london blitz timeline
5 Jan. Leslie Hore-Belisha, Britain's Minister of War, is dismissed. [89][90], Knickebein was in general use but the X-Gert (X apparatus) was reserved for specially trained pathfinder crews. 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. Liverpool and its port became an important destination for convoys heading through the Western Approaches from North America, bringing supplies and materials. [76], Despite the attacks, defeat in Norway and France, and the threat of invasion, overall morale remained high. 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. [13] British wartime studies concluded that most cities took 10 to 15 days to recover when hit severely, but some, such as Birmingham, took three months. Much damage was done. This caused more than 2,000 fires; 1,436 people were killed and 1,792 seriously injured, which affected morale badly. 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. 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. Its aircraftDornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88, and Heinkel He 111swere capable of carrying out strategic missions[41] but were incapable of doing greater damage because of their small bomb-loads. 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. [126] RAF day fighters were converting to night operations and the interim Bristol Blenheim night fighter conversion of the light bomber was being replaced by the powerful Beaufighter, but this was only available in very small numbers. There was also a mentality in all air forces that flying by day would obviate the need for night operations and their inherent disadvantages. The London boroughs of City of Westminster and St Marylebone - 8.3 square miles of central London stretching from the north bank of the Thames up to Paddington and St John's Wood - were to suffer considerable bombing during the ensuing London Blitz of 7 September 1940 - 11 May 1941 and in later attacks during 1944 -1945. [187] Historians' critical response to this construction focused on what were seen as over-emphasised claims of patriotic nationalism and national unity. Destroying RAF Fighter Command would allow the Germans to gain control of the skies over the invasion area. The first attack merely damaged the rail network for three days,[102] and the second attack failed altogether. [145] Captured German aircrews also indicated the homes of industrial workers were deliberately targeted. The offensive came to be called the Blitz after the German word blitzkrieg ("lightning war"). Reflections made by factory skylights were created by placing lights under angled wooden panels. The action did not guarantee automatic success. Who . [184][185] This imagery of people in the Blitz was embedded via being in film, radio, newspapers and magazines. The day's fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) 24 aircraft, including 13 Bf 109s. Three cross-beams intersected the beam along which the He 111 was flying. From July until September 1940 the Luftwaffe attacked Fighter Command to gain air superiority as a prelude to invasion. 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. The Battle of Britain: Timeline July 26, 2010 2 mins read The dates of the four phases of the Battle of Britain are contested by some, and have been inserted in brackets only as a guideline. [2], The British began to assess the impact of the Blitz in August 1941 and the RAF Air Staff used the German experience to improve Bomber Command's offensives. There is much that Londoners can look back on with pride, remarkably little about which they need to feel ashamed. Tickets were issued for bunks in large shelters, to reduce the amount of time spent queuing. [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. [164], In the north, substantial efforts were made against Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland, which were large ports on the English east coast. By the height of the Blitz, they were becoming more successful. 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. [93] In general, German bombers were likely to get through to their targets without too much difficulty. Battle of Britain timeline. [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. Aviation strategists dispute that morale was ever a major consideration for Bomber Command. The shortage of bombers caused OKL to improvise. By September 1940, the large-scale German air raids which had been expected twelve months earlier finally arrived. (Photo by J. Four days later 230 tons (234t) were dropped including 60,000 incendiaries. 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]. The Blitz began on 7 September, 'Black Saturday', when German bombers attacked London, leaving 430 dead and 1,600 injured. 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. The bombing effort was diluted by attacks against several sets of industries instead of constant pressure on the most vital. [99] Fighter Command lost 23 fighters, with six pilots killed and another seven wounded. Bombers were flown with airborne search lights out of desperation but to little avail. By December, the SC2500 (2,500kg (5,512lb)) "Max" bomb was used. He fell asleep at the controls of his Ju 88 and woke up to discover the entire crew asleep. [58], Deep shelters provided most protection against a direct hit. [22], Two prominent enthusiasts for ground-support operations (direct or indirect) were Hugo Sperrle the commander of Luftflotte 3 (1 February 1939 23 August 1944) and Hans Jeschonnek (Chief of the Luftwaffe General Staff from 1 February 1939 19 August 1943). Children in the East End of London, made homeless by the Blitz From this point, there were air raids every day for two months. To destroy the enemy air force by bombing its bases and aircraft factories and defeat enemy air forces attacking German targets. [108], Kesselring, commanding Luftflotte 2, was ordered to send 50 sorties per night against London and attack eastern harbours in daylight. At a London railway station, arriving troops pass by children who are being evacuated to the countryside. [145] Use of incendiaries, which were inherently inaccurate, indicated much less care was taken to avoid civilian property close to industrial sites. London experienced regular attacks and on 10-11 May 1941 was hit by its biggest raid. The Battle of Britain 4 June 1940 18 June 1940 22 June 1940 1 July 1940 . An American witness wrote "By every test and measure I am able to apply, these people are staunch to the bone and won't quit the British are stronger and in a better position than they were at its beginning". Operating over home territory, British aircrew could fly again if they survived being shot down. [66], Public demand caused the government in October 1940 to build new deep shelters within the Underground to hold 80,000 people but the period of heaviest bombing had passed before they were finished. The first cross-beam alerted the bomb-aimer, who activated a bombing clock when the second cross-beam was reached. On September 7, 1940, 350 German bombers escorted by fighters bombarded London on consecutive successions. July 20, 1982: Two IRA bombs explode in central London less than two hours apart. In late 1940, Churchill credited the shelters. [116] On 7 November, St Pancras, Kensal and Bricklayers Arms stations were hit and several lines of Southern Rail were cut on 10 November. . Contact Us 0207 608 5516 Call today: 9am - 5.30pm [113] In the case of Battersea power station, an unused extension was hit and destroyed during November but the station was not put out of action during the night attacks. Nearly 350 German bombers (escorted by over 600 fighters) dropped explosives on East London, targeting the docks in particular. [63] Peak use of the Underground as shelter was 177,000 on 27 September 1940 and a November 1940 census of London, found that about 4% of residents used the Tube and other large shelters, 9% in public surface shelters and 27% in private home shelters, implying that the remaining 60% of the city stayed at home. "Pathfinders" from 12 Kampfgruppe 100 (Bomb Group 100 or KGr100) led 437 bombers from KG 1, KG 3, KG26, KG 27, KG55 and Lehrgeschwader 1 (1st Training Wing, or LG1) which dropped 350 long tons (356t) of high explosive, 50 long tons (50.8t) of incendiaries, and 127 parachute mines. 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. 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. Birmingham and Coventry were subject to 450 long tons (457t) of bombs between them in the last 10 days of October. It hoped to destroy morale by destroying the enemy's factories and public utilities as well as its food stocks (by attacking shipping). More might have been achieved had OKL exploited the vulnerability of British sea communications. The Germans adapted the short-range Lorenz system into Knickebein, a 3033MHz system, which used two Lorenz beams with much stronger signals. Hull and Glasgow were attacked but 715 long tons (726t) of bombs were spread out all over Britain. [44] Disputes among OKL staff revolved more around tactics than strategy. The Communist Party made political capital out of these difficulties. [56] Not only was there evacuation over land, but also by ship. 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. Lights were not allowed after dark for almost six years and the blackout became by far the most unpopular aspect of the war for civilians, even more than rationing. 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. [103] The air battle was later commemorated by Battle of Britain Day. Warehouses, rail lines and houses were destroyed and damaged, but the docks were largely untouched. This had important implications. Only a few weeks after the British victory in the Battle of. [80] The WVS organised the evacuation of children, established centres for those displaced by bombing and operated canteens, salvage and recycling schemes. A Raid From Above London was then bombed for 57 consecutive nights, and often during daytime too. Summerfield and Peniston-Bird 2007, p. 4. 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. [173] Losses were minimal. The London Blitz started quietly. It was supposed Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and the Royal Navy could not operate under conditions of German air superiority. [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. X-Gert receivers were mounted in He 111s, with a radio mast on the fuselage. Throughout 1940, dummy airfields were prepared, good enough to stand up to skilled observation. Seven major and eight heavy attacks were flown, but the weather made it difficult to keep up the pressure. 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. Red lamps were used to simulate blast furnaces and locomotive fireboxes. When the second hand re-aligned with the first, the bombs were released. 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. Unpopular with many of his fellow MP's, Prime Minister Chamberlain agreed to replace him under pressure from . A summary of Harris' strategic intentions was clear. [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. 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. 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 Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the pilot on course. London: Aurum Press. "[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. Predictions had underestimated civilian adaptability and resourcefulness. Some 107,400 gross tons (109,100t) of shipping was damaged in the Thames Estuary and 1,600 civilians were casualties. This timeline highlights key moments in the run up to and during the Battle of Britain. Ports were easier to find and made better targets. 12 Group RAF). In Sunderland on 25 April, Luftflotte 2 sent 60 bombers which dropped 80 tons (81.3t) of high explosive and 9,000 incendiaries. By December, this had increased to 92 percent. [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. [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). [27], Although not specifically prepared to conduct independent strategic air operations against an opponent, the Luftwaffe was expected to do so over Britain. [148], Hitler's interest in this strategy forced Gring and Jeschonnek to review the air war against Britain in January 1941. [168] The Boulton Paul Defiant, despite its poor performance during daylight engagements, was a much better night fighter. [5] Large air battles broke out, lasting for most of the day. [80], Pre-war dire predictions of mass air-raid neurosis were not borne out. [127] Other sources say 449 bombers and a total of 470 long tons (478t) of bombs were dropped. While wartime bombings affected London in both world wars, it was the Blitz that truly altered the cityscape forever. [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". 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. Its round-the-clock bombing of London was an immediate attempt to force the British government to capitulate, but it was also striking at Britain's vital sea communications to achieve a victory through siege. To reduce losses further, strategy changed to prefer night raids, giving the bombers greater protection under cover of darkness. [25], When Hitler tried to intervene more in the running of the air force later in the war, he was faced with a political conflict of his own making between himself and Gring, which was not fully resolved until the war was almost over. 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. 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. [92], German beacons operated on the medium-frequency band and the signals involved a two-letter Morse identifier followed by a lengthy time-lapse which enabled the Luftwaffe crews to determine the signal's bearing. 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. In December, only 11 major and five heavy attacks were made. [156], German air supremacy at night was also now under threat. Reports suggested the attacks blocked the movement of coal to the Greater London regions and urgent repairs were required. The RAF and the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) adopted much of this apocalyptic thinking. The attack started at 16:43 and lasted for 12 hours. Summerfield, Penny and Peniston-Bird, Corina. 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. The OKL had not been informed that Britain was to be considered a potential opponent until early 1938. [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. [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. 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. Only one bomber was lost, to anti-aircraft fire, despite the RAF flying 125-night sorties. Many of the latter were abandoned in 1940 as unsafe. 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. Signals from the station were retransmitted by the bomber's equipment, which allowed the distance the bomber had travelled along the beam to be measured precisely. Still, in February 1941, there remained only seven squadrons with 87 pilots, under half the required strength.