On this day in military history…
On the evening of September 7th, 1940, the skies over London darkened not with storm clouds, but with the shadow of nearly 350 German bombers, accompanied by 600 fighter aircraft. This marked the beginning of what would become known as the Blitz, a sustained bombing campaign launched by Nazi Germany against the United Kingdom during the Second World War. The operation was planned by the German Luftwaffe under the leadership of Hermann Göring, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the air force, and was part of a broader strategy to demoralize the British population, destroy industrial capacity, and weaken the country ahead of a possible invasion.
The first target on that September day was the London docks in the East End. These docks were vital to Britain’s war effort, serving as critical hubs for imports, military supplies, and food. The Germans believed that by striking at the heart of Britain's economic and logistical infrastructure, they could break the will of the population and pressure the government into seeking peace. Throughout the night, wave after wave of German aircraft pounded the city. Fires raged across the docks, and the inferno could be seen for miles. More than 300 tons of bombs were dropped that night alone, killing over 400 civilians and injuring thousands more.
In the weeks that followed, the Luftwaffe expanded its targets to include other key cities across Britain. Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry, Glasgow, and Bristol all suffered heavy bombardment. Industrial centers were chosen deliberately, as they housed factories producing aircraft, munitions, and other war materials. In Coventry, for example, the November 1940 raid was especially devastating. Over 500 German bombers dropped more than 1,000 tons of high explosives and incendiary bombs in a single night, destroying much of the medieval city center and killing more than 500 people.
The Blitz was characterized not only by its intensity but by its duration. It continued almost uninterrupted until May 1941. London was bombed for 57 consecutive nights at the beginning of the campaign, and even after the pattern became less consistent, the threat remained constant. In total, around 43,000 civilians were killed across the United Kingdom, with over one million homes damaged or destroyed. Approximately 30,000 tons of high-explosive bombs and hundreds of thousands of incendiaries were dropped over the country. London alone saw over 20,000 fatalities and enormous destruction to housing, infrastructure, and historic landmarks.
The plan to focus on bombing civilian areas, particularly cities like London, marked a significant shift in German tactics. Initially, the Luftwaffe had concentrated on attacking RAF airfields and radar stations as part of the Battle of Britain. However, when that failed to deliver the desired result, and after a retaliatory British bombing raid on Berlin, Hitler ordered the change in strategy. The Blitz was as much psychological warfare as military strategy, aiming to break British morale. Yet, it had the opposite effect. Rather than driving the British people to surrender, the bombings galvanized a spirit of resistance and unity.
Despite the ferocity of the campaign, the Luftwaffe failed in its objectives. British industry proved remarkably resilient, and morale, though tested, did not collapse. The Royal Air Force maintained control of British airspace, and Operation Sea Lion—the planned German invasion of Britain—was indefinitely postponed and eventually abandoned.
The Blitz stands as one of the most defining periods of the Second World War for the British people. It brought enormous suffering and loss but also revealed a remarkable resilience in the face of terror. The destruction wrought by thousands of tons of bombs and the might of the German air force did not bring Britain to its knees, but instead steeled its resolve to continue the fight.
