London blitz why did it happen

Submarines were first built by Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Latin America. Art, Literature, and Film History. Sign Up. Civil War. American Revolution. Up to that point, the Luftwaffe had targeted Royal Air Force airfields and support installations and had nearly destroyed the entire British air defense system.

Switching to an all-out attack on British cities gave RAF Fighter Command a desperately needed break and the opportunity to rebuild damaged airfields, train new pilots and repair aircraft. During the nightly bombing raids on London, people took shelter in warehouse basements and underground subway stations where they slept on makeshift beds amid primitive conditions with no privacy and poor sanitation facilities.

Hitler's intention was to break the morale of the British people so that they would pressure Churchill into negotiating. However, the bombing had the opposite effect, bringing the English people together to face a common enemy. Encouraged by Churchill's frequent public appearances and radio speeches, the people became determined to hold out indefinitely against the Nazi onslaught. By the end of , German air raids had killed 15, British civilians.

In that raid, German bombers dropped 1, high explosive bombs and , incendiaries which destroyed 50, buildings, killing persons, leaving over 1, badly injured. On 7 September , German bombers raided the London docks and from then until May , London was bombed heavily. From October 5, the German raids took place only at night and the British defences of anti-aircraft guns and night fighters could not stop them.

However, British planes went on bombing raids to Germany, attacking factories, cities and towns - especially the capital, Berlin. Although many places in Britain were badly damaged during the Blitz, German bombing did not stop war production or force Britain to surrender.

See the locations of air raid shelters and the iconic locations where the Allied victory in Europe was planned. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few Winston Churchill after the Battle of Britain At pm on 7th September , air raid sirens started screeching across London. Then the bombs fell.

What was the Blitz, and why did it happen? Was it effective? Read on to find out more.