What was the Blitz 1940-41? | Evan Evans Tours (2024)

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What was the Blitz 1940-41? | Evan Evans Tours? ›

The Blitz was a nighttime bombing campaign against cities and key strategic locations across the United Kingdom by the German Luftwaffe

The 'Blitz' – from the German term Blitzkrieg ('lightning war') – was the sustained campaign of aerial bombing attacks on British towns and cities carried out by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) from September 1940 until May 1941.

the Blitz, (September 7, 1940–May 11, 1941), intense bombing campaign undertaken by Nazi Germany against the United Kingdom during World War II. For eight months the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London and other strategic cities across Britain.

It was supposed Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and the Royal Navy could not operate under conditions of German air superiority. The Luftwaffe's poor intelligence meant that their aircraft were not always able to locate their targets, and thus attacks on factories and airfields failed to achieve the desired results.

In WWII there were 384,000 soldiers killed in combat, but a higher civilian death toll (70,000, as opposed to 2,000 in WWI), largely due to German bombing raids during the Blitz: 40,000 civilians died in the seven-month period between September 1940 and May 1941, almost half of them in London.

Germany launched its bombing raids on British cities – the Blitz – on 7th September 1940 – 'Black Saturday', beginning with the London Docks. During this first phase of the Blitz, raids took place both day and night. German bombers attacked London every night but one between mid-September and mid-November.

Why did the Blitz happen? The Blitz began as bombing attacks intended to destroy strategically important airforce bases and aircraft factories. Bombers did not initially target civilian areas as Hitler was hopeful that Britain would relent and eventually ask for a peace agreement. This changed on 24th August 1940.

The Raids. The Blitz began at about 4:00 in the afternoon on September 7, 1940, when German planes first appeared over London. For two hours, 348 German bombers and 617 fighters blasted the city. They dropped high-explosive bombs as well as incendiary devices, which were designed to start fires.

It began on September 7th, 1940, and lasted for eight months. The campaign was carried out by the German air force, the Luftwaffe, and it caused widespread destruction and loss of life. The Blitz was part of Germany's plan to soften up Britain before launching a full-scale invasion.

The Blitz was the name given to the bombing raids that Germany launched against Britain in 1940, during World War II (1939–45). For eight months German airplanes dropped bombs on London and other cities, including Birmingham, Coventry, Sheffield, Liverpool, Plymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Manchester.

Who stopped the Blitz? ›

The Blitz effectively ended in June 1941 when Hitler removed his air forces from Western Europe to take part in the invasion of the Soviet Union. Despite the end of sustained, mass bombing raids, London's battle against the Luftwaffe was far from over.

The Blitz on London from September 1940 to May 1941 and the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket attacks in 1944 caused a massive amount of damage. It is estimated that more than 12,000 metric tons of bombs were dropped on London and nearly 30,000 civilians were killed by enemy action.

On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered. After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, and the Second World War came to an end.

Many people think they know the answer: designated day, decision day, doomsday, or even death day. In other words, the D in D-Day merely stands for Day. This coded designation was used for the day of any important invasion or military operation.

During the Blitz 7,736 children were killed and 7,622 seriously wounded. Many children were orphaned or lost brothers and sisters. As well as being victims of the raids, children were involved in relief efforts.

The bombings were intended to destroy the German air force and oil industry, and the British also hoped to hurt the morale of the German people and undermine their support for Hitler's dictatorship.

The Blitz on London from September 1940 to May 1941 and the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket attacks in 1944 caused a massive amount of damage. It is estimated that more than 12,000 metric tons of bombs were dropped on London and nearly 30,000 civilians were killed by enemy action.

Fear that German bombing would cause civilian deaths prompted the government to evacuate children, mothers with infants and the infirm from British towns and cities during the Second World War. Evacuation took place in several waves.

Beginning in September 1940, the Blitz was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by the Luftwaffe against British cities. Over a period of nine months, over 43,500 civilians were killed in the raids, which focused on major cities and industrial centres.

The Blitz is important because it was one of the most horrific bombing campaigns of World War II. It brought British citizens together and strengthened the nation's resolve to carry on the war more or less alone for over a year.