The period, known as the blitz, left some parts of london in ruins. The goal of the blitz was to demoralize britain to the point. At the end of october 1940 the focus of the blitz shifted to other cities, although london remained a target. 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. The intermittent attacks since then were often described as nuisance raids, despite the fact that they were very often lethal, killing small numbers. Less than 100 incidents reported by the london fire brigade up to 5pm on september 7, 1940. This worksheet allows students to use a primary source document to learn about the bombing of london and other british cities during world war ii by the luftwaffe. The raid was actually on the night 7th8th october and records show that 35 people were killed in london. The bomb sight web map and mobile app reveals ww2 bomb census maps between 7101940 and 06061941, previously available only by viewing them in the reading room of the national archives.
The citys inhabitants, on the contrary, took a perverse and particular pleasure from being the front line of the war. The purpose of the blitz was to disrupt the british economy and destroy morale. The story of december 29, 1940 gaskin, margaret on. The term blitz comes from the word blitzkrieg, which means lightning war. Wwii london during the german blitz london can take it w quentin reynolds 78294 duration. The london blitz, 1940 1940s cecil beaton print of bomb damage to hmv his masters voice gramophone shop, oxford street, london, 1940.
This activity has figurative language, textdependent questions, and an annotated key. Sitzung des obersten englischfranzosischen kriegsrates in london statt, in welcher. People were forced to sleep in air raid shelters, and many people took shelter in underground stations. This worksheet helps students understand the courage of the british people during the london blitz of 1940. A christmas under fire one of the defining images of wartorn london. Bomb sight project maps where bombs fell on london during. During the blitz of london, where did the royal family hide. Bomb sight mapping the world war 2 london blitz bomb census. Organise your men, build planes, check intelligence reports and send out your spitfires to defend the country against the threat of german invasion. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. The london blitz, 1940 1940s vintage exhibition print of cecil beaton photograph mh 26395. From the larger collection, km99s wwii the big onemany thanks to the people who put this collection together.
Sporadic bombing raids on london and other british cities occurred through late august. How churchill and london survived the blitz of 1940 the art of manliness. The blitz on london,it was hitlers belief that the war from the air would terrorise london into defeat. From the recollections of one terrifying night of the london blitz, gaskin fashions a refreshing. The name blitz comes from the word blitzkrieg which meant lightning war.
The bombing, which lasted for 57 consecutive days and nights, killed 45,000 britons. Discover london during ww2 bombing raids, exploring maps, images and memories. Edgar hoover on the opponents of war preparedness download. German bombers used tons literally of explosives to drop onto the city. German bombers attacked british cities, ports and industrial areas. A bus is left leaning against the side of a building in the aftermath of a german bombing raid on london in the first days of the blitz, 9 september 1940. London im zweiten weltkrieg unterwegs im westen fernsehen. World war ii is a time rich in history for stories fictional and true, but the blitzthat seeminglyendless winter of air raids on englands biggest cityis a period that is packed with tales of drama and derringdo. But you can see the maps in person at the archive, where there is talk of making them properly available online. Eileen dunne, aged three, sits in bed with her doll at great ormond street hospital for sick children, after being injured during an air raid on london in september 1940. The blitz proper lasted from 7 september 1940 to 11 may 1941, eight months 243 days and nights of sustained air raids on london, culminating in an allout raid on 1011 may 1941.
The blitz companion offers a unique overview of a century of aerial warfare, its impact on. Apr 14, 2015 from december 1940 to july 1941 german planes carried out heavy bombing of london. Every night bar one for ten solid weeks, from 7 september to 14 november 1940, london was attacked by an average of 160 bombers. Blitzkrieges gesetzt hatte, keine solchen absichten verbarg. The battle of britain is about to begin and you have been called upon to manage the british defences.
The london blitz had largely finished in 1941 but the luftwaffe continued to threaten the country. Find the perfect london blitz 1940 aircraft stock photo. In september 1940, the german luftwaffe unleashed a strategic bombing campaign that targeted all of the major cities across the uk. See where 30,000 bombs fell during the london blitz, 1940. During the blitz of london, where did the royal family. Spitfire 1940, a free online strategy game brought to you by armor games. 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. See where 30,000 bombs fell during the london blitz, 194041. The blitz was a huge bombing campaign of london and other english cities carried out by the german airforce from september 1940 to may 1941. The first german bombs hit london on september 7, 1940, around 4. The blitz was a german bombing campaign against the united kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the second world war. The term was first used by the british press and is the german word for lightning. Salvage in wartime britain, 1943 mrs nancy marchant at work on a large darning or sewing machine at a sack recovery plant, somewhere in london.
The second great fire of london in december 1940 was one of the most destructive air raids of the blitz during world war ii. Some 75 years after london was transformed by the blitz, most londoners likely seldom consider the bombs that littered the capital during world war two. The london blitz it began on saturday 7th september 1940 at around teatime, there had been one or two night time warnings during the previous. Wwii news and related sound files from 1940 internet archive. A few months after winston churchill took office as prime minister, the german military began an eight monthlong bombing campaign on the united kingdom which became known as the blitz. From december 1940 to july 1941 german planes carried out heavy bombing of london. It includes a first person account of the bombing from ernie pyle, a journalist who was there. German bombers dropped over 380 tons of high explosive bombs and at least 115,000 incendiaries.
On 25th october 170 people died during a raid on birmingham, then coventry suffered devastating damage on 14th november during a ten hour attack. During august 1940, as the battle of britain drew towards its conclusion, the luftwaffe. Although it failed in both objectives, the common conception of londons population heroically rallying together in the face of adversity, as promoted in propaganda films such as london can take it. Tower bridge featured standing out against a background of smoke and fires from luftwaffe bombing 1940s london blitz vintage image made during the first mass blitz bombing air raid on london. Mar 18, 2020 what preceded the september 7, 1940, the first deliberate raid on central london, the first, the night that is typically credited as being the start of the blitz. Step through the time portal in the laboratory and visit london in 1940, during the height of the blitz in world war 2. How churchill and london survived the blitz of 1940.
The blitz on london, it was hitlers belief that the war from the air would terrorise london into defeat. 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. Nights underground in darkest london the blitz, 19401941 geoffrey field purchase college, suny after the tragic events of september 11, mayor rudolph giuliani at once saw parallels in the london blitz, the german air campaign launched. Bomb sight website maps locations of nazi attacks in london. He didnt only attack london, however, and we have a great article in our archive on the blitz on britain.
On the 7th september, 1940 germany started bombing civilian targets in an attempt to get britain to surrender into submission. The royal family lived in buckingham palace, which was bombed, in the heart of london during the war. Over 30,000 tons of high explosives were dropped on sixteen cities during a relentless over 267day campaign, or blitzkrieg german for lightening war, that claimed over 40,000 civilian liveshalf them in london alonewounded over 100,000 and. In london, the blitz became ever more destructive as 1940 ended. The bomb sight web map and mobile app reveals ww2 bomb census maps between 710 1940 and 06061941, previously available only by viewing them in the reading room of the national archives. This activity uses an article from eyewitness to history about the london blitz of 1940.
Oct 28, 2015 this concentrated direct bombing of industrial targets and civilian centers began on 7 september 1940, with heavy raids on london. The blitz, september 1940may 1941, nighttime bombing raids against london and other british cities by nazi germany during world war ii. See more ideas about the blitz, world war two and world war. Bomb sight makes you discover london during ww2 luftwaffe blitz bombing raids, exploring maps, images and memories. The luftwaffe raid caused fires over an area greater than that of the great fire of london in 1666, leading one american correspondent to say in a cable to his office that the second great fire of london has begun. Have a beer at the pub, dance the night away at the trocadero club, go shopping in some of the best vintage shops of sl, see the damage done by the luftwaffe. What preceded the september 7, 1940, the first deliberate raid on central london, the first, the night that is typically credited as being the start of the blitz.
The king, and sometimes the queen, travelled widely but the family stayed in london most of the time. London 1940, the homefront recreated in the virtual online world of second life. This concentrated direct bombing of industrial targets and civilian centers began on 7 september 1940, with heavy raids on london. The city ablaze, december 29, 1940 johnson, david on. What preceded that was a raid on august 24th, 1940 when bombs did fall on central london. Only a few weeks after the british victory in the battle of britain. Hear the sounds of a bombing raid on london the worst night of the blitz occurred on its last night may 10, 1941 when 3,000 londoners were killed. Geoffrey fields, nights underground in darkest london. The shop had been opened by sir edward elgar in 1921. London bore the brunt of hitlers blitz, but plucky londoners kept calm and carried on, and the redoubtable spirit of the blitz passed into legend. See more ideas about the blitz, london and battle of britain. Adolf hitler mehrere britische stadte bombardieren.
The london blitz was a time period in which london, england was bombed by germany. Aug 03, 2010 the first german bombs hit london on september 7, 1940, around 4. Londons night of fires the beginning of the blitz uk. The raids followed the failure of the german luftwaffe to defeat britains royal air force in the battle of britain julyseptember 1940. Nobody in london understood at that point, though, that this was an accident. St pauls cathedral shrouded in fire and smoke on 29 december 1940 christmas 1940.