The Blitz, a popular English contraction of the German word Blitzkrieg, was the sustained and intensive bombing of Britain, particularly London, from September 7, 1940, through to May 1941, by the German Luftwaffe in World War II. Although the Blitz is named after Blitzkrieg, it was not an example of "lightning war". The Blitz was partially in revenge for a bombing raid the RAF carried out on Berlin, which was itself ordered because a German bomber had accidentally bombed London.

The Blitz against Britain

After the defeat of France, the Battle of Britain began in July 1940. From July to September, the Luftwaffe were pursuing a strategy of directly challenging the RAF in an attempt to gain 'air superiority' as a prelude to a planned seaborne and land invasion (see Operation Sealion). On September 5 Hitler issued a directive stating a requirement ...for disruptive attacks on the population and air defences of major British cities, including London, by day and night. Germany consequently modified its previous strategy of attacking airfields in favour of the bombing of London and other cities. This change of tactics on the part of the Luftwaffe was fortunate for the RAF insofar as it reduced the unsustainable rate of attrition (of aircraft and pilots) the RAF was experiencing.

The first air raids on London were mainly aimed at the docklands in the East End of London. For several weeks the raids took place both by day and night. Eventually Germany switched to night time raids only because the Luftwaffe was losing too many bombers during the day. One reason for relatively heavy losses on the German side was that the UK had the Chain Home radar system that allowed the early detection of German aircraft as they approached the British coast.

In November 1940, the Luftwaffe began bombing other towns and cities too, such as Birmingham, Coventry, Manchester, Sheffield and, in 1941, Clydebank, Liverpool and Plymouth. They were major manufacturing and naval areas, and the action was also aimed at causing fear among the workers. London continued to be bombed, but the raids were less frequent. On June 22, 1941, Germany launched the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), and air raids on London became infrequent as Germany moved the bulk of their war effort to the Eastern Front.

42,000 civilians are estimated to have died during the campaign, with over 50,000 injured, and around 130,000 houses destroyed.

The aerial bombardment of cites on both sides was intended to seriously dent morale to the point of governmental collapse, although it is a commonly held belief that it actually had the opposite effect and stiffened resolve against the enemy. While it is certainly possible that this is merely a myth, created by propaganda and censorship throughout the war, most military thinking before the war was that massive bombardment of cities would create panic. It was genuinely surprising to all concerned when the bombardment did not have this effect. Hitler had predicted that the poor working classes would be "incited against the rich ruling class to bring about a revolution" by aerial bombardment. This did not happen.

American radio journalist Edward R. Murrow was stationed in London at the time of the Blitz, and he provided live radio broadcasts to the United States as the bombings were taking place. This form of immediate live news broadcasting from a theatre of war had never been experienced by radio audiences before, and Murrow's London broadcasts made him a radio celebrity, launching his career.

Major sites, structures, and churches damaged or destroyed in The Blitz

• All Hallows by-the-Tower
• All Hallows-on-the-Wall
• Bank tube Station - January 11, 1941
• British Museum - May 10, 1941
• Buckingham Palace
• Central Telegraph Office - December 29, 1940
• Chelsea Old Church
• Christ Church, Newgate
• City Temple
• Dutch Church
• Euston station - November 15, 1940
• Guildhall - December 29, 1940
• Holland House
• Houses of Parliament - May 10, 1941
• Lambeth Palace - May 10, 1941
• Lambeth Walk - September 18, 1940
• London Library
• Marble Arch Underground Station - September 17, 1940
• National Portrait Gallery - November 15, 1940
• Old Bailey - May 10, 1941
• Paternoster Row - December 29, 1940
• St Alban Wood Street
• St Alfege's Church - March 19, 1941
• St Andrew by-the-Wardrobe
• St Andrew Holborne
• St Augustine Watling Street
• St Bartholomew the Less
• St Botolph Aldersgate
• St Clement Danes
• St Dunstan-in-the-East
• St James Garlickhite
• St James' Palace - May 10, 1941
• St Lawrence Jewry - December 29, 1940
• St Mary Abchurch
• St Mary Aldermanbury
• St Mary-le-Bow - May 10, 1941
• St Nicholas Cole Abbey
• St Olave Hart Street
• St Paul's Cathedral - December 29, 1940
• St Vedast alias Foster
• Temple Church
• Westminster Abbey - November 15, 1940
• Westminster Hall - May 10, 1941

See also

• ARP
• Anderson shelter
• V1 Flying Bomb
• V2 rocket
• Strategic bombing
• Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
• British military history of World War II
• Battle of Berlin (air)

External link

• Experience 24 hours in a city under fire in the Blitz - Liverpool Blitz