London docklands - Blitz

Docklands keeps working despite the rising death toll from Hitler's Blitz
http://www.londonsriver.com/world-war-ii.html

London and the River Thames were the prime targets for the intensive bombing campaign in World War II – the Blitz. There were two objectives – disrupting trade through the country’s largest port, and breaking Britain’s spirit. But the Germans were proved wrong on both points.

Throughout the summer of 1940 the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) was targeting the RAF – both in the skies and at its bases across the Southeast. The Germans needed air superiority before they could mount their planned invasion of England. This was the Battle of Britain – and despite heavy losses of men and aircraft, the RAF gradually gained the upper hand, forcing the Germans to change tactics.

The raids on London began in earnest in September 1940. On “Black Saturday” a force of 348 bombers, with an even larger fighter escort, arrived over East London and headed up river.

Their targets were industry and infrastructure: Woolwich Arsenal, Beckton gas works and the Royal Docks, then industry, wharves and warehouses all the way from Silvertown to Wapping. Three hours later a second wave arrived – guided to target by the bright orange glow from hundreds of burning buildings.

As dawn broke, the scale of the destruction was revealed: 450 Londoners had been killed and 1,500 badly injured. Three main railway stations were out of action and 1,000 fires were still burning, all the way up the river from Deptford to Putney.

They included 200 acres of timber ponds and stores in the Surrey Commercial Docks, destroying one third of London’s stocks of timber – which was badly needed for building repairs in the coming months.

That was just the start. Reports back from aircrew and reconnaissance photos on this and the next few raids convinced the Luftwaffe high command that they were striking a mortal blow at the nation’s industrial and transport base – not least threatening food supplies. They were convinced that if they kept it up, they would bring Britain to its knees.

So began the Blitz. The bombers struck for 75 nights – and sometimes by day as well – with the riverside communities from Woolwich to Lambeth bearing the brunt of the onslaught.

Some streets had sturdy, well-constructed public air raid shelters; in others people had to rely on quickly-built Anderson shelters made from a couple of sheets of corrugated iron with earth piled on top.

Salvage crews were on standby in the docks and on the riverside; even while the fires were still burning they began clearing debris so that the work of the port could continue.

At this stage, anti-aircraft gunnery was a very basic form of defence, more useful at boosting civilian morale than actually damaging enemy aircraft.

Another layer of defence was provided by barrage balloons which were flown over the docks and some big factories.

Only a few of the RAF’s nightfighter squadrons had the latest Beaufighter aircraft equipped with radar – some were still flying Blenheims which were far slower and had to rely on their ground controllers for directions.

On the river, air defence precautions included establishing the River Emergency Service. More than a dozen pre-war pleasure steamers were converted to first aid and ambulance boats, each manned by a doctor, one or two nurses and three or four VADs, young women volunteers with basic first aid and nursing training. They were moored at various points along the river including Silvertown Wharf, Wapping and Cherry Garden.

Meanwhile it was not exactly business as usual for the docks and wharves as traffic was reduced to half its pre-war levels. But more freight was carried by tugs and lighters (barges) since – unlike the roads – the river was never blocked by bomb damage.

1,436 people were killed and 1,800 seriously injured in London on the night of 10-11 May 1941. The German air force dropped 711 tons of high explosive and 86,173 incendiary bombs.

Full text of "The City That Would Not Die The Bombing Of London May 10 11 1941"
https://archive.org/stream/citythatwouldnot010963mbp/citythatwouldnot010963mbp_djvu.txt
https://archive.org/stream/citythatwouldnot010963mbp#page/n13/mode/2up

Kingston on Thames DAY THE THAMES DISAPPEARED
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/25/a4615625.shtml .

Battle of Britain and Artie Holmes' Hurricane - HiGu > .