Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Photography major - Major events in British history: Hitler's Blitzkrieg against Britain - bombing but not bowing

Major events in British history: Hitler's Blitzkrieg against Britain - bombing but not bowing

In the summer of 1940, when Hitler failed to achieve air superiority over the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain, Coventry Cathedral was still

He tried a new tactic. The Luftwaffe began a strategic bombing campaign against British cities. Hitler's aim was to weaken Britain's war economy and demoralize its people. The Blitz did succeed in destroying many buildings, but it never destroyed the British spirit. Key Facts

Key Dates

Battle of Britain, July-September 1940

London Attack, September 7, 1940

The last bombing on May 21, 1941

Key figures

Sir Winston Churchill

Adolf Hitler

Hermann G?ring The Indomitable Spirit of a Nation

By the summer of 1940, France had fallen to Germany and Hitler turned his attention to Britain. An invasion plan codenamed "Operation Sea Lion" has been completed. The first phase of the operation was to neutralize the Royal Air Force so that the English Channel would not be protected by the air, which would aid the German invasion. For 12 weeks the Luftwaffe fought fruitlessly against the Royal Air Force. The Germans were hampered by a lack of training and equipment suitable for long-range operations, and the British had an advantage in the fight for their own territory. By early September, Hitler decided to change tactics. In early September, Hitler proposed strategic bombing of British industrial cities. The aim was to destroy Britain's manufacturing and transport base while causing panic and demoralizing the public. This will pave the way for the launch of "Operation Sea Lion". Until now, Hitler had not included strategic bombing as part of his campaign, and therefore the Luftwaffe Command (OKL) was not prepared. The Luftwaffe had no heavy bombers and lacked intelligence on the locations of major areas of military industry. German objectives were also confused, and the Oklahoma *** were unsure whether they were aiming to destroy production sites, disrupt transportation networks for distribution, or terrorize civilians. Although the target was unknown, the bombing campaign began on September 7, 1940. In Britain,

the threat of aerial bombing has always been a source of trepidation. The German Communist Party had privately predicted that hundreds of thousands of people would die if Germany launched an attack. In preparation, *** took several steps. About 800,000 children were evacuated from cities to temporary shelter in the countryside. The blackout began on September 1, 1939 and lasted until the end of the war. Dugouts were built, primarily the Anderson Dugout, which people built in their backyards.

British defenses against bombing were varied but proved largely inadequate. The RAF set up interceptor balloons across the UK. These measures prevented aircraft attacks below 5,000 feet. Searchlights and anti-aircraft guns were aimed at the enemy from the ground, while fighter jets engaged them from the air. Diversion tactics were also used. Outside the towns, fake airfields simulating industrial areas were set up and fires were lit, which indeed kept some bombs away from their real targets.

A volunteer army supported the country during the Blitz. Observers watch enemy aircraft and operate sirens. Fire observers are stationed on high-rise buildings to spot fires caused by incendiary bombs and handle smaller fires themselves. Auxiliary fire brigades work alongside regular fire brigades. Air Raid Warning (ARP) managers are responsible for ensuring people remain without power and for organizing rescue operations after air raids. The women of the Women's Voluntary Civil Defense Service set up canteens, supervised centers for those left homeless by the explosion, and helped organize the evacuation of children. Boys from the Scout Association also played their part in helping direct rescue services to emergencies. As the Blitzkrieg continued, Hitler's first target of all these organizations was London, and Hitler struck hard at the city. On the first day, 430 Londoners died and 1,600 were injured. The Luftwaffe began raids during the day, but soon switched to night raids to add to the terror. As the Blitz progressed, people became accustomed to a horrific pattern. Air raid sirens will warn of an attack and people will head to shelters after hearing cries. The enemy often first drops flares and incendiary devices to illuminate the target area for the heavy bombers. People in the shelters often hear bombs whizzing through the air toward them. As soon as the enemy leaves, the alarm will sound again, this time saying "All is safe".

London bore the brunt of the Blitz, but increasingly other cities were targeted. Cities like Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol had been bombed intermittently from the summer of 1940, but by late autumn the Blitz was wreaking havoc on Britain's industrial cities. In Liverpool, a raid known as the Christmas Blitz left 365 people dead after three days. Many people were killed in several direct attacks on public bomb shelters, the worst of which killed 166 people. The city had some respite after the New Year, but the bombers returned for a week-long raid in May. 681 bombers dropped more than 2,300 tons of explosives on the city. The docks were badly damaged, many people lost their homes and the cathedral was damaged.

This was the last major attack on the city, although the bombing did not cease completely until January 1942. 6,500 homes were destroyed; another 190,000 homes were damaged. The home of Hitler's half-brother Alois Hitler was once a raided house and the birthplace of Hitler's nephew Wilhelm Hitler. Coventry was raided on 14 November during Operation Sonata, which targeted factories in the city. In addition to destroying about a third of the factories, the Luftwaffe also destroyed two-thirds of the city's houses and the cathedral. More than 500 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured. Days later, nearby Birmingham suffered its first major attack. In a week of bombing, more than 800 people were killed, more than 2,000 were injured, and 20,000 people were made homeless. Birmingham withstood further attacks in December and the following spring. The last major attack occurred in July 1942, but the last bomb attack occurred in 1943. In the surrounding area, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich Albion, Tipton and Dudley were all raided in 1941. Bristol before the Blitz, Bristol after the Blitz,

Other cities were also hit. Despite having two SimCity decoy sites, much of Bristol's medieval center was razed to the ground during the Blitz. Miraculously, the 2,000-kilogram "Satan" didn't explode. A bomb squad found it, digging nearly 30 feet deep. "Satan" is disarmed and celebrated over five days in London***. Plymouth's naval base made it a natural target for the Luftwaffe, as was Portsmouth. Southampton, Glasgow, Hull, Belfast, Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield all suffered from the horrors of the Blitz, bomb blasts at Portsmouth, "Kedspeth" Hitler subjected Britain to a blitzkrieg for 8 months, but he failed to achieve his goals. Production did not decline during the war, in fact it expanded, although many factories were destroyed. The collapse of British morale did not materialize. In fact, the country came together in the face of adversity and the "Blitz Spirit" was born. Although many people were frightened by the bombings, the public generally maintained a very cheerful and resilient attitude. As much as possible, life went on as usual, with people getting to work and enjoying their free time in bars and cinemas. Opinion polls found that the vast majority of the public believed Britain would win the war. If he had achieved anything Hitler accepted in late spring 1941 that the Blitzkrieg had failed to pave the way for Operation Sea Lion. His plans to invade Britain were abandoned and he turned his attention east to Russia, launching Operation Barbarossa. The Luftwaffe still bombed Britain, but never with the sustained ferocity of the Blitzkrieg.

The Blitz killed more than 40,000 British people and injured 139,000. Thousands of homes were destroyed and historic buildings damaged. 45,000 short-ton bombs were dropped, approximately 2,250 German aircraft were lost, and more than 5,000 crew members were killed or missing. Heritage

The Blitz transformed Britain's architectural landscape, destroying many historic buildings and irrevocably changing the character of several cities. However, it did establish something bigger: the spirit of the Blitz. The British were liberated from the Blitz and everyone felt they were part of the war effort. War is not far away. Instead, it was on their doorstep and they had survived the worst that Hitler had thrown at them. This feeling still exists today, and in difficult times, the British will surely unite and overcome any difficulties. Site Visit

The ruins of the bombed-out St Michael's Cathedral in Coventry sit next to its modern replacement. A charred cross and a nailed cross, each made from materials salvaged from the ruins of the bombed-out cathedral, are on display. Tom Murphy's sculpture in St Nicholas Church, Liverpool

commemorates the citizens who lost their lives during the Blitz. Another bombed-out church, St. Luke's, has become a garden of bombed-out shells and memorial children.

Bristol's Blitz Memorial, naming the 1,300 men, women and children who lost their lives during the Blitz, is located in the ruins of the bombed-out St Peter's Church in Bristol Castle Park. Film and Television

Mrs. Miniver (1942) starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon is set in Britain during the war. For a time, the family hid in a shelter in Anderson. The film won six Academy Awards.

The Auxiliary Fire Brigade are the heroes of Bell Falls (1943), starring Tommy Trinder and James Mason.

The History Channel's Britain at War DVD set contains information about the Blitz. Further research

The Blitz - Juliet Gardner's Britain Under Attack (2011) explores the Blitz and its impact on Britain

The Daily Mail on Britain The Blitz (2010) features newspaper headlines and photos from the Blitz, day after day.

Just a Boy from Bristol: The Memoirs of Michael John Kelly (2014) is the intriguing story of a young boy growing up in Bristol who recalled a time during the war Explosive attack.

Merseyside Police have an archive of photos taken by their photographers during the Blitz

Merseyside.Police./abou us/our history/phoo-archive-he-2 -Bliz/

Brisol in the Blitz, with survivor accounts

brisolblized./ Related YouTube videos

Color footage of Bristol and once The aftermath of the worst bombing attack

Forgetting the lightning strikes - a first-hand account of the Bath city bombing Twier Pocket Pineres Reddi