interactive map that shows every bomb dropped on London during The Blitz

[bobbysocks]

in another thread there was discussion of bombing of cities during the war. i am not attempting to make any political statement nor am i trying to prove a point. this was just posted on another forum i belong to and i thought it was interesting and eye opening....

The astonishing interactive map that show EVERY bomb dropped on London during the Blitz | Mail Online

 

[evangilder]

Wow! It's amazing that anyone was alive when you look at the aggregate map. They really took a pounding. Gotta admire the British spirit.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I agree Eric! Nice find Bobbysocks, thank you for sharing!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Thanks for posting this. Very neat to see where all the bombs fell. Kind of puts a perspective to the Blitz.

 

[Gixxerman]

Wow, ghastly yet very interesting stuff.
One of the streets I used to live in was hit - I knew about this (and later V2 strikes), you could see the change in colour of the brick in the terraced housing where the bombed gap was rebuilt as a house.
Amazing to see so many hits.
London as they said at the time plainly did could 'take it'.
Pity the poor sods under that bombardment.

 

[bobbysocks]

after playing with that map for awhile i wondered if there were the same kind of maps for other cities in Europe like berlin, etc. in digging i discovered this function of google earth where you can turn back time and see what certain cities looked like in the air during ww2......i never knew this. and in case you didnt either check this out...

Historical WWII imagery now available in Google Earth

 

[stona]

It demonstrates quite nicely that you could hit a target the size of a city,most of the time. We (the British) knew that.
Steve

 

[yulzari]

I have seen the hardcopy equivalent for Plymouth and it is noticeably denser than the London one, allowing for the differing sizes of cities. Not to minimise what Londoners had to put up with from 1940 to 1945 (yes children, London was still receiving bombs in 1945.)

 

[stona]

And the apologists will notice that it seems to have been the centre of Plymouth that was targeted,particularly heavily damaged in the March 1941 raids. Remarkably little damage was done to the extensive naval installations,unless you count the Royal Naval Barracks at Keyham.
The only two buildings to survive in the city centre were both of recent construction. The National Westminster bank (Bedford St) and the Western Morning News Agency (Frankfort St).

In 1941,particularly at night,you bombed what you could hit.

From "Blitz: An Account of Hitler's Aerial War Over Plymouth in March 1941, and the Events that Followed", Devon Books, Exeter, 1991.

Steve

 

[Readie]

And the apologists will notice that it seems to have been the centre of Plymouth that was targeted,particularly heavily damaged in the March 1941 raids. Remarkably little damage was done to the extensive naval installations,unless you count the Royal Naval Barracks at Keyham.
The only two buildings to survive in the city centre were both of recent construction. The National Westminster bank (Bedford St) and the Western Morning News Agency (Frankfort St).

In 1941,particularly at night,you bombed what you could hit.

From "Blitz: An Account of Hitler's Aerial War Over Plymouth in March 1941, and the Events that Followed", Devon Books, Exeter, 1991.

Steve

Quite so Steve,
The Plymouth Library has a 'bomb map' showing where every bomb fell on Plymouth. As already commented the revisionists may like to note that its was civilian housing that was hit time and time again.
Interestingly also, there is a map of 1939 Plymouth and a clear overlay of post war Plymouth showing the differences clearly.
Plymouth tends to be overlooked when people talk about the 'blitz'. The City of Plymouth can claim to be one of the most bombed in Britain. T
he Cities motto 'Resurgam' says it all....
John

 

[stona]

Here's a few snapshots from a private collection. I can only go with the original captions as I wouldn't recognise Plymouth from the images.

Looking up Drake Circus

Old Town Street

A well known stout's advertisement had survived. I bet you couldn't get a pint though.

My grandmother was in that well known heart of industry Canterbury when it got a load in 1942. Demolition complete and it looks like what we'd call recycling has started.

Cheers

Steve

 

[davebender]

Most 1940 to 1941 German bombs were aimed at the Port of London. I didn't realize it was so far up the river.

 

[Readie]

Thanks for posting those pictures Steve.
I have pictures that I will scan and post.
There was a lot of demolishing in Plymouth after the war to make way for the new city centre which took years and years to finish.
I can see why people wanted something modern and new but, Canterbury torn down the post war concrete building at the top of the high street where most of the bomb damage was and rebuilt them in the historic style they were originally. Canterbury is the better for that.
Plymouth's post war city centre is a little bleak by comparison...a flawed concept to be honest.
Cheers
John

 

[Readie]

View attachment 218215

I didn't realize it was so far up the river.

haha...very good dave.
American wit

 

[Gnomey]

Saw this on the BBC earlier. Certainly a remarkable record, London really did take a pounding (as did many other places).

 

[davebender]

The Blitz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first deliberate air raids on London were mainly aimed at the Port of London, causing severe damage.[39] Late in the afternoon of 7 September 1940, the Germans began Operation Loge (after the character in Wagner's ring cycle) and Seeschlange (Sea Snake), the air offensives against London and other industrial cities. Loge continued for 57 nights.[74] A total of 348 bombers and 617 fighters took part in the attack.[75][76]

Surrey Docks. 7 September 1940.

 

[Matt308]

Was there anything of strategic importance in what is now Hyde Park?

 

[davebender]

Surrey Commercial Docks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Surrey Commercial Docks were a large group of docks in Rotherhithe on the south bank (the Surrey side) of the Thames in South East London. The docks operated in one form or another from 1696 to 1969. Most were subsequently filled in and redeveloped for residential housing, and the area is now known as Surrey Quays, although the name Surrey Docks is retained for the electoral ward.

Now we know why so many bomb hits appear to be in residential areas. The area wasn't residential during WWII.

 

[tyrodtom]

Why so few bombs in the Thames? You can actually trace the course of the Thames by the abscence of bombs on the survey.

Did the bombs that landed in the river in most cases not explode, so they never got recorded, or recovered, so they're not on the survey ?
Or was the Luftwaffe's accuracy good enough to not waste bombs on a river, but not good enough to miss civilian areas ?

 

[Gixxerman]

Surrey Commercial Docks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Now we know why so many bomb hits appear to be in residential areas. The area wasn't residential during WWII.

From your earlier post

View attachment 218215

Most 1940 to 1941 German bombs were aimed at the Port of London. I didn't realize it was so far up the river.

Try looking at that whole map again Dave, the riverside is but a fraction of the places that were bombed.