Impact of air raids on Britain

After Hitler gave up his attempt to invade Britain, he put into action a new strategy. From September 1940, Hitler decided to bomb Britain into submission. This became known as the Blitz. During the period of September 1940 and May 1941 the Luftwaffe (German air force) bombed Britain’s major towns and cities. The British government brought in various measures to deal with being bombed from the air, including the blackout, air raid shelters and the Home Guard. Having survived this first Blitz, the British were then attacked by Hitler’s revenge weapons, the V-1 and V-2 bombs, in 1944-45. Hitler’s aims were:

• To force Britain to surrender
• To break the morale of the British people.
• To destroy the homes and lives of the civilian population so that government would come to terms with Hitler
• To destroy industry, shipyards and railways that would support Britain’s war effort

London

Initially, London was the primary target for the German bombings, especially the East End with its docks and factories. Between 2 September and 2 November 1940, London was bombed every night. The House of Commons building was destroyed and Buckingham Palace damaged. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the late Queen Mother) were often on the scene soon after a severe raid to cheer and encourage people as they struggled to save those trapped under the debris. Over 15,000 people were killed and 250,000 made homeless. These raids continue through 1941 with the worst on 10 May when thousands were left without electricity, gas and water. The focus of the German bombing campaign spread to other highly populated areas and cities.

Coventry

Coventry suffered its worst attack on the night of 14 November 1940. Over 30,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on the aircraft factories there. Much of the city, including Coventry Cathedral, was destroyed. People were so terrified that they fled the city each night, sleeping with relatives or in farmers’ barns or camping in open fields. Yet in spite of this savage raid, the factories in Coventry were back in full production within five days.

Manchester + Liverpool

The north-west and Manchester in particular was attacked in December 1940. Liverpool was attacked regularly and on 3 May 1941 suffered the biggest single raid on a mainland city, involving over 600 bombers. The city lost some of its finest buildings, with fires burning out of control because water mains were hit. A freighter, the S, carrying 1,000 tones of explosives received a direct hit. The docks around the ship and the nearby packed terraced homes were devastated.

Swansea

As early as 1937, it was thought that in the event of a war Swansea would be a target for aerial bombardment. It had a port and docks and was vital in the import and export of coal. This capacity would be vital in wartime. The Swansea Council recognised this likelihood and planned and implemented strategies to ensure the town was prepared.

• In 1937, the Swansea Police and Fire Service had under gone anti-gas training in…