Luftwaffe and strategic bombing
In the 1920s and 1930s, airpower theorists such as Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell claimed that air forces could win wars, obviating the need … See more

British air doctrine, since Hugh Trenchard had commanded the Royal Flying Corps (1915–1917), stressed offence as the best means of defence, which became known as the See more

Loge and Seeschlange
The first deliberate air raids on London were mainly aimed at the Port of London, causing severe damage. Late in the afternoon of 7 September 1940, the Germans began Operation London (Unternehmen … See more

Directive 23: Göring and the Kriegsmarine
In 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted strategy again. Erich Raeder—commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine—had long argued the Luftwaffe should … See more

Pre-war preparations and fears
London had nine million people—a fifth of the British population—living in an area of 750 square miles (1,940 square kilometres), which … See more

German night navigation devices
Because of the inaccuracy of celestial navigation for night navigation and target finding in a fast-moving aircraft, the Luftwaffe developed See more

Night attacks
From November 1940 to February 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted its strategy and attacked other … See more