raids. German legal scholars of the 1930s carefully worked out guidelines for what type of bombing was permissible under international law. There is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed. It was supposed Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and the Royal Navy could not operate under conditions of German air superiority. Around 200 people were killed and another 2,000 injured. These include Peter Hennessy, Andrew Thorpe, and Philip Ziegler, who while admitting serious exceptions, argue that the population largely behaved well during the Blitz.[193]. At a London railway station, arriving troops pass by children who are being evacuated to the countryside. Official histories concluded that the mental health of a nation may have improved, while panic was rare. This day marks the beginning of the Blitz when an attack on London is launched by the Germans, starting a nine-month long campaign against the city. [145] Use of incendiaries, which were inherently inaccurate, indicated much less care was taken to avoid civilian property close to industrial sites. [153] For Gring, his prestige had been damaged by the defeat in the Battle of Britain, and he wanted to regain it by subduing Britain by air power alone. In December, only 11 major and five heavy attacks were made. Moreover, bombers had four to five crewmen on board, representing a greater loss of manpower. An average of 200 were able to strike per night. 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. 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. However, as with the attacks in the south, the Germans failed to prevent maritime movements or cripple industry in the regions. [156] Other sources point out that half of the 144 berths in the port were rendered unusable and cargo unloading capability was reduced by 75 percent. Dowding had introduced the concept of airborne radar and encouraged its usage. 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. What he saw as the mythserene national unitybecame "historical truth". The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term Blitzkrieg, the German word meaning 'lightning war'.[4]. The first major raid took place on 7 September. Each setback caused more civilians to volunteer to become unpaid Local Defence Volunteers. Two aerials at ground stations were rotated so that their beams converged over the target. The air campaign soon got underway against London and other British cities. When the Luftwaffe struck at British cities for the first time on 7 September 1940, a number of civic and political leaders were worried by Dowding's apparent lack of reaction to the new crisis. [108], Kesselring, commanding Luftflotte 2, was ordered to send 50 sorties per night against London and attack eastern harbours in daylight. This became official policy on 7 October. In January 1941, Fighter Command flew 486 sorties against 1,965 made by the Germans. It also took part in the bombing over Britain. The day's fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) 24 aircraft, including 13 Bf 109s. German crews, even if they survived, faced capture. [173] Losses were minimal. [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. Many of the latter were abandoned in 1940 as unsafe. Other reasons, including industry dispersal may have been a factor. With no sign of the RAF weakening and the Luftflotten suffering many losses, OKL was keen for a change in strategy. [64][65] The government distributed Anderson shelters until 1941 and that year began distributing the Morrison shelter, which could be used inside homes. Another innovation was the boiler fire. On 9 April 1941, Luftflotte 2 dropped 150 tons (152t) of high explosives and 50,000 incendiaries from 120 bombers in a five-hour attack. [16], The Luftwaffe took a cautious view of strategic bombing but the OKL did not oppose the strategic bombardment of industries or cities. Only a few weeks after the British victory in the Battle of. [133] By mid-November, nine squadrons were available, but only one was equipped with Beaufighters (No. Ingersol wrote that Battersea Power Station, one of the largest landmarks in London, received only a minor hit. [38][a], It was decided to focus on bombing Britain's industrial cities, in daylight to begin with. [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. [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. 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". Included are activities that The next night, a large force hit Coventry. [145], In 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted strategy again. Many civilians found that the best way to retain mental stability was to be with family, and after the first few weeks of bombing, avoidance of the evacuation programmes grew. [171] In the bad weather of February 1941, Fighter Command flew 568 sorties to counter the Luftwaffe which flew 1,644 sorties. [186] At the time it was seen as a useful propaganda tool for domestic and foreign consumption. The Communist Party made political capital out of these difficulties. Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the pilot on course. Hitler believed the Luftwaffe was "the most effective strategic weapon", and in reply to repeated requests from the Kriegsmarine for control over naval aircraft insisted, "We should never have been able to hold our own in this war if we had not had an undivided Luftwaffe. [192] The total number of evacuees numbered 1.4million, including a high proportion from the poorest inner-city families. Moreover, the OKL could not settle on an appropriate strategy. Only one year earlier, there had only been 6,600 full-time and 13,800 part-time firemen in the entire country. The government planned the evacuation of four million peoplemostly women and childrenfrom urban areas, including 1.4million from London. The AFS had 138,000 personnel by July 1939. The main damage was inflicted on the commercial and domestic areas. The considerable rail network distributed to the rest of the country. [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. Still, in February 1941, there remained only seven squadrons with 87 pilots, under half the required strength. 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. 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. Curiously, while 43 percent of the contacts in May 1941 were by visual sightings, they accounted for 61 percent of the combats. [115] The bombing disrupted rail traffic through London without destroying any of the crossings. The year-long project . [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. [120], British night air defences were in a poor state. However, the use of delayed-action bombs, while initially very effective, gradually had less impact, partly because they failed to detonate. dodged bombs to make her way across London from her aunts house to dance class. They concluded bombers should strike a single target each night and use more incendiaries because they had a greater impact on production than high explosives. Between September 1940 and May 1941 the German Luftwaffe attacked the city on over 70 separate occasions, with around 1 million homes being destroyed and killing over 20,000 civilians. [67] By the end of 1940 improvements had been made in the Underground and in many other large shelters. The bombing effort was diluted by attacks against several sets of industries instead of constant pressure on the most vital. Anti-Semitic attitudes became widespread, particularly in London. In late 1940, Churchill credited the shelters. "[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. Bombing civilians would cause a collapse of morale and a loss of production in the remaining factories. There was also minor ethnic antagonism between the small Black, Indian and Jewish communities, but despite this these tensions quietly and quickly subsided. Minister of Home Security Herbert Morrison was also worried morale was breaking, noting the defeatism expressed by civilians. [188] In the wake of the Coventry Blitz, there was widespread agitation from the Communist Party over the need for bomb-proof shelters. On the night of 22/23 July 1940, Flying Officer Cyril Ashfield (pilot), Pilot Officer Geoffrey Morris (air observer) and Flight Sergeant Reginald Leyland (Air Intercept radar operator) of the Fighter Interception Unit became the first pilot and crew to intercept and destroy an enemy aircraft using onboard radar to guide them to a visual interception, when their AI night fighter brought down a Do 17 off Sussex. 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. [173] On 3/4 May, nine were shot down in one night. X- and Y-Gert beams were placed over false targets and switched only at the last minute. The moon was full and the Thames had a very low ebb tide. [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. Nine days later, two waves of 125 and 170 bombers dropped heavy bombs, including 160 tons (163t) of high explosive and 32,000 incendiaries. Eventually, it would become a success. 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. The first German attack on London actually occurred by accident. [43] The Luftwaffe's strategy became increasingly aimless over the winter of 19401941. [176] Total losses could have been as high as 600 bombers, just 1.5 percent of the sorties flown. 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. 219 Squadron RAF at RAF Kenley). [136] The Germans were surprised by the success of the attack. 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". [148], Hitler's interest in this strategy forced Gring and Jeschonnek to review the air war against Britain in January 1941. [134], From November 1940 to February 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted its strategy and attacked other industrial cities. 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. Yet when compared with Luftwaffe daylight operations, there was a sharp decline in German losses to one percent. [163] By the end of the air campaign over Britain, only eight percent of the German effort against British ports was made using mines. Many more ports were attacked. [191] In other cities, class divisions became more evident. One third of London was destroyed. Another poll found an 88% approval rating for Churchill in July. 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. [111], Wartime observers perceived the bombing as indiscriminate. [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. [127] By the second month of the Blitz the defences were not performing well. This heavy bombing by German forces began in September 1940 and lasted for 57 days. [145] The shift from precision bombing to area attack is indicated in the tactical methods and weapons dropped. Edgar Jones, et al. [151], Directive 23 was the only concession made by Gring to the Kriegsmarine over the strategic bombing strategy of the Luftwaffe against Britain. The name "Blitz" comes from the word "blitzkrieg" which meant "lightning war". [161] Another raid was carried out on 11/12 May 1941. [125], Few fighter aircraft were able to operate at night. [169], Improved aircraft designs were in the offing with the Bristol Beaufighter, then under development. The policy of RAF Bomber Command became an attempt to achieve victory through the destruction of civilian will, communications and industry. [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. This is a Timeline of the United Kingdom home front during World War II covering Britain 1939-45.Timeline of the United Kingdom home front during World War II covering Britain 1939-45. [88] Bomber crews already had some experience with the Lorenz beam, a commercial blind-landing aid for night or bad weather landings. 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. [149], From the German point of view, March 1941 saw an improvement. The production of false radio navigation signals by re-transmitting the originals became known as meaconing using masking beacons (meacons). Reflections made by factory skylights were created by placing lights under angled wooden panels. [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"). [154], 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. Though they failed to make a large gain in influence, the membership of the Party had doubled by June 1941. The loss of sleep was a particular factor, with many not bothering to attend inconvenient shelters. The Luftwaffe had dropped 16,331 long tons (16,593t) of bombs. [128] London's defences were rapidly reorganised by General Pile, the Commander-in-Chief of Anti-Aircraft Command. But even in May, 67 percent of the sorties were visual cat's-eye missions. 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. [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. 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. 4 June 1940 18 June 1940 22 June 1940 1 July 1940 . [106], Loge continued during October. 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. [42], Although it had equipment capable of doing serious damage, the Luftwaffe had an unclear strategy and poor intelligence. [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. Nearly 350 German bombers (escorted by over 600 fighters) dropped explosives on East London, targeting the docks in particular. 8200 tons (8,330t) of bombs were dropped that month, about 10 percent in daylight, over 5400 tons (5,490t) on London during the night. A building collapsing in Whitechapel during the Blitz. 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. 4546. Nevertheless, its official opposition to attacks on civilians became an increasingly moot point when large-scale raids were conducted in November and December 1940. [24], Hitler was much more attracted to the political aspects of bombing. This involved the bombing of English Channel convoys, ports, and RAF airfields and supporting industries. The main focus was London. Night after night, from September 1940 until May 1941, German bombers attacked British cities, ports and industrial areas. Bombers were flown with airborne search lights out of desperation but to little avail. London experienced regular attacks and on 10-11 May 1941 was hit by its biggest raid. Still, many British citizens, who had been members of the Labour Party, itself inert over the issue, turned to the Communist Party. By September 1940, London had already experienced German bombing. The defences failed to prevent widespread damage but on some occasions did prevent German bombers concentrating on their targets. [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. The heavy fighting in the Battle of Britain had eaten up most of Fighter Command's resources, so there was little investment in night fighting. This meant that British coastal centres and shipping at sea west of Ireland were the prime targets. [93], The first deliberate air raids on London were mainly aimed at the Port of London, causing severe damage. The AOC Bomber Command, Arthur Harris, who did see German morale as an objective, did not believe that the morale-collapse could occur without the destruction of the German economy. The Luftwaffe lost 18 percent of the bombers sent on the operations that day and failed to gain air superiority. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) and his wife inspect bomb-damage in the City of London during the Blitz, 31st December 1940. The debris of St Thomas's Hospital, London, the morning after receiving a direct hit during the Blitz, in front of the Houses of . 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. [149] This strategy had been recognised before the war, but Operation Eagle Attack and the following Battle of Britain had got in the way of striking at Britain's sea communications and diverted German air strength to the campaign against the RAF and its supporting structures.
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