How the British Fought Off Nazi Blitzkrieg

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byPeter Suciu

While the Battle of Britain had begun on July 10, 1940 – it was eighty years ago this week that the strategy of Nazi Germany shifted towards the large-scale night attacks known as “the Blitz.” From September 7, 1940, to May 11, 1941, the German Luftwaffe engaged in a nighttime terror campaign that targeted the cities of Great Britain.

From July to September the Luftwaffe had largely attacked the UK’s Royal Air Force Fighter Command as a way to gain air superiority as a prelude to Operation Sea Lion, the cross channel invasion of Great Britain. However, due to poor intelligence and the fact that British aircraft production outpaced the Germans, the Luftwaffe was unable to gain an upper hand.

After seeing that the British Fighter Command couldn’t be defeated, Adolf Hitler gave the go-ahead for a change of strategy that focused the bombing on Britain’s industrial centers. This originally was conducted in daylight, with London being the primary target.

Within a few weeks, due to mounting losses, the German bombing missions were largely conducted at night. As a result, the British found it difficult to counter as they lacked effective anti-aircraft weapons or the necessary searchlights to help target the German bombers. British cities were bombed hard – London was subjected to some 76 consecutive nights of attacks.

But the efforts didn’t break the British spirit.