Sat/Sun, May, 10/11, 1941 - Last major Luftwaffe attack on London

Louis

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"The worst air raid on London during the Blitz took place on 10-11 May 1941. Destruction was spread out all over the city, with German bombers targeting all bridges west of Tower Bridge, factories on the south side of the Thames, the warehouses at Stepney, and the railway line that ran north from Elephant and Castle. With Hitler’s attention focused on preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the first phase of the Blitz came to an end. Raids became much less common and many chose to take their chances in their homes rather than wait it out in the bomb shelters, where the sound of every explosion was amplified by the close concrete walls".

"505 bombers flew to London on the night of 10 May, the full moon lighting their snaking path along the Thames. The German pilots had 15 minutes to locate and bomb their targets once they reached London, but still the bombing lasted nearly seven hours, starting at 11pm on 10 May and continuing until the all-clear sounded at 5.50am the next morning. British anti-aircraft batteries and RAF nightfighters managed to shoot down 33 planes, but despite their best efforts,10-11 May 1941 was one of the most destructive raids of the war".


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St Clement Danes church on fire, 11 May 1941

The night of 10-11 May 1941 marked the last major raid of the Blitz. It inflicted the highest number of casualties of any single night raid of the London Blitz: 1,436 Londoners killed and over 2,000 others seriously injured.

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Text: westendatwar.org.uk
 
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