The Nature Of Blitz Flashcards
What was the nature of attacks on London in the second world war?
- Black Saturday, 7 September 1940
- V2 attack on Deptford
What happened on Black Saturday, 7 September 1940?
• The First Blitz truly began around 5 p.m. on
7 September and lasted until 10 May 1941.
• The first attack lasted about 12 hours.
• Over 400 people were killed and 1600
seriously injured during that one night.
• Attacks focused on London’s East End especially the docks, industries and railways
• After 19 September, raids aimed for high death tolls, serious urban damage and disruption of essential services.
• Conventional heavy bombing killed 28 556 people and wounded over 25 500 in total.
What happened on the V2 attack on Depford,1944
On 25 November 1944, the first V2 attack to be widely reported hit New Cross, Deptford. Woolworths, a large store, was struck on a Saturday lunchtime when many were shopping. About 160 people were killec and 200 injured
What were the types of bomb used in 1940–41?
Three main types of bomb were used:
• Incendiaries: dropped mainly by the first wave of bombers; started the fires used by bombers as targets; fires caused about 90 per cent of bombing damage.
• High explosives: were mainly dropped by later waves; some had delayed fuses to harm rescue workers.
• Mines: the most powerful; dropped by parachu so attacks were silent and hard to detect.
What were the types of bomb used in 1944-45?
In 1944-45, German attacks shifted from aircraft to pilotless ‘rocket’ attacks.
• The V1 ‘flying bomb’: hit London targets in daytime; caused extensive damage and deaths; didn’t trigger air-raid warnings because they flew so low, so getting to air-raid shelters was difficult; most casualties caused by flying glass from explosions.
• The V2 rocket: the first ballistic missile (a rocket carrying a warhead); so fast that it exploded before people heard it coming; attacks continued until the launch sites were captured by the Allies in Europe.
What was the impact of V1 and V2 Bombs?
• Civilian morale very low and factory workers were often absent from work.
• More evacuations began and the Underground filled with civilians seeking shelter.
• The government’s popularity fell as people felt unprotected.
• Over 30000 houses were destroyed and almost 29000 people were killed or injured.
