With the surrender of France in June 1940, Germany’s sole remaining enemy lay across the English Channel. On July 16, 1940, Hitler issued a directive ordering the preparatio… See more

The British government had anticipated air attacks on its population centres, and it had predicted catastrophic casualties. A Luftwaffe terror bombing attack on the Spanish cit… See more

The Blitz began at about 4:00 in the afternoon on September 7, 1940, when German planes appeared over London. For two hours, 348 German bombers and 617 fighters tar… See more

When the Blitz began, the government enforced a blackout in an attempt to make targeting more difficult for German night bombers. Streetlights, car headlights, and illuminated … See more

The initial human cost of the Blitz was lower than the government had expected, but the level of destruction exceeded the government’s dire predictions. Very early in the Germa… See more