Why were the major cities of Britain bombed by the Germans in 1940-1941?

Abdullah Mamaniat 10Q

Assignment Two: Objective 1

Britain in the Age of Total War, 1939-45

Question One

Why were the major cities of Britain bombed by the Germans in 1940-1941?

After Hitler failed to defeat the RAF in the Battle of Britain, he turned his attention to British towns and cities. The Blitz, the title given to the German bombing campaign on British cities during World War Two, was Hitler’s attempt to destroy Britain’s morale and ‘soften up’ Britain. The attacks started on September 7th 1940. British civilians had not experienced the horror of war until now, and these attacks continued until May 1941. The attacks were night time raids as opposed to daytime to enhance the fear factor and also because losses to the RAF fighters were too heavy during daytime. Another reason why the Germans attacked during the night was to make counter measures difficult. However, Britain did attempt to defend herself with anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, barrage balloons and fighter aircraft, but many of these measures simply relied on luck.

The Germans’ bomb aiming was inaccurate. They bombed from relatively high levels, perhaps as high as 12,000 to 15,000 feet. This was why the aiming was inaccurate and this led to high German losses.

The targets the Germans were claiming to bomb were large cities. In these large cities the Germans claimed to be aiming for factories, railway lines, bridges, ports and shipyards. Any houses hit were known to be unfortunate accidents, but because of the inaccuracy in bombing, houses were hit frequently. Moreover, this pleased the Germans as they believed that by destroying the houses they could create homelessness and tiredness and completely demoralise the people. This was largely what the Germans desperately wanted. The whole theory behind the Blitz was that the population, in constant fear of a sudden and violent death, would put pressure on their government to surrender. If that government did not surrender, then the population would take to the streets, riot and overthrow the government. The whole point of the German bombing campaign was to destroy the nation’s morale.

In addition, the Germans believed that by these bombing raids British industry, which was providing war equipment, could be disrupted. Bombing factories could damage war production and railways which were also bombed would damage the transport system. This would prevent workers who used the train to come to work, to attend, and therefore there would be a slight decrease in the amount of production manufactured. However, the Germans saw that if the factories were destroyed then no production could be made as there would be no place to make it. This was what the Germans wanted. Ports, which were ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

In addition, the Germans believed that by these bombing raids British industry, which was providing war equipment, could be disrupted. Bombing factories could damage war production and railways which were also bombed would damage the transport system. This would prevent workers who used the train to come to work, to attend, and therefore there would be a slight decrease in the amount of production manufactured. However, the Germans saw that if the factories were destroyed then no production could be made as there would be no place to make it. This was what the Germans wanted. Ports, which were also a target, were bombed to hinder loading and unloading of ships and like I’ve already said, houses, which were hit due to inaccuracy in bombing, created homelessness and demoralised the people. Lastly, the final reason behind these bombing raids was to prevent British workers having a proper rest and thus reduce their ability to concentrate and work. Therefore this would reduce their work capability and a result would force the government to use up their valuable resources.

However, in fact the bombing raids made the British people very angry and determined to hurt the Germans in any open way possible. People coped with less sleep, although it was only the odd night now and then again, and people tolerated with the housing situation. More importantly, there was little affect on the resources. The British industry seemed able to soak up the damage and re-organise itself quickly.

Additionally, and most importantly the Nazi bombing did not break national morale. Here I have a prime example of a man who suffered at the hands of the Germans. It is a source on a sheet provided by school and in it an A.R.P warden begins with telling us how he at first, “struggled through the Depression years to pay the mortgage” of his house which he bought after marrying in 1933. Thereafter he goes on to recall a night in 1942 whilst on duty, patrolling the streets when the Germans began bombing their area.

“…I was patrolling the streets, doing my A.R.P duty, when I heard a stick of bombs falling.”

As a result their house, like many others in the estate, was completely demolished. The warden says, as he walks up into his house how: “The front room was knee deep in powdery dust, the best china from the display cabinet lay on top of this dust; the front door was at the top of the stairs, the back door was in the garden; every window was blown out. Upstairs, the mahogany bed head and bottom had shears of glass like daggers sticking out from them, still quivering.”

Looking at the above situation, we can imagine how the poor man felt. He actually “struggled” to pay for the mortgage. It took him more or less 10 years to organise his house and buy all the things he needed, and then in a matter of seconds it was all blown away just like that. However, incredulously the man was not downhearted nor was he dispirited. We know this because we have also been given a second source in which the same A.R.P warden describes events a little later that night. This implies that the man wasn’t demoralised. His morale was still so high and he still saw that after his house was bombed and his belongings demolished, he didn’t need to stay there. His patriotic sense was immaculate; he felt it was more important to serve his country!

To prove that the morale of Britain was not broken we have also got another example. The same A.R.P warden whose house was bombed during that night in 1942, describes events a little later that night in the second source. He tells us how he saw on old man “running up and down the street in an old-fashioned white nightshirt and white night-carp.” Confused the warden tells us he went closer and then tells us what he saw.

“He was more or less following the aircraft, shaking his fists at the bombers and shouting,

‘Come down here you buggers, and see what happens when you fight fairly!”

Clearly we can tell that the Germans weren’t successful in the factor that they wanted to destroy the nation’s morale. Evidently the above statement tells us that the people of Britain weren’t demoralised. However, more importantly, they were angry and wanted to hurt the Germans in any open way possible to them.

In summary, the Germans bombed the major cities of Britain to “soften” it up and also to destroy its morale along with other reasons which have been inducted above. However, in general, the British morale was not broken. Above I exposed how but for thousands of British civilians the Blitz was a terrifying ordeal which they would never forget.