Blitz
Blitz. British colloquialism for air attacks on UK towns, particularly at night in 1940–1, especially on London, derived from Blitzkrieg, lightning war, said to be the preferred German method. Night air attacks meant, however, German acceptance of slow attrition. Towns important for war, like Belfast, Manchester, Sheffield, Glasgow, Hull, Plymouth, Coventry, suffered but the main ‘Blitz’ descended on London, which was bombed every night but one for over two months. Human casualties were less than feared; damage to buildings greater. The indirect effect of homelessness on war production was greater than the destruction of factories. Death, injury, and homelessness lowered morale; survivors drew strength from self-esteem and comradeship. This was especially true in London where size enabled effective concentration of help for victims. In 1940–1, before the attack on the USSR diverted the German air force, about 42,000 were killed in the UK and more than 50,000 seriously wounded.
R. A. C. Parker
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