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The bombing of Britain was nothing new to those who had lived through the First World War.
Germany had carried out 103 bombing raids on Great Britain during Word War 1.
Their main targets being Industrial cities, munitions factories and Army camps.
During the Early days of WWI the bombing raids were carried out by Zeppelins
which were huge
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gas filled balloons that instilled fear and panic in the people as they loomed out of the night skies. However the Zeppelins were slow and not easy to turn and easy pray for the much lighter aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps.
By 19th October 1917 eleven Zeppelins carried out the last airship raid on Britain.
Due to the great height of the Zeppelins during the attack, and because the gun and searchlight positions were ordered to remain covered, the attack was known as the "Silent Raid". Five airships were destroyed which was the biggest disaster suffered by the German Naval Airship |
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However in June of 1917 a new breed of aircraft was introduced into the skies above Britain.
The Gotha G-V
A mighty long-range Bomber with a wing span of over 24 metres.
On May 23rd 1917 21Gothas raided Folkestone killing 95 people and wounding 195 more, causing more destruction in one raid than the much larger Zeppelin had caused in many of its earlier bombing raids on Britain. |
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This was to be the new face of war and one that would send terror through many peoples hearts. That of the long range bomber. |
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| No longer was Britain impregnable because of the sea. It was now vulnerable by air. Not only were front line troops at risk but also the ordinary man in the streets, and should Britain ever be forced into war again then a new and more deadly war would be waged from the air with vast fleets of bombers pounding the towns and cities killing thousands of civilians. |
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After the defeat of Germany in 1918 Britain was perhaps lulled into a false sense of security, and the government, in its quest to conserve money for other more important things, invoked a 'Ten Year Rule' for approving military expenditures.
Yet the rise to power of Hitler in 1933 was to change that. By the mid 1930's there was a rapid development in air technology throughout the major countries of the world.
The old fabric covered biplanes were quickly being replaced by fast metal monoplanes capable of high speeds and long range flights.
Should war ever rear its ugly head again A new and deadly air war would inevitably lead to mass destruction.
Then in March 1935 Hitler announced the formation of a new German air force. The Luftwaffe. Claiming that, it was already equal, if not superior in size to that of the RAF. |
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At the Zurich air show in 1937, Hitler unveiled his new bomber, the "Dornier Do 17". Equipped with special engines. No operational fighter outside Germany to that date could catch the Do 17. The new bomber was capable of flying at 220mph and could carry a bomb load of 750 Kg. and carried multiple machine guns to ward off attackers. This along with the Heinkel He-111H which German already had in service and capable |
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of 252 miles per hour marked a significant turning point in Britain's thoughts to the development of its own air power.
The British government swung into action with it's own countermeasures to the Luftwaffe with the might Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane fighter planes to counteract any bombing raids by Germany should they ever be forced into war.
And many saw war with Germany as inevitable. ......................... |
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