Eighty-two years ago, the blitz reached its deadly climax. For eight months, from September 1940 until May 1941, Hitler’s Luftwaffe, having been defeated in the Battle of Britain, pummelled the country’s towns and cities in nightly terror raids in a bid to break the will of the people to continue the war.
The German night bomber offensive began on 7 September, with a raid by 350 aircraft on London, which killed more than 400 people. For the next 57 days the capital would be attacked night after night without respite. At the time, prime minister Winston Churchill famously declared: “London can take it.” Privately, however, the PM was deeply concerned about the damaging effect the Luftwaffe’s unrelenting onslaught was having on civilian morale.
The public, he realised, was particularly disconcerted by the apparent lack of any effective defence being mounted against the nocturnal raiders, who seemed able to bomb London and other cities with near impunity. Britain’s anti-aircraft batteries could only fire blindly into the night sky and hope for a lucky hit, which they very seldom achieved.
As for the RAF’s Fighter Command, which had performed so magnificently in daylight during the summer of 1940, winning the Battle of Britain and thereby ending the threat of Nazi invasion, it appeared powerless to counter the enemy at night. Indeed, the risk of being shot down while bombing British cities during the blitz was so low, and German casualties so few, that Luftwaffe crews habitually referred to operations over the British Isles as “a milk run”.
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Best of British.
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It's a Lottery
Claire Saul celebrates 30 years of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supports heritage projects across the United Kingdom
In Memoriam
Michael Foley pays his respects to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice
Leader of the Pack
Paul Williams examines the history of War Horse
French Fancies
Alain Carraze explains how cult British shows are perceived as the best on television in France
Redheads & Rollers
Simon Stabler talks to Crossroads' Tony Adams
Bringing Memories Back to Life
Richard Haines on the importance of making the most of your vintage photographs
POSTCARD FROM KENT
Bob Barton investigates a network of caves, takes a ride on a thriving heritage railway, and marvels at the beauty of the garden of England
Laughter in the Air
Chris Hallam remembers writer, television presenter and comedian Barry Took
My Good Old Days
Tim Quinn takes us behind the scenes of Leeds City Varieties
The Battersea Bardot
David Barnes remembers the star of Cathy Come Home