The_Blitz

qas: question: What was the beginning date of the aerial raids on Great Britain?
answers: text: 7 September 1940

question: How many days did the aerial raids on Great Britain last?
answers: text: 267 days

question: How many times was London attacked?
answers: text: 71 times

question: Who was the UK Prime Minster at the time of the aerial raids?
answers: text: Winston Churchill

question: What city did Winston Churchill bomb in retaliation for the killing of civilians? 
answers: text: Berlin
context: Between 7 September 1940 and 21 May 1941, 16 British cities suffered aerial raids with at least 100 long tons of high explosives. Over a period of 267 days, London was attacked 71 times, Birmingham, Liverpool and Plymouth eight times, Bristol six, Glasgow five, Southampton four, Portsmouth and Hull three and a minimum of one large raid on eight other cities. This was a result of a rapid escalation starting on 24 August 1940, when night bombers aiming for RAF airfields drifted off course and accidentally destroyed several London homes, killing civilians, combined with the UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill's retaliatory bombing of Berlin on the following night.[clarification needed]

qas: question: How many nights did the Luftwaffe bomb London?
answers: text: 57 consecutive nights

question: What north sea port was the secondary target for bombers that could not find their primary target?
answers: text: Sea port of Hull

question: How many homes in London were destroyed in London?
answers: text: More than one million

question: How many people were killed in Liverpool?
answers: text: nearly 4,000 deaths

question: Which city centre was destroyed?
answers: text: Coventry
context: From 7 September 1940, one year into the war, London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive nights. More than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged and more than 40,000 civilians were killed, almost half of them in London. Ports and industrial centres outside London were also attacked. The main Atlantic sea port of Liverpool was bombed, causing nearly 4,000 deaths within the Merseyside area during the war. The North Sea port of Hull, a convenient and easily found target or secondary target for bombers unable to locate their primary targets, was subjected to 86 raids in the Hull Blitz during the war, with a conservative estimate of 1,200 civilians killed and 95 percent of its housing stock destroyed or damaged. Other ports including Bristol, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Southampton and Swansea were also bombed, as were the industrial cities of Birmingham, Belfast, Coventry, Glasgow, Manchester and Sheffield. Birmingham and Coventry were chosen because of the Spitfire and tank factories in Birmingham and the many munitions factories in Coventry. The city centre of Coventry was almost destroyed, as was Coventry Cathedral.

qas: question: What was the name of the Luftwaffe plan to invade Britain?
answers: text: Operation Sea Lion

question: How many people died in the bombing of Hamburg?
answers: text: 42,000

question: What was the date of the bombing of Hamburg?
answers: text: July 1943

question: Who was the leader of the Luftwaffe? 
answers: text: Hitler
context: The bombing failed to demoralise the British into surrender or significantly damage the war economy. The eight months of bombing never seriously hampered British production and the war industries continued to operate and expand. The Blitz was only authorised when the Luftwaffe had failed to meet preconditions for a 1940 launch of Operation Sea Lion, the provisionally planned German invasion of Britain. By May 1941 the threat of an invasion of Britain had passed, and Hitler's attention had turned to Operation Barbarossa in the East. In comparison to the later Allied bombing campaign against Germany, the Blitz resulted in relatively few casualties; the British bombing of Hamburg in July 1943 inflicted some 42,000 civilian deaths, about the same as the entire Blitz.

qas: question: In the 1920's and 30's to theorist thought wars could be won by air forces what were their names?
answers: text: Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell

question: Bombing of civilian's was believed to cause what?
answers: text: collapse of civilian will

question: What kind of populace was believed to be most vulnerable?
answers: text: Democracies

question: What does USAAC stand for?
answers: text: United States Army Air Corps

question: What kind of bombing raids were most favored?
answers: text: night
context: In the 1920s and 1930s, air power theorists Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell espoused the idea that air forces could win wars by themselves, without a need for land and sea fighting. It was thought there was no defence against air attack, particularly at night. Enemy industry, their seats of government, factories and communications could be destroyed, effectively taking away their means to resist. It was also thought the bombing of residential centres would cause a collapse of civilian will, which might have led to the collapse of production and civil life. Democracies, where the populace was allowed to show overt disapproval of the ruling government, were thought particularly vulnerable. This thinking was prevalent in both the RAF and what was then known as the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) between the two world wars. RAF Bomber Command's policy in particular would attempt to achieve victory through the destruction of civilian will, communications and industry.

qas: question: Who believe air power alone would not be decisive?
answers: text: Luftwaffe

question: What was the name of the Luftwaffe's bombing raids?
answers: text: terror bombing

question: What year did the terror bombing policy become official?
answers: text: 1942
context: Within the Luftwaffe, there was a more muted view of strategic bombing. The OKL did not oppose the strategic bombardment of enemy industries and or cities, and believed it could greatly affect the balance of power on the battlefield in Germany's favour by disrupting production and damaging civilian morale, but they did not believe that air power alone could be decisive. Contrary to popular belief, the Luftwaffe did not have a systematic policy of what became known as "terror bombing". Evidence suggests that the Luftwaffe did not adopt an official bombing policy in which civilians became the primary target until 1942.

qas: question: Who said the Luftwaffe General Staff should be taught grand strategy?
answers: text: Wever

question: What is the mentality of potential opponents also known as?
answers: text: mirror imaging

question: What did the Air Academies not focus on?
answers: text: independent strategic air offensives

question: What army does the general staff belong to?
answers: text: the Luftwaffe
context: Wever argued that the Luftwaffe General Staff should not be solely educated in tactical and operational matters. He argued they should be educated in grand strategy, war economics, armament production, and the mentality of potential opponents (also known as mirror imaging). Wever's vision was not realised; the General Staff studies in those subjects fell by the wayside, and the Air Academies focused on tactics, technology, and operational planning, rather than on independent strategic air offensives.

qas: question: How did Wever die?
answers: text: air crash

question: What year did Wever die?
answers: text: 1936

question: Who took over for Wever after his death?
answers: text: Albert Kesselring and Hans-Jürgen Stumpff

question: What two men were the most important in ground support?
answers: text: Hugo Sperrle and Hans Jeschonnek

question: What long time careers were Sperrle and Jeschonnek involved in?
answers: text: German air services
context: In 1936, Wever was killed in an air crash. The failure to implement his vision for the new Luftwaffe was largely attributable to his immediate successors. Ex-Army personnel Albert Kesselring and Hans-Jürgen Stumpff are usually blamed for the turning away from strategic planning and focusing on close air support. However, it would seem the two most prominent enthusiasts for the focus on ground-support operations (direct or indirect) were actually Hugo Sperrle and Hans Jeschonnek. These men were long-time professional airmen involved in German air services since early in their careers. The Luftwaffe was not pressured into ground support operations because of pressure from the army, or because it was led by ex-army personnel. It was instead a mission that suited the Luftwaffe's existing approach to warfare; a culture of joint inter-service operations, rather than independent strategic air campaigns.

qas: question: What year was the beginning of enemy bombing first promoted by Hitler?
answers: text: 1930s

question: Who had skepticism towards strategic bombing? 
answers: text: Adolf Hitler

question: Why did Hitler feel bombing wasn't working?
answers: text: inability to damage industries

question: In 1939 Hitler said bombing of Britain would begin when?
answers: text: the moment was right

question: Why did Hitler feel the Luftwaffe was unsuccessful in bombing raids?
answers: text: prescribed targets are not hit
context: Adolf Hitler failed to pay as much attention to bombing the enemy as he did to protection from enemy bombing, although he had promoted the development of a bomber force in the 1930s and understood that it was possible to use bombers for major strategic purposes. He told the OKL in 1939 that ruthless employment of the Luftwaffe against the heart of the British will to resist could and would follow when the moment was right; however, he quickly developed a lively scepticism toward strategic bombing, confirmed by the results of the Blitz. He frequently complained of the Luftwaffe's inability to damage industries sufficiently, saying, "The munitions industry cannot be interfered with effectively by air raids ... usually the prescribed targets are not hit".

qas: question: How did Hitler threaten small nations into accepting German rule?
answers: text: air bombardment

question: What policy did Hitler hope the bombing of Allies would cause? 
answers: text: policy of moderation

question: What kind of prestige was Hitler hoping for?
answers: text: political

question: Why did Hitler use terror bombing against Britain? 
answers: text: to produce a stalemate
context: Ultimately, Hitler was trapped within his own vision of bombing as a terror weapon, formed in the 1930s when he threatened smaller nations into accepting German rule rather than submit to air bombardment. This fact had important implications. It showed the extent to which Hitler personally mistook Allied strategy for one of morale breaking instead of one of economic warfare, with the collapse of morale as an additional bonus. Hitler was much more attracted to the political aspects of bombing. As the mere threat of it had produced diplomatic results in the 1930s, he expected that the threat of German retaliation would persuade the Allies to adopt a policy of moderation and not to begin a policy of unrestricted bombing. His hope was — for reasons of political prestige within Germany itself — that the German population would be protected from the Allied bombings. When this proved impossible, he began to fear that popular feeling would turn against his regime, and he redoubled efforts to mount a similar "terror offensive" against Britain in order to produce a stalemate in which both sides would hesitate to use bombing at all.

qas: question: Who did Hitler have a conflict over running the air force?
answers: text: Hermann Göring

question: What strategy could have worked against the British Empire?
answers: text: strangle British sea communications

question: Who did Goring refuse to work with in 1940 and 1941?
answers: text: the Kriegsmarine

question: What did the Kriegsmarine try to gain control over?
answers: text: aircraft
context: A major problem in the managing of the Luftwaffe was Hermann Göring. Hitler believed the Luftwaffe was "the most effective strategic weapon", and in reply to repeated requests from the Kriegsmarine for control over aircraft insisted, "We should never have been able to hold our own in this war if we had not had an undivided Luftwaffe". Such principles made it much harder to integrate the air force into the overall strategy and produced in Göring a jealous and damaging defence of his "empire" while removing Hitler voluntarily from the systematic direction of the Luftwaffe at either the strategic or operational level. When Hitler tried to intervene more in the running of the air force later in the war, he was faced with a political conflict of his own making between himself and Göring, which was not fully resolved until the war was almost over. In 1940 and 1941, Göring's refusal to cooperate with the Kriegsmarine denied the entire Wehrmacht military forces of the Reich the chance to strangle British sea communications, which might have had strategic or decisive effect in the war against the British Empire.

qas: question: What was the major cause of the separation between the Luftwaffe and the other military structure?
answers: text: communications gap

question: What did Goring do because of his fear of Hitler?
answers: text: misrepresent what information

question: What year did Goring display the Luftwaffe's advanced equipment?
answers: text: 1939

question: In what city did Goring display the advance equipment?
answers: text: Rechlin

question: Who's bombing program did Goring abandon in 1939? 
answers: text: Wever
context: The deliberate separation of the Luftwaffe from the rest of the military structure encouraged the emergence of a major "communications gap" between Hitler and the Luftwaffe, which other factors helped to exacerbate. For one thing, Göring's fear of Hitler led him to falsify or misrepresent what information was available in the direction of an uncritical and over-optimistic interpretation of air strength. When Göring decided against continuing Wever's original heavy bomber programme in 1937, the Reichsmarschall's own explanation was that Hitler wanted to know only how many bombers there were, not how many engines each had. In July 1939, Göring arranged a display of the Luftwaffe's most advanced equipment at Rechlin, to give the impression the air force was more prepared for a strategic air war than was actually the case.

qas: question: Which two countries declared war on Germany on September 3 1939?
answers: text: UK and France

question: The RAF bombed what Germany coast?
answers: text: Wilhelmshaven

question: What kind of leaflets were dropped?
answers: text: propaganda

question: What were the RAF operations trying to lessen?
answers: text: civilian casualties

question: What year did the Luftwaffe destroy Rotterdam center?
answers: text: 1940
context: Within hours of the UK and France declaring war on Germany on 3 September 1939, the RAF bombed German warships along the German coast at Wilhelmshaven. Thereafter bombing operations were against ports and shipping and propaganda leaflet drops. Operations were planned to minimize civilian casualties. From 15 May 1940 – the day after the Luftwaffe destroyed the centre of Rotterdam – the RAF also carried out operations east of the Rhine, attacking industrial and transportation targets. Operations were carried out every night thereafter.

qas: question: Which tactics were the Luftwaffe excepted to use against Britain? 
answers: text: air operations

question: Why did the Luftwaffe bomb the RAF Fighter Command?
answers: text: to gain air superiority

question: What was the name of the Channel the Luftwaffe bomb to try to gain air superiority?
answers: text: English

question: Which Navy was assumed not to be able to operate under German air superiority?
answers: text: Royal
context: Although not specifically prepared to conduct independent strategic air operations against an opponent, the Luftwaffe was expected to do so over Britain. From July until September 1940 the Luftwaffe attacked RAF Fighter Command to gain air superiority as a prelude to invasion. This involved the bombing of English Channel convoys, ports, and RAF airfields and supporting industries. Destroying RAF Fighter Command would allow the Germans to gain control of the skies over the invasion area. It was supposed that Bomber Command, RAF Coastal Command and the Royal Navy could not operate under conditions of German air superiority.

qas: question: Why did the Luftwaffe fail to locate their targets?
answers: text: poor intelligence

question: Britain's  fabrication  of fighter planes out paced Germany by what margin?
answers: text: 2 to 1

question: How many aircraft did Britain produce in 1940?
answers: text: 10,000

question: What did German crew members face if they were shot down over Britain?
answers: text: capture

question: How big was the crew of a bomber?
answers: text: four to five crewmen
context: The Luftwaffe's poor intelligence meant that their aircraft were not always able to locate their targets, and thus attacks on factories and airfields failed to achieve the desired results. British fighter aircraft production continued at a rate surpassing Germany's by 2 to 1. The British produced 10,000 aircraft in 1940, in comparison to Germany's 8,000. The replacement of pilots and aircrew was more difficult. Both the RAF and Luftwaffe struggled to replace manpower losses, though the Germans had larger reserves of trained aircrew. The circumstances affected the Germans more than the British. Operating over home territory, British flyers could fly again if they survived being shot down. German crews, even if they survived, faced capture. Moreover, bombers had four to five crewmen on board, representing a greater loss of manpower. On 7 September, the Germans shifted away from the destruction of the RAF's supporting structures. German intelligence suggested Fighter Command was weakening, and an attack on London would force it into a final battle of annihilation while compelling the British Government to surrender.

qas: question: What does OKL stand for?
answers: text: Oberkommando der Luftwaffe

question: What month would the weather window begin to decline?
answers: text: October

question: If serious loss had happened to the RAF where might they have pulled out of?
answers: text: the north

question: What is the German name of Operation Sea Lion?
answers: text: Unternehmen Seelöwe

question: Who had exponential larger naval forces?
answers: text: British naval forces
context: The decision to change strategy is sometimes claimed as a major mistake by the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL). It is argued that persisting with attacks on RAF airfields might have won air superiority for the Luftwaffe. Others argue that the Luftwaffe made little impression on Fighter Command in the last week of August and first week of September and that the shift in strategy was not decisive. It has also been argued that it was doubtful the Luftwaffe could have won air superiority before the "weather window" began to deteriorate in October. It was also possible, if RAF losses became severe, that they could pull out to the north, wait for the German invasion, then redeploy southward again. Other historians argue that the outcome of the air battle was irrelevant; the massive numerical superiority of British naval forces and the inherent weakness of the Kriegsmarine would have made the projected German invasion, Unternehmen Seelöwe (Operation Sea Lion), a disaster with or without German air superiority.

qas: question: The Luftwaffe air fleets were taking what kind of losses?
answers: text: punishing

question: What did the punishing losses to the air fleet cause the Luftwaffe to do?
answers: text: change in strategy

question: What kind of strategy did the Luftwaffe use to give their bombers better protection?
answers: text: cover of darkness

question: What city did Hitler give a speech where he said he would erase British cities?
answers: text: Sportspalast

question: In what year did Hitler give the speech at Sportspalast? 
answers: text: 1940
context: Regardless of the ability of the Luftwaffe to win air superiority, Adolf Hitler was frustrated that it was not happening quickly enough. With no sign of the RAF weakening, and Luftwaffe air fleets (Luftflotten) taking punishing losses, the OKL was keen for a change in strategy. To reduce losses further, a change in strategy was also favoured to take place at night, to give the bombers greater protection under cover of darkness.[b] On 4 September 1940, in a long address at the Sportspalast, Hitler declared: "And should the Royal Air Force drop two thousand, or three thousand [kilograms ...] then we will now drop [...] 300,000, 400,000, yes one million kilograms in a single night. And should they declare they will greatly increase their attacks on our cities, then we will erase their cities."

qas: question: Which British city did the Luftwaffe focus its bombing on?
answers: text: London

question: What was the name of the large air raid that took place in daylight hours in Britain?
answers: text: Battle of Britain Day

question: What was the main reason the Luftwaffe was not able to cause extensive damage with their missions?
answers: text: bomb-load limitations

question: What kind of bombers was Germany not able to build?
answers: text: four-engined bombers
context: It was decided to focus on bombing Britain's industrial cities in daylight to begin with. The main focus of the bombing operations was against the city of London. The first major raid in this regard took place on 7 September. On 15 September, on a date known as the Battle of Britain Day, a large-scale raid was launched in daylight, but suffered significant loss for no lasting gain. Although there were a few large air battles fought in daylight later in the month and into October, the Luftwaffe switched its main effort to night attacks in order to reduce losses. This became official policy on 7 October. The air campaign soon got underway against London and other British cities. However, the Luftwaffe faced limitations. Its aircraft—Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88, and Heinkel He 111s—were capable of carrying out strategic missions, but were incapable of doing greater damage because of bomb-load limitations. The Luftwaffe's decision in the interwar period to concentrate on medium bombers can be attributed to several reasons: Hitler did not intend or foresee a war with Britain in 1939; the OKL believed a medium bomber could carry out strategic missions just as well as a heavy bomber force; and Germany did not possess the resources or technical ability to produce four-engined bombers before the war.

qas: question: Poor intelligence and what other problem made it difficult for the Luftwaffe to do extreme damage?
answers: text: unclear strategy

question: What year did the OKL become aware that Britain would be a possible target?
answers: text: early 1938

question: What disagreements did the  Luftwaffe staff center around?
answers: text: tactics

question: What did the disputes between the staff cause to happen to the strategy against Britain?
answers: text: failure before it began
context: Although it had equipment capable of doing serious damage, the problem for the Luftwaffe was its unclear strategy and poor intelligence. OKL had not been informed that Britain was to be considered a potential opponent until early 1938. It had no time to gather reliable intelligence on Britain's industries. Moreover, OKL could not settle on an appropriate strategy. German planners had to decide whether the Luftwaffe should deliver the weight of its attacks against a specific segment of British industry such as aircraft factories, or against a system of interrelated industries such as Britain's import and distribution network, or even in a blow aimed at breaking the morale of the British population. The Luftwaffe's strategy became increasingly aimless over the winter of 1940–1941. Disputes among the OKL staff revolved more around tactics than strategy. This method condemned the offensive over Britain to failure before it began.

qas: question: Coupled with British quick reactions what cause operational capacity hard to achieve?
answers: text: limitations in weapons technology

question: What was an important fuel in the Second World War?
answers: text: coal

question: What kind of bombs were effective in the beginning but became less so with time?
answers: text: delayed-action bombs

question: What did Britain do that helped make the new strategy less effective? 
answers: text: dispersed its production facilities

question: Who was given permission to restore power and move supplies to keep the war moving?
answers: text: Regional commissioners
context: In an operational capacity, limitations in weapons technology and quick British reactions were making it more difficult to achieve strategic effect. Attacking ports, shipping and imports as well as disrupting rail traffic in the surrounding areas, especially the distribution of coal, an important fuel in all industrial economies of the Second World War, would net a positive result. However, the use of delayed-action bombs, while initially very effective, gradually had less impact, partly because they failed to detonate.[c] Moreover, the British had anticipated the change in strategy and dispersed its production facilities making them less vulnerable to a concentrated attack. Regional commissioners were given plenipotentiary powers to restore communications and organise the distribution of supplies to keep the war economy moving.

qas: question: How many casualties did the British government estimate for every ton of bombs dropped?
answers: text: 50

question: As technology increased what was the amount of bombs that could be dropped in 1937 per day? 
answers: text: 644

question: What committee estimated that 60 days of attacks would result in 600,000 deaths?
answers: text: Imperial Defence

question: How many tons did experts expect Germany to drop in the first 24 hours of the war?
answers: text: 3,500

question: Who was the military theorist in 1939 who said 250,000 deaths and injury could occur in the first week of war in Britian?
answers: text: Basil Liddell-Hart
context: Based on experience with German strategic bombing during World War I against the United Kingdom, the British government estimated after the war that 50 casualties— with about one third killed— would result for every tonne of bombs dropped on London. The estimate of tonnes of bombs an enemy could drop per day grew as aircraft technology advanced, from 75 in 1922, to 150 in 1934, to 644 in 1937. That year the Committee on Imperial Defence estimated that an attack of 60 days would result in 600,000 dead and 1,200,000 wounded. News reports of the Spanish Civil War, such as the bombing of Barcelona, supported the 50-casualties-per-tonne estimate. By 1938 experts generally expected that Germany would attempt to drop as much as 3,500 tonnes in the first 24 hours of war and average 700 tonnes a day for several weeks. In addition to high explosive and incendiary bombs the enemy would possibly use poison gas and even bacteriological warfare, all with a high degree of accuracy. In 1939 military theorist Basil Liddell-Hart predicted that 250,000 deaths and injuries in Britain could occur in the first week of war.

qas: question: What was the biggest fear aerial attacks would cause besides death and wounded?
answers: text: psychological trauma

question: Psychiatrists believe in 1938  that mental trauma could reach how many millions?
answers: text: three to four

question: Where did 150,000 migrate during the Munich crisis?
answers: text: Wales

question: Who told Parliament that after long periods of attacks people would leave the cities for the country? 
answers: text: Winston Churchill
context: In addition to the dead and wounded, government leaders feared mass psychological trauma from aerial attack and a resulting collapse of civil society. A committee of psychiatrists reported to the government in 1938 that there would be three times as many mental as physical casualties from aerial bombing, implying three to four million psychiatric patients. Winston Churchill told Parliament in 1934, "We must expect that, under the pressure of continuous attack upon London, at least three or four million people would be driven out into the open country around the metropolis." Panicked reactions during the Munich crisis, such as the migration by 150,000 to Wales, contributed to fear of societal chaos.

qas: question: The government planned to evacuate 1.4 million from which city?
answers: text: London

question: What trial took place on August 10 1939?
answers: text: a blackout

question: How long were lights not allowed on after dark?
answers: text: almost six years

question: What was most unpopular affect of the war with civilians ?
answers: text: the blackout

question: Why did the government  and civil service not want to relocate during the war?
answers: text: damage civilian morale
context: The government planned to voluntarily evacuate four million people—mostly women and children—from urban areas, including 1.4 million from London. It expected about 90% of evacuees to stay in private homes, and conducted an extensive survey to determine available space. Detailed preparations for transporting them were developed. A trial blackout was held on 10 August 1939, and when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September a blackout began at sunset. Lights would not be allowed after dark for almost six years, and the blackout became by far the most unpopular aspect of the war for civilians, more than rationing.:51,106 The relocation of the government and the civil service was also planned, but would only have occurred if necessary so as not to damage civilian morale.:33

qas: question: What civil-defense efforts were left to local authorities to handle?
answers: text: shelters

question: What year did the shelter program finish?
answers: text: 1940

question: Why were the shelters soon abandoned in 1940? 
answers: text: unsafe

question: Why were Londoners forced to sleep in shelters?
answers: text: attacks by night
context: Much civil-defence preparation in the form of shelters was left in the hands of local authorities, and many areas such as Birmingham, Coventry, Belfast and the East End of London did not have enough shelters. The Phoney War, however, and the unexpected delay of civilian bombing permitted the shelter programme to finish in June 1940.:35 The programme favoured backyard Anderson shelters and small brick surface shelters; many of the latter were soon abandoned in 1940 as unsafe. In addition, authorities expected that the raids would be brief and during the day. Few predicted that attacks by night would force Londoners to sleep in shelters.

qas: question: What kind of sentiment did the government fear would developed in large group shelters? 
answers: text: anti-war

question: Who did the government see as a leading advocate for building deep shelters?
answers: text: the Communist Party's

question: What was the name of the Pact of August 1939?
answers: text: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
context: Very deeply buried shelters provided the most protection against a direct hit. The government did not build them for large populations before the war because of cost, time to build, and fears that their very safety would cause occupants to refuse to leave to return to work, or that anti-war sentiment would develop in large groups. The government saw the Communist Party's leading role in advocating for building deep shelters as an attempt to damage civilian morale, especially after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939.:34

qas: question: Why did the government refuse to allow the London Underground stations to be used as shelters?
answers: text: interfere with commuter and troop travel

question: Underground officials were ordered to lock the stations during raids but opened how long after the orders?
answers: text: by the second week

question: In 1940 how many people were sleeping in the Underground stations?
answers: text: 150,000 a night

question: Muffling the sound of batter made what easier in the Underground Stations?
answers: text: sleep

question: Why were many killed in Underground Stations?
answers: text: direct hits
context: The most important existing communal shelters were the London Underground stations. Although many civilians had used them as such during the First World War, the government in 1939 refused to allow the stations to be used as shelters so as not to interfere with commuter and troop travel, and the fears that occupants might refuse to leave. Underground officials were ordered to lock station entrances during raids; but by the second week of heavy bombing the government relented and ordered the stations to be opened. Each day orderly lines of people queued until 4 pm, when they were allowed to enter the stations. In mid-September 1940 about 150,000 a night slept in the Underground, although by the winter and spring months the numbers had declined to 100,000 or less. Noises of battle were muffled and sleep was easier in the deepest stations, but many were killed from direct hits on several stations.

qas: question: What was the largest number to use Underground shelters in September  27, 1940?
answers: text: 177,000

question: In 1940 what percentage used the Tube for a sleeping shelter?
answers: text: 4%

question: Where did 60% of populations stay?
answers: text: at home

question: What year did the government start giving out Morrison shelters?
answers: text: 1941

question: Where could the Morrison shelters be used?
answers: text: inside homes
context: Communal shelters never housed more than one seventh of Greater London residents, however. Peak use of the Underground as shelter was 177,000 on 27 September 1940, and a November 1940 census of London found that about 4% of residents used the Tube and other large shelters; 9% in public surface shelters; and 27% in private home shelters, implying that the remaining 60% of the city likely stayed at home. The government distributed Anderson shelters until 1941 and that year began distributing the Morrison shelter, which could be used inside homes.:190

qas: question: What year did the government start to build new deep shelters?
answers: text: 1940

question: How many people were the new shelters going to hold?
answers: text: 80,000

question: What helped cut down time standing in the queue for shelters?
answers: text: Tickets

question: Which two groups help improve life in the shelters?
answers: text: British Red Cross and the Salvation Army

question: What kind of trains provided food in the shelters?
answers: text: canteen
context: Public demand caused the government in October 1940 to build new deep shelters:189–190 within the Underground to hold 80,000 people but were not completed until the period of heaviest bombing had passed. By the end of 1940 significant improvements had been made in the Underground and in many other large shelters. Authorities provided stoves and bathrooms and canteen trains provided food. Tickets were issued for bunks in large shelters to reduce the amount of time spent queuing. Committees quickly formed within shelters as informal governments, and organisations such as the British Red Cross and the Salvation Army worked to improve conditions. Entertainment included concerts, films, plays and books from local libraries. 

qas: question: With the intense bomb what did not happen as great as prewar predictions expected?
answers: text: psychiatric crisis

question: What witness wrote that these people are staunch to the bone and won't quit?
answers: text: American

question: People called the raids very blitzy like they were talking about what?
answers: text: weather
context: Although the intensity of the bombing was not as great as prewar expectations so an equal comparison is impossible, no psychiatric crisis occurred because of the Blitz even during the period of greatest bombing of September 1940. An American witness wrote "By every test and measure I am able to apply, these people are staunch to the bone and won't quit ... the British are stronger and in a better position than they were at its beginning". People referred to raids as if they were weather, stating that a day was "very blitzy".:75,261 However, another American who visited Britain, the publisher Ralph Ingersoll, wrote soon after the Blitz eased on 15 September that:

qas: question: Anne Freud and Edward Glover said London civilians did not suffer from what?
answers: text: widespread shell shock

question: Why did the psychiatric clinics close?
answers: text: lack of need

question: What two things declined during the attacks in Britain?
answers: text: suicides and drunkenness

question: The entire country was being attack and Glover believe it help people to do what?
answers: text: accept and deal
context: Ingersoll added that, according to Anna Freud and Edward Glover, London civilians surprisingly did not suffer from widespread shell shock, unlike the soldiers in the Dunkirk evacuation.:114,117–118 The psychoanalysts were correct, and the special network of psychiatric clinics opened to receive mental casualties of the attacks closed due to lack of need. Although the stress of the war resulted in many anxiety attacks, eating disorders, fatigue, weeping, miscarriages, and other physical and mental ailments, society did not collapse. The number of suicides and drunkenness declined, and London recorded only about two cases of "bomb neuroses" per week in the first three months of bombing. Many civilians found that the best way to retain mental stability was to be with family, and after the first few weeks of bombing avoidance of the evacuation programs grew.:80–81 Glover speculated that the knowledge that the entire country was being attacked, that there was no way to escape the bombs, forced people to accept and deal with the situation.:118

qas: question: What drink was never rationed?
answers: text: beer

question: How many people attended cricket at Lord's?
answers: text: 13,000

question: What percent of Briton's expected to lose the war?
answers: text: 3%

question: What was Churchill's highest rating? 
answers: text: 89%

question: What were Spitfire Funds used for?
answers: text: to build fighters
context: The cheerful crowds visiting bomb sites were so large they interfered with rescue work, pub visits increased in number (beer was never rationed), and 13,000 attended cricket at Lord's. People left shelters when told instead of refusing to leave, although many housewives reportedly enjoyed the break from housework. Some people even told government surveyors that they enjoyed air raids if they occurred occasionally, perhaps once a week. Despite the attacks, defeat in Norway and France, and the threat of invasion, overall morale remained high; a Gallup poll found only 3% of Britons expected to lose the war in May 1940, another found an 88% approval rating for Churchill in July, and a third found 89% support for his leadership in October. Support for peace negotiations declined from 29% in February. Each setback caused more civilians to volunteer to become unpaid Local Defence Volunteers, workers worked longer shifts and over weekends, contributions rose to the £5,000 "Spitfire Funds" to build fighters, and the number of work days lost to strikes in 1940 was the lowest in history.:60–63,67–68,75,78–79,215–216

qas: question: What is ARP?
answers: text: Air Raid Precautions

question: The Auxiliary Fire Service had how many members in July of 1939?
answers: text: 138,000

question: Who was given the name Blitz Scouts?
answers: text: Scout Association

question: The Royal Army Pay Corps and what other group were in charge of salvage and clean-up?
answers: text: Pioneer Corps
context: The civilians of London had an enormous role to play in the protection of their city. Many civilians who were unwilling or unable to join the military became members of the Home Guard, the Air Raid Precautions service (ARP), the Auxiliary Fire Service, and many other organisations. The AFS had 138,000 personnel by July 1939. Only one year earlier, there had only been 6,600 full-time and 13,800 part-time firemen in the entire country. During the Blitz, The Scout Association guided fire engines to where they were most needed, and became known as the "Blitz Scouts". Many unemployed were drafted into the Royal Army Pay Corps. These personnel, along with others from the Pioneer Corps, were charged with the task of salvage and clean-up.

qas: question: What group did Samuel Hoare set up in 1938?
answers: text: Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence

question: Who was Home Secretary in 1938?
answers: text: Samuel Hoare

question: How many members did the WVS have at the end of 1941?
answers: text: one million

question: How many gas mask were issued before the war?
answers: text: 50 million
context: The WVS (Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence) was set up under the direction of Samuel Hoare, Home Secretary in 1938 specifically in the event of air raids. Hoare considered it the female branch of the ARP. They organised the evacuation of children, established centres for those displaced by bombing, and operated canteens, salvage and recycling schemes. By the end of 1941, the WVS had one million members. Prior to the outbreak of war, civilians were issued with 50 million respirators (gas masks). These were issued in the event of bombing taking place with gas before evacuation.

qas: question: Who was the Air Officer Commanding Fighter Command after 1940?
answers: text: Hugh Dowding

question: What credit did Dowding receive?
answers: text: defence of British air space

question: What strategy could the German's have used instead of day raids?
answers: text: bombing at night

question: Why were civic and political leaders worried about Dowdings?
answers: text: lack of reaction to the new crisis
context: In the inter-war years and after 1940, Hugh Dowding, Air Officer Commanding Fighter Command has received credit for the defence of British air space and the failure of the Luftwaffe to achieve air superiority. However, Dowding had spent so much effort preparing day fighter defences, there was little to prevent the Germans carrying out an alternative strategy by bombing at night. When the Luftwaffe struck at British cities for the first time on 7 September 1940, a number of civic and political leaders were worried by Dowding's apparent lack of reaction to the new crisis.

qas: question: Who was reluctant to act quickly when urgent changes need to be made?
answers: text: Dowding

question: Who thought Dowding was stubborn and didn't like to cooperate?
answers: text: Air Staff

question: The Air Ministry was critical of Dowding after which battle?
answers: text: Battle of Britain Day

question: What did the Air Ministry plan to do with his failures?
answers: text: attack him and his abilities
context: Dowding accepted that as AOC, he was responsible for the day and night defence of Britain, and the blame, should he fail, would be laid at his door. When urgent changes and improvements needed to be made, Dowding seemed reluctant to act quickly. The Air Staff felt that this was due to his stubborn nature and reluctance to cooperate. Dowding's opponents in the Air Ministry, already critical of his handling of the day battle (see Battle of Britain Day and the Big Wing controversy), were ready to use these failings as a cudgel with which to attack him and his abilities.

qas: question: Who was summoned to the Air Ministry conference on October 17, 1940?
answers: text: Dowding

question: Lord Beaverbrook and Churchill's support of Dowding was what?
answers: text: waning

question: Neglect of the RAF until 1938 caused what to happen?
answers: text: sparse resources to build defences

question: The Air Ministry and which other group decided to not make night defense a top priority?
answers: text: Chamberlain Government
context: Dowding was summoned to an Air Ministry conference on 17 October 1940 to explain the poor state of night defences and the supposed (but ultimately successful) "failure" of his daytime strategy. The criticism of his leadership extended far beyond the Air Council, and the Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook, and Churchill themselves intimated their support was waning. While the failure of night defence preparation was undeniable, it was not the AOC's responsibility to accrue resources. The general neglect of the RAF until the late spurt in 1938 had left sparse resources to build defences. While it was permissible to disagree with Dowding's operational and tactical deployment of forces, the failure of the Government and Air Ministry to allot resources was ultimately the responsibility of the civil and military institutions at large. In the pre-war period, the Chamberlain Government stated that night defence from air attack should not take up much of the national effort and, along with the Air Ministry, did not make it a priority.

qas: question: People over the age of 35 reacted to the bombings with what?
answers: text: great trepidation

question: Why had German raids decreased between 1916-1918?
answers: text: countermeasures

question: How many people were killed by bomb drops during the first World War?
answers: text: 1,413

question: How many bombs had been dropped?
answers: text: 9,000
context: The attitude of the Air Ministry was in contrast to the experiences of the First World War when a few German bombers caused physical and psychological damage out of all proportion to their numbers. Around 280 short tons (250 t) (9,000 bombs) had been dropped, killing 1,413 people and injuring 3,500 more. Most people aged 35 or over remembered the threat and greeted the bombings with great trepidation. From 1916–1918, German raids had diminished against countermeasures which demonstrated defence against night air raids was possible.

qas: question: What did the RAF put most of their resources into?
answers: text: daylight fighter defences

question: RAF bombers had trouble flying at night, so the British believe the Germans would do what?
answers: text: suffer the same problems

question: Britain believe German bombers would be unable to reach and identify what?
answers: text: targets

question: What did the Air Force believe they could avoid if they carried out effective day missions?
answers: text: night missions and their disadvantages
context: Although night air defence was causing greater concern before the war, it was not at the forefront of RAF planning. Most of the resources went into planning for daylight fighter defences. The difficulty RAF bombers had navigating in darkness, led the British to believe German bombers would suffer the same problems and would be unable to reach and identify their targets. There was also a mentality in all air forces that, if they could carry out effective operations by day, night missions and their disadvantages could be avoided.

qas: question: What did the British offence become know as?
answers: text: cult of the offensive

question: Why was the tactic of bombing German aircraft bases, factories and fuel reserves impractical?
answers: text: lacked the technology and equipment

question: Until 1940 what type of aircraft did the RAF lacked?
answers: text: specialist night-fighting

question: What was wrong with the anti aircraft units?
answers: text: poorly equipped and lacking in numbers
context: British air doctrine, since the time of Chief of the Air Staff Hugh Trenchard in the early 1920s, had stressed offence was the best means of defence. British defensive strategy revolved around offensive action, what became known as the cult of the offensive. To prevent German formations from hitting targets in Britain, RAF's Bomber Command would destroy Luftwaffe aircraft on their own bases, aircraft in their factories and fuel reserves by attacking oil plants. This philosophy was impractical as Bomber Command lacked the technology and equipment and needed several years to develop it. This strategy retarded the development of fighter defences in the 1930s. Dowding agreed air defence would require some offensive action, and fighters could not defend Britain alone. Until September 1940, the RAF lacked specialist night-fighting aircraft and relied on anti-aircraft units which were poorly equipped and lacking in numbers.

qas: question: What did the Lorenz beam allow aircraft to do?
answers: text: land at night or in bad weather

question: The Germans developed the Lorenz into what system?
answers: text: Knickebein

question: The Knickebein was the same as the Lorenz but used how many beams?
answers: text: two Lorenz beams

question: The Germans flew along one beam until they picked up the second beam the sound telling them when to start doing what?
answers: text: dropping their bombs
context: Bomber crews already had some experience with these types of systems due to the deployment of the Lorenz beam, a commercial blind-landing aid which allowed aircraft to land at night or in bad weather. The Germans developed the short-range Lorenz system into the Knickebein aid, a system which used two Lorenz beams with much stronger signal transmissions. The concept was the same as the Lorenz system. Two aerials were rotated for the two converging beams which were pointed to cross directly over the target. The German bombers would attach themselves to either beam and fly along it until they started to pick up the signal from the other beam. When a continuous sound was heard from the second beam the crew knew they were above the target and began dropping their bombs.

qas: question: While Knickebein was used my most German crews who used the X-Gerat system?
answers: text: specially trained pathfinder crews

question: What frequency did the X-Gerat system use?
answers: text: 66–77 MHz

question: What rate per minute did ground transmitters send?
answers: text: 180

question: When the bomber crossed the first beam the bomber-aimer did what?
answers: text: start the bombing-clock

question: What mechanism cause the bombs to be released?
answers: text: clock's timing
context: While Knickebein was used by German crews en masse, X-Gerät use was limited to specially trained pathfinder crews. Special receivers were mounted in He 111s, with a radio mast on the bomber's fuselage. The system worked on a higher frequency (66–77 MHz, compared to Knickebein's 30–33 MHz). Transmitters on the ground sent pulses at a rate of 180 per minute. X-Gerät received and analysed the pulses, giving the pilot both visual and aural "on course" signals. Three beams intersected the beam along the He 111's flight path. The first cross-beam acted as a warning for the bomb-aimer to start the bombing-clock which he would activate only when the second cross-beam was reached. When the third cross-beam was reached the bomb aimer activated a third trigger, which stopped the first hand of the equipment's clock, with the second hand continuing. When the second hand re-aligned with the first, the bombs were released. The clock's timing mechanism was co-ordinated with the distances of the intersecting beams from the target so the target was directly below when the bomb release occurred.

qas: question: Which system was the most complex of the three?
answers: text: Y-Gerät

question: Who operated the automatic beam system?
answers: text: the bomber's autopilot

question: What kind of checks help to keep the plane on course?
answers: text: Direction-finding

question: The crew could be order to drop the bomb by what?
answers: text: a code word

question: Who issued the code word to the bombers?
answers: text: ground controller
context: Y-Gerät was the most complex system of the three. It was, in effect, an automatic beam-tracking system, operated through the bomber's autopilot. The single approach beam along which the bomber tracked was monitored by a ground controller. The signals from the station were retransmitted by the bomber's equipment. This way the distance the bomber travelled along the beam could be precisely verified. Direction-finding checks also enabled the controller to keep the crew on an exact course. The crew would be ordered to drop their bombs either by issue of a code word by the ground controller, or at the conclusion of the signal transmissions which would stop. Although its maximum usable range was similar to the previous systems, it was not unknown for specific buildings to be hit.

qas: question: In 1940 a German prisoner overheard boasting that the British would never find what system?
answers: text: Knickebein

question: Which RAF technical advisor was the conversation passed onto?
answers: text: Dr. R. V. Jones

question: The Bean Approach Training Development Unit were fitted with what kind of transmitter to search for the Knickebein? 
answers: text: 30 MHz receiver

question: The beam was traced to what town?
answers: text: Derby

question: The first jamming operation was carried out using what machines?
answers: text: electrocautery machines
context: In June 1940, a German prisoner of war was overheard boasting that the British would never find the Knickebein, even though it was under their noses. The details of the conversation were passed to an RAF Air Staff technical advisor, Dr. R. V. Jones, who started an in-depth investigation which discovered that the Luftwaffe's Lorenz receivers were more than blind-landing devices. Jones therefore began a search for the German beams. Avro Ansons of the Beam Approach Training Development Unit (BATDU) were flown up and down Britain fitted with a 30 MHz receiver to detect them. Soon a beam was traced to Derby (which had been mentioned in Luftwaffe transmissions). The first jamming operations were carried out using requisitioned hospital electrocautery machines. A subtle form of distortion was introduced. Up to nine special transmitters directed their signals at the beams in a manner that widened its path, negating its ability to accurately locate targets. Confidence in the device was diminished by the time the Luftwaffe decided to launch large-scale raids. The counter operations were carried out by British Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) units under Wing Commander Edward Addison, No. 80 Wing RAF. The production of false radio navigation signals by re-transmitting the originals was a technique known as masking beacons (meacons).

qas: question: The German beacons used what frequency band?
answers: text: medium

question: What two letter identifier did the signal have?
answers: text: Morse

question: What system used a separate locations for a receiver and a directional aerial?
answers: text: Meacon

question: When a German bomber flew to close to its own beam what happened to the signal?
answers: text: stronger on the direction finder
context: German beacons operated on the medium-frequency band and the signals involved a two-letter Morse identifier followed by a lengthy time-lapse which enabled the Luftwaffe crews to determine the signal's bearing. The Meacon system involved separate locations for a receiver with a directional aerial and a transmitter. The receipt of the German signal by the receiver was duly passed to the transmitter, the signal to be repeated. The action did not guarantee automatic success. If the German bomber flew closer to its own beam than the Meacon then the former signal would come through the stronger on the direction finder. The reverse would apply only if the meacon were closer.

qas: question: Anti-aircraft defenses became better after what?
answers: text: Blitz was over

question: What did they use to lure German bombers away from their targets?
answers: text: ruses

question: What kind of airfields were prepared to stand up to skilled observers? 
answers: text: dummy

question: What was the name given to these dummy airfields?
answers: text: Starfish
context: In general, German bombers were likely to get through to their targets without too much difficulty. It was to be some months before an effective night fighter force would be ready, and anti-aircraft defences only became adequate after the Blitz was over, so ruses were created to lure German bombers away from their targets. Throughout 1940, dummy airfields were prepared, good enough to stand up to skilled observation. A number[clarification needed] of bombs fell on these diversionary ("Starfish") targets.

qas: question: Fake fires were used as what kind of technique?
answers: text: diversionary

question: Two tanks one of oil, one of water fed what kind of fire?
answers: text: boiler

question: What was injected into the fires from time to time to produce a flash?
answers: text: water

question: What did these flashes simulate?
answers: text: German C-250 and C-500 Flammbomben

question: What was the purpose of these fires?
answers: text: deceive German bombardiers
context: The use of diversionary techniques such as fires had to be made carefully. The fake fires could only begin when the bombing started over an adjacent target and its effects were brought under control. Too early and the chances of success receded; too late and the real conflagration at the target would exceed the diversionary fires. Another innovation was the boiler fire. These units were fed from two adjacent tanks containing oil and water. The oil-fed fires were then injected with water from time to time; the flashes produced were similar to those of the German C-250 and C-500 Flammbomben. The hope was that, if it could deceive German bombardiers, it would draw more bombers away from the real target.

qas: question: The bombing of the Thames Estuary cause how many civilian casualties?
answers: text: 1,600

question: How many were killed in the bombing of the Thames Estuary?
answers: text: around 400

question: How many aircraft did the Luftwaffe lose?
answers: text: 41

question: How many German pilots were killed?
answers: text: six

question: How many Air Fleet 3 attacked that night?
answers: text: 247
context: Initially the change in strategy caught the RAF off-guard, and caused extensive damage and civilian casualties. Some 107,400 long tons (109,100 t) of shipping was damaged in the Thames Estuary and 1,600 civilians were casualties. Of this total around 400 were killed. The fighting in the air was more intense in daylight. Overall Loge had cost the Luftwaffe 41 aircraft; 14 bombers, 16 Messerschmitt Bf 109s, seven Messerschmitt Bf 110s and four reconnaissance aircraft. Fighter Command lost 23 fighters, with six pilots killed and another seven wounded. Another 247 bombers from Sperrle's Luftflotte 3 (Air Fleet 3) attacked that night. On 8 September, the Luftwaffe returned. This time 412 people were killed and 747 severely wounded.

qas: question: What was the name of the airfield where heavy raids took place?
answers: text: Farnborough

question: How many Bf 109s were lost?
answers: text: 13

question: FighterCommand lost how many fighters?
answers: text: 17

question: How many pilots did Fighter Command lose?
answers: text: six

question: What caused the delay in the effort?
answers: text: weather was poor
context: On 9 September the OKL appeared to be backing two strategies. Its round-the-clock bombing of London was an immediate attempt to force the British government to capitulate, but it was also striking at Britain's vital sea communications to achieve a victory through siege. Although the weather was poor, heavy raids took place that afternoon on the London suburbs and the airfield at Farnborough. The day's fighting cost Kesselring and Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) 24 aircraft, including 13 Bf 109s. Fighter Command lost 17 fighters and six pilots. Over the next few days weather was poor and the next main effort would not be made until 15 September 1940.

qas: question: On September 15 the Luftwaffe made daylight raids on what target in London?
answers: text: Thames Estuary

question: What two targets were the Luftwaffe trying to destroy?
answers: text: docks and rail communications

question: What was the reason to try and draw the RAF into a battle?
answers: text: destroy their fighters in large numbers

question: What was this air battle called?
answers: text: Battle of Britain Day

question: The Luftwaffe lost what percentage of its bombers sent that day?
answers: text: 18
context: On 15 September the Luftwaffe made two large daylight attacks on London along the Thames Estuary, targeting the docks and rail communications in the city. Its hope was to destroy its targets and draw the RAF into defending them, allowing the Luftwaffe to destroy their fighters in large numbers, thereby achieving an air superiority. Large air battles broke out, lasting for most of the day. The first attack merely damaged the rail network for three days, and the second attack failed altogether. The air battle was later commemorated by Battle of Britain Day. The Luftwaffe lost 18 percent of the bombers sent on the operations that day, and failed to gain air superiority.

qas: question: Who thought the Luftwaffe could win?
answers: text: Göring

question: What day did Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion?
answers: text: 17 September

question: What was the name of the man from the Soviet Union who was doubtful of Operation Sea Lion?
answers: text: Joseph Stalin

question: Who did the Luftwaffe try to lure into battle using its bombers?
answers: text: RAF

question: When did the OKL switch to night raids?
answers: text: 7 October
context: While Göring was optimistic the Luftwaffe could prevail, Hitler was not. On 17 September he postponed Operation Sea Lion (as it turned out, indefinitely) rather than gamble Germany's newly gained military prestige on a risky cross-Channel operation, particularly in the face of a sceptical Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. In the last days of the battle, the bombers became lures in an attempt to draw the RAF into combat with German fighters. But their operations were to no avail; the worsening weather and unsustainable attrition in daylight gave the OKL an excuse to switch to night attacks on 7 October.

qas: question: On October 14 how many German bombers attacked?
answers: text: 380

question: How many people were killed?
answers: text: Around 200

question: Who fired anti-defense rounds?
answers: text: General Frederick Alfred Pile

question: How many rounds of anti-defense were fired?
answers: text: 8,326 rounds

question: How many German bombers were shot down?
answers: text: two
context: On 14 October, the heaviest night attack to date saw 380 German bombers from Luftflotte 3 hit London. Around 200 people were killed and another 2,000 injured. British anti-aircraft defences (General Frederick Alfred Pile) fired 8,326 rounds and shot down only two bombers. On 15 October, the bombers returned and about 900 fires were started by the mix of 415 short tons (376 t) of high explosive and 11 short tons (10.0 t) of incendiaries dropped. Five main rail lines were cut in London and rolling stock damaged.

qas: question: How much of the short tons of bombs were dropped during the day?
answers: text: 10 percent

question: What two cities had 500 short tons of bombs dropped on them during the end of October?
answers: text: Birmingham and Coventry

question: Liverpool had how many short tons dropped on it?
answers: text: 200

question: What was targeted with 12 short tons of bombs?
answers: text: The Metropolitan-Vickers works in Manchester

question: Which was targeted more heavily, bomber or fighter command airfields?
answers: text: Bomber Command airfields
context: Loge continued during October. According to German sources, 9,000 short tons (8,200 t) of bombs were dropped in that month, of which about 10 percent of which was dropped in daylight. Over 6,000 short tons (5,400 t) was aimed at London during the night. Attacks on Birmingham and Coventry were subject to 500 short tons (450 t) of bombs between them in the last 10 days of October. Liverpool suffered 200 short tons (180 t) of bombs dropped. Hull and Glasgow were attacked, but 800 short tons (730 t) of bombs were spread out all over Britain. The Metropolitan-Vickers works in Manchester was targeted and 12 short tons (11 t) of bombs dropped against it. Little tonnage was dropped on Fighter Command airfields; Bomber Command airfields were hit instead.

qas: question: What was the Luftwaffe's second primary policy?
answers: text: to interfere with production in the vast industrial arms factories of the West Midlands

question: Who was in command of the Luftflotte 2?
answers: text: Kesselring

question: How many sorties a night was Luftflotte 3 doing?
answers: text: 250

question: What did the Fliegerkorps X concentrate on?
answers: text: mining operations against shipping

question: By April of 1941 about how many mines had been dropped?
answers: text: 3,984 mines
context: Luftwaffe policy at this point was primarily to continue progressive attacks on London, chiefly by night attack; second, to interfere with production in the vast industrial arms factories of the West Midlands, again chiefly by night attack; and third to disrupt plants and factories during the day by means of fighter-bombers. Kesselring, commanding Luftflotte 2, was ordered to send 50 sorties per night against London and attack eastern harbours in daylight. Sperrle, commanding Luftflotte 3, was ordered to dispatch 250 sorties per night including 100 against the West Midlands. Seeschlange would be carried out by Fliegerkorps X (10th Air Corps) which concentrated on mining operations against shipping. It also took part in the bombing over Britain. By 19/20 April 1941, it had dropped 3,984 mines, ⅓ of the total dropped. The mines' ability to destroy entire streets earned them respect in Britain, but several fell unexploded into British hands allowing counter-measures to be developed which damaged the German anti-shipping campaign.

qas: question: By mid November of 1940 how many incendiaries were dropped on London?
answers: text: 1,000,000

question: What locations suffered strong diversionary tactics?
answers: text: Birmingham, Coventry and Liverpool

question: In September how many railway hits were there in Great Britain?
answers: text: no less than 667

question: What did the Ministry of Home Security fail to discover?
answers: text: the slightest sign of a break in morale

question: About how many civilians were injured in September and October?
answers: text: 20,000
context: By mid-November 1940, when the Germans adopted a changed plan, more than 13,000 short tons (12,000 t) of high explosive and nearly 1,000,000 incendiaries had fallen on London. Outside the capital, there had been widespread harassing activity by single aircraft, as well as fairly strong diversionary attacks on Birmingham, Coventry and Liverpool, but no major raids. The London docks and railways communications had taken a heavy pounding, and much damage had been done to the railway system outside. In September, there had been no less than 667 hits on railways in Great Britain, and at one period, between 5,000 and 6,000 wagons were standing idle from the effect of delayed action bombs. But the great bulk of the traffic went on; and Londoners—though they glanced apprehensively each morning at the list of closed stretches of line displayed at their local station, or made strange detours round back streets in the buses—still got to work. For all the destruction of life and property, the observers sent out by the Ministry of Home Security failed to discover the slightest sign of a break in morale. More than 13,000 civilians had been killed, and almost 20,000 injured, in September and October alone, but the death toll was much less than expected. In late 1940, Churchill credited the shelters:

qas: question: What was the name of the American observer?
answers: text: Ingersoll

question: The American observer said what about the damage to London?
answers: text: to sum up, was more general and more extensive than I had imagined.

question: The Battersea Power Station took how many hits in two months?
answers: text: one minor hit ("a nick")

question: How many bridges over the Thames were struck?
answers: text: No bridge over the Thames had been hit

question: What did German pilots use to gain knowledge of an airfield?
answers: text: prewar commercial flights.
context: The American observer Ingersoll reported at this time that "as to the accuracy of the bombing of military objectives, here I make no qualifications. The aim is surprisingly, astonishingly, amazingly inaccurate ... The physical damage to civilian London, to sum up, was more general and more extensive than I had imagined. The damage to military targets much less", and stated that he had seen numerous examples of untouched targets surrounded by buildings destroyed by errant bombs. For example, in two months of bombing, Battersea Power Station, perhaps the largest single target in London, had only received one minor hit ("a nick"). No bridge over the Thames had been hit, and the docks were still functioning despite great damage. An airfield was hit 56 times but the runways were never damaged and the field was never out of operation, despite German pilots' familiarity with it from prewar commercial flights. Ingersoll wrote that the difference between the failure of the German campaign against military targets versus its success in continental Europe was the RAF retaining control of the air.:79–80,174

qas: question: British night air defenses were effective to what height?
answers: text: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)

question: By July of 1940 how many guns were deployed in Britain?
answers: text: only 1,200 heavy and 549 light guns

question: What was the practical ceiling of the effective heavy guns?
answers: text: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)

question: What type of light gun dealt with aircraft up to 6000 ft.?
answers: text: Bofors 40 mm

question: What is believed to have caused many civilian casualties from anti-aircraft guns?
answers: text: falling shell fragments
context: British night air defences were in a poor state. Few anti-aircraft guns had fire-control systems, and the underpowered searchlights were usually ineffective against aircraft at altitudes above 12,000 ft (3,700 m). In July 1940, only 1,200 heavy and 549 light guns were deployed in the whole of Britain. Of the "heavies", some 200 were of the obsolescent 3 in (76 mm) type; the remainder were the effective 4.5 in (110 mm) and 3.7 in (94 mm) guns, with a theoretical "ceiling"' of over 30,000 ft (9,100 m) but a practical limit of 25,000 ft (7,600 m) because the predictor in use could not accept greater heights. The light guns, about half of which were of the excellent Bofors 40 mm, dealt with aircraft only up to 6,000 ft (1,800 m). Although the use of the guns improved civilian morale, with the knowledge the German bomber crews were facing the barrage, it is now believed that the anti-aircraft guns achieved little and in fact the falling shell fragments caused more British casualties on the ground.

qas: question: Who reorganised London's defences?
answers: text: General Pile

question: The British were how far below the establishment of heavy anti-aircraft artillery?
answers: text: one-third

question: Who relied on night fighters?
answers: text: Dowding

question: Who's four squadrons shot down more enemy aircraft than any other type?
answers: text: Boulton Paul Defiant

question: How were AA defenses improved?
answers: text: by better use of radar and searchlights
context: London's defences were rapidly reorganised by General Pile, the Commander-in-Chief of Anti-Aircraft Command. The difference this made to the effectiveness of air defences is questionable. The British were still one-third below the establishment of heavy anti-aircraft artillery AAA (or ack-ack) in May 1941, with only 2,631 weapons available. Dowding had to rely on night fighters. From 1940 to 1941, the most successful night-fighter was the Boulton Paul Defiant; its four squadrons shot down more enemy aircraft than any other type. AA defences improved by better use of radar and searchlights. Over several months, the 20,000 shells spent per raider shot down in September 1940, was reduced to 4,087 in January 1941 and to 2,963 shells in February 1941.

qas: question: What was considered unreliable?
answers: text: Airborne Interception radar

question: What used most of Fighter Command's resources?
answers: text: the Battle of Britain

question: The bombers used what out of desperation?
answers: text: airborne search lights

question: Gunlaying radar and RAF controls combined to create what system?
answers: text: Ground Control-led Interception
context: Airborne Interception radar (AI) was unreliable. The heavy fighting in the Battle of Britain had eaten up most of Fighter Command's resources, so there was little investment in night fighting. Bombers were flown with airborne search lights out of desperation[citation needed], but to little avail. Of greater potential was the GL (Gunlaying) radar and searchlights with fighter direction from RAF fighter control rooms to begin a GCI system (Ground Control-led Interception) under Group-level control (No. 10 Group RAF, No. 11 Group RAF and No. 12 Group RAF).

qas: question: Who replaced Dowding on November 25?
answers: text: Sholto Douglas

question: How many pilots remained in February 1941?
answers: text: 87 pilots

question: What supported the GL carpet?
answers: text: six GCI sets controlling radar-equipped night-fighters

question: How many number of contacts and combats were there in May?
answers: text: 204 and 74

question: What did a bomber crew need to do for a good chance at evasion?
answers: text: spot the fighter first
context: Whitehall's disquiet at the failures of the RAF led to the replacement of Dowding (who was already due for retirement) with Sholto Douglas on 25 November. Douglas set about introducing more squadrons and dispersing the few GL sets to create a carpet effect in the southern counties. Still, in February 1941, there remained only seven squadrons with 87 pilots, under half the required strength. The GL carpet was supported by six GCI sets controlling radar-equipped night-fighters. By the height of the Blitz, they were becoming more successful. The number of contacts and combats rose in 1941, from 44 and two in 48 sorties in January 1941, to 204 and 74 in May (643 sorties). But even in May, 67% of the sorties were visual cat's-eye missions. Curiously, while 43% of the contacts in May 1941 were by visual sightings, they accounted for 61% of the combats. Yet when compared with Luftwaffe daylight operations, there was a sharp decline in German losses to 1%. If a vigilant bomber crew could spot the fighter first, they had a decent chance at evading it.

qas: question: What was critical in the night battles over Britain?
answers: text: radar

question: What concept eventually became successful?
answers: text: airborne radar

question: On what day did airborne radar help intercept and destroy enemy aircraft for the first time?
answers: text: the night of 22/23 July 1940

question: Who was the RAF night fighter ace that used airborne radar to destroy a Ju 88 bomber?
answers: text: John Cunningham
context: Nevertheless, it was radar that proved to be critical weapon in the night battles over Britain from this point onward. Dowding had introduced the concept of airborne radar and encouraged its usage. Eventually it would become a success. On the night of 22/23 July 1940, Flying Officer Cyril Ashfield (pilot), Pilot Officer Geoffrey Morris (Observer) and Flight Sergeant Reginald Leyland (Air Intercept radar operator) of the Fighter Interception Unit became the first pilot and crew to intercept and destroy an enemy aircraft using onboard radar to guide them to a visual interception, when their AI night fighter brought down a Do 17 off Sussex. On 19 November 1940 the famous RAF night fighter ace John Cunningham shot down a Ju 88 bomber using airborne radar, just as Dowding had predicted.

qas: question: The Luftwaffe's change in strategy targeted what primarily?
answers: text: the West Midlands

question: How many parachute mines were dropped?
answers: text: 127

question: The Coventry raid led to what phrase being in widespread use?
answers: text: "to conventrate"

question: What stopped work in 9 factories in Coventry?
answers: text: loss of public utilities

question: What effect did the raid have strategically? 
answers: text: a brief 20 percent dip in aircraft production
context: From November 1940 – February 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted its strategy and attacked other industrial cities. In particular, the West Midlands were targeted. On the night of 13/14 November, 77 He 111s of Kampfgeschwader 26 (26th Bomber Wing, or KG 26) bombed London while 63 from KG 55 hit Birmingham. The next night, a large force hit Coventry. "Pathfinders" from 12 Kampfgruppe 100 (Bomb Group 100 or KGr 100) led 437 bombers from KG 1, KG 3, KG 26, KG 27, KG 55 and Lehrgeschwader 1 (1st Training Wing, or LG 1) which dropped 394 short tons (357 t) of high explosive, 56 short tons (51 t) of incendiaries, and 127 parachute mines. Other sources say 449 bombers and a total of 530 short tons (480 t) of bombs were dropped. The raid against Coventry was particularly devastating, and led to widespread use of the phrase "to conventrate". Over 10,000 incendiaries were dropped. Around 21 factories were seriously damaged in Coventry, and loss of public utilities stopped work at nine others, disrupting industrial output for several months. Only one bomber was lost, to anti-aircraft fire, despite the RAF flying 125 night sorties. No follow up raids were made, as OKL underestimated the British power of recovery (as Bomber Command would do over Germany from 1943–1945). The Germans were surprised by the success of the attack. The concentration had been achieved by accident. The strategic effect of the raid was a brief 20 percent dip in aircraft production.

qas: question: How many bombers hit Birmingham?
answers: text: 369

question: For how many months did the night raids continue for?
answers: text: two months

question: How many tons of bombs had to be dropped to be considered a major attack?
answers: text: more than 100 tons of bombs dropped

question: December saw how many attacks?
answers: text: only 11 major and five heavy attacks
context: Five nights later, Birmingham was hit by 369 bombers from KG 54, KG 26, and KG 55. By the end of November, 1,100 bombers were available for night raids. An average of 200 were able to strike per night. This weight of attack went on for two months, with the Luftwaffe dropping 13,900 short tons (12,600 t) of bombs. In November 1940, 6,000 sorties and 23 major attacks (more than 100 tons of bombs dropped) were flown. Two heavy (50 short tons (45 t) of bombs) attacks were also flown. In December, only 11 major and five heavy attacks were made.

qas: question: On what day was London itself attacked?
answers: text: the evening of 29 December

question: What group was the first to use incendiaries?
answers: text: Kampfgruppe 100

question: How many fire bombs were dropped per minute?
answers: text: 300

question: How many civilians were killed in the bombing?
answers: text: 28,556 killed

question: The Luftwaffe dropped how many short tons of bombs?
answers: text: 18,291 short tons
context: Probably the most devastating strike occurred on the evening of 29 December, when German aircraft attacked the City of London itself with incendiary and high explosive bombs, causing a firestorm that has been called the Second Great Fire of London. The first group to use these incendiaries was Kampfgruppe 100 which despatched 10 "pathfinder" He 111s. At 18:17, it released the first of 10,000 fire bombs, eventually amounting to 300 dropped per minute. Altogether, 130 German bombers destroyed the historical centre of London. Civilian casualties on London throughout the Blitz amounted to 28,556 killed, and 25,578 wounded. The Luftwaffe had dropped 18,291 short tons (16,593 t) of bombs.

qas: question: Why were port cities targeted by the Luftwaffe?
answers: text: to try to disrupt trade and sea communications

question: How many times was Swansea bombed heavily?
answers: text: four times

question: What was primarily damaged in the attacks?
answers: text: commercial and domestic areas

question: What cities had large sections of them destroyed?
answers: text: Portsmouth Southsea and Gosport

question: What was left mostly unharmed?
answers: text: the docks
context: Not all of the Luftwaffe's effort was made against inland cities. Port cities were also attacked to try to disrupt trade and sea communications. In January Swansea was bombed four times, very heavily. On 17 January around 100 bombers dropped a high concentration of incendiaries, some 32,000 in all. The main damage was inflicted on the commercial and domestic areas. Four days later 230 tons was dropped including 60,000 incendiaries. In Portsmouth Southsea and Gosport waves of 150 bombers destroyed vast swaths of the city with 40,000 incendiaries. Warehouses, rail lines and houses were destroyed and damaged, but the docks were largely untouched.

qas: question: What was the primary goal of the German air doctrine?
answers: text: target civilian morale

question: In November and December of 1940 what changed to make attacks on civilians a moot point?
answers: text: large-scale raids

question: What had nearly been considered indiscriminate bombing?
answers: text: use of mines and incendiaries, for tactical expediency

question: Lighting targets hidden by haze had to be done without what?
answers: text: regard for the civilian population
context: Although official German air doctrine did target civilian morale, it did not espouse the attacking of civilians directly. It hoped to destroy morale by destroying the enemy's factories and public utilities as well as its food stocks (by attacking shipping). Nevertheless, its official opposition to attacks on civilians became an increasingly moot point when large-scale raids were conducted in November and December 1940. Although not encouraged by official policy, the use of mines and incendiaries, for tactical expediency, came close to indiscriminate bombing. Locating targets in skies obscured by industrial haze meant they needed to be illuminated "without regard for the civilian population".

qas: question: What was the group that used incendiaries and high explosives to mark targets?
answers: text: Beleuchtergruppe

question: The Feuerleitung (Blaze Control) tactic led to what creation for marking targets?
answers: text: Brandbombenfelder (Incendiary Fields)

question: What was the nickname of bombs used in streets and residential areas?
answers: text: "Satan"

question: What was the weight of the "Max" bomb?
answers: text: 2,500 kg (5,512 lb)
context: Special units, such as KGr 100, became the Beleuchtergruppe (Firelighter Group), which used incendiaries and high explosive to mark the target area. The tactic was expanded into Feuerleitung (Blaze Control) with the creation of Brandbombenfelder (Incendiary Fields) to mark targets. These were marked out by parachute flares. Then bombers carrying SC 1000 (1,000 kg (2,205 lb)), SC 1400 (1,400 kg (3,086 lb)), and SC 1800 (1,800 kg (3,968 lb)) "Satan" bombs were used to level streets and residential areas. By December, the SC 2500 (2,500 kg (5,512 lb)) "Max" bomb was used.

qas: question: Decision changes at organizational levels led to what type of attacks?
answers: text: unrestricted area attack or Terrorangriff (Terror Attack)

question: What was one of the reasons for unrestricted area attacks?
answers: text: inaccuracy of navigation

question: How was it known that precision bombing was changed to area attacks?
answers: text: tactical methods and weapons dropped

question: What percentage of incendiaries were used in December?
answers: text: 92 percent

question: How was it determined that homes of industrial workers were targeted?
answers: text: Captured German air crews
context: These decisions, apparently taken at the Luftflotte or Fliegerkorps level (see Organisation of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945)), meant attacks on individual targets were gradually replaced by what was, for all intents and purposes, an unrestricted area attack or Terrorangriff (Terror Attack). Part of the reason for this was inaccuracy of navigation. The effectiveness of British countermeasures against Knickebein, which was designed to avoid area attacks, forced the Luftwaffe to resort to these methods. The shift from precision bombing to area attack is indicated in the tactical methods and weapons dropped. KGr 100 increased its use of incendiaries from 13–28 percent. By December, this had increased to 92 percent. Use of incendiaries, which were inherently inaccurate, indicated much less care was taken to avoid civilian property close to industrial sites. Other units ceased using parachute flares and opted for explosive target markers. Captured German air crews also indicated the homes of industrial workers were deliberately targeted.

qas: question: What did Erich Raeder believe the Luftwaffe needed to do?
answers: text: support the German submarine force

question: Raeder convinced Hitler to do what?
answers: text: attack British port facilities.

question: What ultimately convinced Hitler that Raeder was right?
answers: text: the high success rates of the U-Boat force

question: Submarines and naval aircraft damaged what primarily?
answers: text: British war economy

question: What became the new targets for the Kriegsmarine?
answers: text: British coastal centres and shipping at sea west of Ireland
context: In 1941, the Luftwaffe shifted strategy again. Erich Raeder—commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine—had long argued the Luftwaffe should support the German submarine force (U-Bootwaffe) in the Battle of the Atlantic by attacking shipping in the Atlantic Ocean and attacking British ports. Eventually, he convinced Hitler of the need to attack British port facilities. Hitler had been convinced by Raeder that this was the right course of action due to the high success rates of the U-Boat force during this period of the war. Hitler correctly noted that the greatest damage to the British war economy had been done through submarines and air attacks by small numbers of Focke-Wulf Fw 200 naval aircraft. He ordered attacks to be carried out on those targets which were also the target of the Kriegsmarine. This meant that British coastal centres and shipping at sea west of Ireland were the prime targets.

qas: question: What was Hitler's Directive 23?
answers: text: Directions for operations against the British War Economy

question: What was a top priority of Directive 23?
answers: text: aerial interdiction of British imports by sea

question: What prevented the targeting of sea communications before?
answers: text: Operation Eagle Attack and the following Battle of Britain

question: What was considered more important than the interdiction of sea communications?
answers: text: bombing land-based aircraft industries
context: Hitler's interest in this strategy forced Göring and Jeschonnek to review the air war against Britain in January 1941. This led to Göring and Jeschonnek agreeing to Hitler's Directive 23, Directions for operations against the British War Economy, which was published on 6 February 1941 and gave aerial interdiction of British imports by sea top priority. This strategy had been recognised before the war, but Operation Eagle Attack and the following Battle of Britain had got in the way of striking at Britain's sea communications and diverted German air strength to the campaign against the RAF and its supporting structures. The OKL had always regarded the interdiction of sea communications of less importance than bombing land-based aircraft industries.

qas: question: What was the concession Goring made with the strategic bombing against Britain?
answers: text: Directive 23

question: What did Goring believe the Kriegsmarine would gain with further support?
answers: text: control of more Luftwaffe units

question: Who was Raeder's successor? 
answers: text: Karl Dönitz

question: What was detrimental to the success of a strategic effect against Britain?
answers: text: Göring's lack of cooperation

question: How did Goring expect to regain prestige?
answers: text: by subduing Britain by air power alone
context: Directive 23 was the only concession made by Göring to the Kriegsmarine over the strategic bombing strategy of the Luftwaffe against Britain. Thereafter, he would refuse to make available any air units to destroy British dockyards, ports, port facilities, or shipping in dock or at sea, lest Kriegsmarine gain control of more Luftwaffe units. Raeder's successor—Karl Dönitz—would—on the intervention of Hitler—gain control of one unit (KG 40), but Göring would soon regain it. Göring's lack of cooperation was detrimental to the one air strategy with potentially decisive strategic effect on Britain. Instead, he wasted aircraft of Fliegerführer Atlantik (Flying Command Atlantic) on bombing mainland Britain instead of attacks against convoys. For Göring, his prestige had been damaged by the defeat in the Battle of Britain, and he wanted to regain it by subduing Britain by air power alone. He was always reluctant to cooperate with Raeder.

qas: question: What was the first consideration for the OKL to support Directive 23?
answers: text: difficulty in estimating the impact of bombing upon war production

question: What was the second consideration?
answers: text: the conclusion British morale was unlikely to break

question: What did the OKL insist on maintaining?
answers: text: pressure, or diverting strength, onto industries

question: When would other targets be considered available?
answers: text: if the primary ones could not be attacked because of weather conditions
context: Even so, the decision by OKL to support the strategy in Directive 23 was instigated by two considerations, both of which had little to do with wanting to destroy Britain's sea communications in conjunction with the Kriegsmarine. First, the difficulty in estimating the impact of bombing upon war production was becoming apparent, and second, the conclusion British morale was unlikely to break led OKL to adopt the naval option. The indifference displayed by OKL to Directive 23 was perhaps best demonstrated in operational directives which diluted its effect. They emphasised the core strategic interest was attacking ports but they insisted in maintaining pressure, or diverting strength, onto industries building aircraft, anti-aircraft guns, and explosives. Other targets would be considered if the primary ones could not be attacked because of weather conditions.

qas: question: What was inflicting heavy losses and increasing the air war designed to do?
answers: text: create the impression an amphibious assault on Britain was planned for 1941

question: What was preventing escalation of air operations?
answers: text: meteorological conditions over Britain

question: What happened to airfields?
answers: text: Airfields became water-logged

question: How many bomber groups were relocated to Germany?
answers: text: 18
context: A further line in the directive stressed the need to inflict the heaviest losses possible, but also to intensify the air war in order to create the impression an amphibious assault on Britain was planned for 1941. However, meteorological conditions over Britain were not favourable for flying and prevented an escalation in air operations. Airfields became water-logged and the 18 Kampfgruppen (bomber groups) of the Luftwaffe's Kampfgeschwadern (bomber wings) were relocated to Germany for rest and re-equipment.

qas: question: How many sorties were flown in March 1941?
answers: text: 4,000

question: When did the Luftwaffe fly inland missions?
answers: text: only on moonlit nights

question: Why were ports better targets?
answers: text: Ports were easier to find

question: How did the Germans confuse the British?
answers: text: radio silence was observed until the bombs fell

question: Why was the X-Gerat frequencies used more?
answers: text: British selective jamming was degrading the effectiveness of Y-Gerät
context: From the German point of view, March 1941 saw an improvement. The Luftwaffe flew 4,000 sorties that month, including 12 major and three heavy attacks. The electronic war intensified but the Luftwaffe flew major inland missions only on moonlit nights. Ports were easier to find and made better targets. To confuse the British, radio silence was observed until the bombs fell. X- and Y-Gerät beams were placed over false targets and switched only at the last minute. Rapid frequency changes were introduced for X-Gerät, whose wider band of frequencies and greater tactical flexibility ensured it remained effective at a time when British selective jamming was degrading the effectiveness of Y-Gerät.

qas: question: What was focused in March?
answers: text: western ports

question: What did these attacks accomplish?
answers: text: breaks in morale

question: Why was the OKL forced to improvise?
answers: text: shortage of bombers

question: How many Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers and Jabos were used?
answers: text: 50

question: How many German bombs hit their target?
answers: text: only one-third
context: The attacks were focused against western ports in March. These attacks produced some breaks in morale, with civil leaders fleeing the cities before the offensive reached its height. But the Luftwaffe's effort eased in the last 10 attacks as seven Kampfgruppen moved to Austria in preparation for the Balkans Campaign in Yugoslavia and Greece. The shortage of bombers caused the OKL to improvise. Some 50 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers and Jabos (fighter-bombers) were used, officially classed as Leichte Kampfflugzeuge ("light bombers") and sometimes called Leichte Kesselringe ("Light Kesselrings"). The defences failed to prevent widespread damage but on some occasions did prevent German bombers concentrating on their targets. On occasion, only one-third of German bombs hit their targets.

qas: question: How many sorties a night were crews asked to fly?
answers: text: two or three sorties

question: What contributed to the exhaustion of crews flying extra sorties?
answers: text: Bombers were noisy, cold, and vibrated badly

question: What happened to Peter Stahl when he fell asleep flying?
answers: text: woke up to discover the entire crew asleep.

question: What did Peter's crew take to complete their mission?
answers: text: oxygen and Dextro-Energen tablets
context: The diversion of heavier bombers to the Balkans meant that the crews and units left behind were asked to fly two or three sorties per night. Bombers were noisy, cold, and vibrated badly. Added to the tension of the mission which exhausted and drained crews, tiredness caught up with and killed many. In one incident on 28/29 April, Peter Stahl of KG 30 was flying on his 50th mission. He fell asleep at the controls of his Ju 88 and woke up to discover the entire crew asleep. He roused them, ensured they took oxygen and Dextro-Energen tablets, then completed the mission.

qas: question: What did the British fear most?
answers: text: intensification of submarine and air attack

question: What was an important destination for supply convoys from North America?
answers: text: Liverpool

question: The Liverpool Blitz sank how much shipping?
answers: text: 39,126 long tons (39,754 t) of shipping

question: How many ships were destroyed on May 8, 1941?
answers: text: 57 ships

question: How much of the overseas trade did the Port of London take on?
answers: text: one-third of overseas trade
context: Regardless, the Luftwaffe could still inflict huge damage. With the German occupation of Western Europe, the intensification of submarine and air attack on Britain's sea communications was feared by the British. Such an event would have serious consequences on the future course of the war, should the Germans succeed. Liverpool and its port became an important destination for convoys heading through the Western Approaches from North America, bringing supplies and materials. The considerable rail network distributed to the rest of the country. Operations against Liverpool in the Liverpool Blitz were successful. Air attacks sank 39,126 long tons (39,754 t) of shipping, with another 111,601 long tons (113,392 t) damaged. Minister of Home Security Herbert Morrison was also worried morale was breaking, noting the defeatism expressed by civilians. Other sources point to half of the port's 144 berths rendered unusable, while cargo unloading capability was reduced by 75%. Roads and railways were blocked and ships could not leave harbour. On 8 May 1941, 57 ships were destroyed, sunk or damaged amounting to 80,000 long tons (81,000 t). Around 66,000 houses were destroyed, 77,000 people made homeless, and 1,900 people killed and 1,450 seriously hurt on one night. Operations against London up until May 1941 could also have a severe impact on morale. The populace of the port of Hull became 'trekkers', people who underwent a mass exodus from cities before, during, and after attacks. However, the attacks failed to knock out or damage railways, or port facilities for long, even in the Port of London, a target of many attacks. The Port of London in particular was an important target, bringing in one-third of overseas trade.

qas: question: How many houses were spared damage in Glasgow?
answers: text: seven

question: How many people per week were losing housing?
answers: text: 40,000 people

question: Why was Plymouth targeted the most?
answers: text: because of its vulnerable position on the south coast

question: What did the Germans use along with incendiaries and bombs?
answers: text: aerial mines

question: How many AAA shells were fired?
answers: text: Over 2,000
context: On 13 March, the upper Clyde port of Clydebank near Glasgow was bombed. All but seven of its 12,000 houses were damaged. Many more ports were attacked. Plymouth was attacked five times before the end of the month while Belfast, Hull, and Cardiff were hit. Cardiff was bombed on three nights, Portsmouth centre was devastated by five raids. The rate of civilian housing lost was averaging 40,000 people per week dehoused in September 1940. In March 1941, two raids on Plymouth and London dehoused 148,000 people. Still, while heavily damaged, British ports continued to support war industry and supplies from North America continued to pass through them while the Royal Navy continued to operate in Plymouth, Southampton, and Portsmouth. Plymouth in particular, because of its vulnerable position on the south coast and close proximity to German air bases, was subjected to the heaviest attacks. On 10/11 March, 240 bombers dropped 193 tons of high explosives and 46,000 incendiaries. Many houses and commercial centres were heavily damaged, the electrical supply was knocked out, and five oil tanks and two magazines exploded. Nine days later, two waves of 125 and 170 bombers dropped heavy bombs, including 160 tons of high explosive and 32,000 incendiaries. Much of the city centre was destroyed. Damage was inflicted on the port installations, but many bombs fell on the city itself. On 17 April 346 tons of explosives and 46,000 incendiaries were dropped from 250 bombers led by KG 26. The damage was considerable, and the Germans also used aerial mines. Over 2,000 AAA shells were fired, destroying two Ju 88s. By the end of the air campaign over Britain, only eight percent of the German effort against British ports was made using mines.

qas: question: What were two large ports on the English east coast in the North?
answers: text: Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland

question: How many bombers were used in a five-hour attack?
answers: text: 120

question: Sunderland saw how many incendiaries used against it on 25 April?
answers: text: 9,000 incendiaries

question: What was the result of the German attacks?
answers: text: the Germans failed to prevent maritime movements or cripple industry in the regions
context: In the north, substantial efforts were made against Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland, which were large ports on the English east coast. On 9 April 1941 Luftflotte 2 dropped 150 tons of high explosives and 50,000 incendiaries from 120 bombers in a five-hour attack. Sewer, rail, docklands, and electric installations were damaged. In Sunderland on 25 April, Luftflotte 2 sent 60 bombers which dropped 80 tons of high explosive and 9,000 incendiaries. Much damage was done. A further attack on the Clyde, this time at Greenock, took place on 6 and 7 May. However, as with the attacks in the south, the Germans failed to prevent maritime movements or cripple industry in the regions.

qas: question: When was the last major attack London saw?
answers: text: 10/11 May 1941

question: How many tonnes of bombs did the Luftwaffe use on London?
answers: text: 800 tonnes

question: How many casualties were inflicted?
answers: text: 1,436 people were killed and 1,792 seriously injured

question: What was the damage done to London's streets?
answers: text: One-third of London's streets were impassable

question: What showed RAF night fighter effectiveness was increasing?
answers: text: 63 German fighters were sent with the bombers
context: The last major attack on London was on 10/11 May 1941, on which the Luftwaffe flew 571 sorties and dropped 800 tonnes of bombs. This caused more than 2,000 fires. 1,436 people were killed and 1,792 seriously injured, which affected morale badly. Another raid was carried out on 11/12 May 1941. Westminster Abbey and the Law Courts were damaged, while the Chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed. One-third of London's streets were impassable. All but one railway station line was blocked for several weeks. This raid was significant, as 63 German fighters were sent with the bombers, indicating the growing effectiveness of RAF night fighter defences.

qas: question: How was the British night fighter operations faring?
answers: text: were proving highly successful.

question: How did the Bristol Blenheim F.1 perform against German aircraft?
answers: text: was undergunned, with just four .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns

question: How did the Bristol Blenheim F.1 compare to German aircraft speed?
answers: text: struggled to reach the speed of the German bombers

question: What did interception rely upon?
answers: text: visual sighting
context: German air supremacy at night was also now under threat. British night-fighter operations out over the Channel were proving highly successful. This was not immediately apparent. The Bristol Blenheim F.1 was undergunned, with just four .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns which struggled to down the Do 17, Ju 88, or Heinkel He 111. Moreover, the Blenheim struggled to reach the speed of the German bombers. Added to the fact an interception relied on visual sighting, a kill was most elusive even in the conditions of a moonlit sky.

qas: question: What performed better during night fighting?
answers: text: The Boulton Paul Defiant

question: How could aircraft engage bombers when fitted with a turret?
answers: text: engage the unsuspecting German bomber from beneath

question: What benefits did attacking from below offer?
answers: text: larger target, compared to attacking tail-on, as well as a better chance of not being seen by the bomber
context: The Boulton Paul Defiant, despite its poor performance during daylight engagements, was a much better night fighter. It was faster, able to catch the bombers and its configuration of four machine guns in a turret could (much like German night fighters in 1943–1945 with Schräge Musik) engage the unsuspecting German bomber from beneath. Attacks from below offered a larger target, compared to attacking tail-on, as well as a better chance of not being seen by the bomber (so less chance of evasion), as well as greater likelihood of detonating its bombload. In subsequent months a steady number of German bombers would fall to night fighters.

qas: question: What was the max speed of a Beaufighter?
answers: text: 320 mph (510 km/h)

question: What is the operational ceiling of the Beaufighter?
answers: text: 26,000 ft (7,900 m)

question: how many machine guns did the Beaufighter include?
answers: text: six .303 in Browning machine guns

question: What day was the first victory the RAF had with airborne radar?
answers: text: 19 November
context: Improved aircraft designs were in the offing with the Bristol Beaufighter, then under development. It would prove formidable, but its development was slow. The Beaufighter had a maximum speed of 320 mph (510 km/h), an operational ceiling of 26,000 ft (7,900 m) and a climb rate of 2,500 ft (760 m) per minute. Its armament of four 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano cannon and six .303 in Browning machine guns offered a serious threat to German bombers. On 19 November, John Cunningham of No. 604 Squadron RAF shot down a bomber flying an AI-equipped Beaufighter. It was the first air victory for the airborne radar.

qas: question: What was the most losses the Luftwaffe suffered on any mission?
answers: text: one- to two-percent losses

question: How many bombers hit Plymouth on Hitler's birthday?
answers: text: 712

question: How many bombs hit Plymouth on Hitler's birthday?
answers: text: 1,000 tons of bombs

question: On May 3/4 how many German bombers were lost?
answers: text: nine

question: How many German bombers were shot down by the RAF in May?
answers: text: 38 German bombers
context: By April and May 1941, the Luftwaffe was still getting through to their targets, taking no more than one- to two-percent losses on any given mission. On 19/20 April 1941, in honour of Hitler's 52nd birthday, 712 bombers hit Plymouth with a record 1,000 tons of bombs. Losses were minimal. In the following month, 22 German bombers were lost with 13 confirmed to have been shot down by night fighters. On 3/4 May, nine were shot down in one night. On 10/11 May, London suffered severe damage, but 10 German bombers were downed. In May 1941, RAF night fighters shot down 38 German bombers.

qas: question: The Luftwaffe used how many short tons of bombs during the Blitz?
answers: text: 45,000 short tons

question: The Luftwaffe helped the U-boats by sinking how much shipping?
answers: text: 58,000 long tons

question: How did the British production fare as a result of all the bombing?
answers: text: overall the British production rose steadily throughout this period

question: What was the greatest achievement of the bombings?
answers: text: British were denied the opportunity to reach the planned target of 2,500 aircraft in a month

question: How long was the recovery of industrial cities from raids?
answers: text: most took from 10–15 days
context: The military effectiveness of bombing varied. The Luftwaffe dropped around 45,000 short tons (41,000 t) of bombs during the Blitz disrupting production and transport, reducing food supplies and shaking the British morale. It also helped to support the U-Boat blockade by sinking some 58,000 long tons (59,000 t) of shipping destroyed and 450,000 long tons (460,000 t) damaged. Yet, overall the British production rose steadily throughout this period although there were significant falls during April 1941, probably influenced by the departure of workers of Easter Holidays according to the British official history. The British official history on war production noted the great impact was upon the supply of components rather than complete equipment. In aircraft production, the British were denied the opportunity to reach the planned target of 2,500 aircraft in a month, arguably the greatest achievement of the bombing, as it forced the dispersal of industry. In April 1941, when the targets were British ports, rifle production fell by 25%, filled-shell production by 4.6%, and in smallarms production 4.5% overall. The strategic impact on industrial cities was varied; most took from 10–15 days to recover from heavy raids, although Belfast and Liverpool took longer. The attacks against Birmingham took war industries some three months to recover fully from. The exhausted population took three weeks to overcome the effects of an attack.

qas: question: How could have more been achieved in the air offensive?
answers: text: had the OKL exploited their enemy's weak spot

question: What did the disputes in the OKL tend to be about?
answers: text: about tactics rather than strategy

question: What was the Luftwaffe incapable of doing?
answers: text: an economic-industrial analysis

question: How many casualties did the Blitz ultimately cause?
answers: text: cost around 41,000 lives, and may have injured another 139,000
context: The air offensive against the RAF and British industry failed to have the desired effect. More might have been achieved had the OKL exploited their enemy's weak spot, the vulnerability of British sea communications. The Allies did so later when Bomber Command attacked rail communications and the United States Army Air Forces targeted oil, but that would have required an economic-industrial analysis of which the Luftwaffe was incapable. The OKL instead sought clusters of targets that suited the latest policy (which changed frequently), and disputes within the leadership were about tactics rather than strategy. Though militarily ineffective, the Blitz caused enormous damage to Britain's infrastructure and housing stock. It cost around 41,000 lives, and may have injured another 139,000.

qas: question: What helped increase the Bomber Command's offensives?
answers: text: the German experience

question: What did the RAF conclude?
answers: text: bombers should strike a single target each night and use more incendiaries because they had a greater impact on production than high explosives

question: What caused the most production disruption?
answers: text: when city centres were devastated through the loss of administrative offices, utilities and transport.

question: What did the Luftwaffe fail?
answers: text: failed in precision attack

question: What did the experience of German's using incendiaries mean?
answers: text: using incendiaries was the way forward for operations over Germany.
context: The relieved British began to assess the impact of the Blitz in August 1941, and the RAF Air Staff used the German experience to improve Bomber Command's offensives. They concluded bombers should strike a single target each night and use more incendiaries because they had a greater impact on production than high explosives. They also noted regional production was severely disrupted when city centres were devastated through the loss of administrative offices, utilities and transport. They believed the Luftwaffe had failed in precision attack, and concluded the German example of area attack using incendiaries was the way forward for operations over Germany.

qas: question: What was the critical lesson Air Staff ignored?
answers: text: Targeting German morale, as Bomber Command would do, was no more successful.

question: Aviation strategists disputed over what? 
answers: text: that morale was ever a major consideration for Bomber Command.

question: What did 16 of the Western Air Plans not mention?
answers: text: morale as a target.

question: When was morale finally mentioned?
answers: text: ninth wartime directive on 21 September 1940

question: When were industrial cities to be targeted?
answers: text: if weather denied strikes on Bomber Command's main concern, oil.
context: Some writers claim the Air Staff ignored a critical lesson, however: British morale did not break. Targeting German morale, as Bomber Command would do, was no more successful. Aviation strategists dispute that morale was ever a major consideration for Bomber Command. Throughout 1933–39 none of the 16 Western Air Plans drafted mentioned morale as a target. The first three directives in 1940 did not mention civilian populations or morale in any way. Morale was not mentioned until the ninth wartime directive on 21 September 1940. The 10th directive in October 1940 mentioned morale by name. However, industrial cities were only to be targeted if weather denied strikes on Bomber Command's main concern, oil.

qas: question: Without what could morale collapse occur according to Arthur Harris?
answers: text: without the destruction of the German economy.

question: What was the primary strategy for Bomber Command offensives?
answers: text: to destroy the German industrial base (economic warfare), and in doing so reduce morale

question: Arthur Harris announced that Bomber Command would enable economic warfare to achieve what?
answers: text: "a state of devastation in which surrender is inevitable."
context: AOC Bomber Command Arthur Harris did see German morale as a major objective. However, he did not believe that the morale-collapse could occur without the destruction of the German economy. The primary goal of Bomber Command's offensives was to destroy the German industrial base (economic warfare), and in doing so reduce morale. In late 1943, just before the Battle of Berlin, he declared the power of Bomber Command would enable it to achieve "a state of devastation in which surrender is inevitable." A summary of Harris' strategic intentions was clear:

qas: question: What view became popular of the British people in WWII?
answers: text: people locked in national solidarity.

question: When did this popular view come to be?
answers: text: in the 1980s and 1990s, especially after the publication of Angus Calder's book The Myth of the Blitz (1991).

question: Political factions in Britain supported what view of Britains in WWII?
answers: text: aggressive British patriotism successfully defending democracy.

question: What was the Historians' critical response to this view?
answers: text: over-emphasised claims of righteous nationalism and national unity.

question: What did Calder try to expose in his book?
answers: text: some of the counter-evidence of anti-social and divisive behaviours
context: A converse popular image arose of British people in the Second World War: a collection of people locked in national solidarity. This image entered the historiography of the Second World War in the 1980s and 1990s, especially after the publication of Angus Calder's book The Myth of the Blitz (1991). It was evoked by both the right and left political factions in Britain during the Falklands War when it was embedded in a nostalgic narrative in which the Second World War represented aggressive British patriotism successfully defending democracy. This imagery of people in the Blitz was and is powerfully portrayed in film, radio, newspapers and magazines. At the time it was a useful propaganda tool for home and foreign consumption. Historians' critical response to this construction focused on what were seen as over-emphasised claims of righteous nationalism and national unity. In the Myth of the Blitz, Calder exposed some of the counter-evidence of anti-social and divisive behaviours. What he saw as the myth—serene national unity—became "historical truth". In particular, class division was most evident.

qas: question: What was the communist party agitated over?
answers: text: the need for bomb-proof shelters.

question: What did Londoners use for bomb-shelters?
answers: text: Underground railway system

question: What did Morrison warn he couldn't do?
answers: text: that he could not counter the Communist unrest unless provision of shelters were made.

question: Who did the Communists blame for the damage in the Conventry raids?
answers: text: the rich factory owners, big business and landowning interests

question: What was Morrison forced to do in response to the Communist Party?
answers: text: the stoppage of the Daily Worker and The Week; the Communist newspaper and journal.
context: In the wake of the Coventry Blitz, there was widespread agitation from the Communist Party over the need for bomb-proof shelters. Many Londoners, in particular, took to using the Underground railway system, without authority, for shelter and sleeping through the night there until the following morning. So worried were the Government over the sudden campaign of leaflets and posters distributed by the Communist Party in Coventry and London, that the Police were sent in to seize their production facilities. The Government, up until November 1940, was opposed to the centralised organisation of shelter. Home Secretary Sir John Anderson was replaced by Morrison soon afterwards, in the wake of a Cabinet reshuffle as the dying Neville Chamberlain resigned. Morrison warned that he could not counter the Communist unrest unless provision of shelters were made. He recognised the right of the public to seize tube stations and authorised plans to improve their condition and expand them by tunnelling. Still, many British citizens, who had been members of the Labour Party, itself inert over the issue, turned to the Communist Party. The Communists attempted to blame the damage and casualties of the Coventry raid on the rich factory owners, big business and landowning interests and called for a negotiated peace. Though they failed to make a large gain in influence, the membership of the Party had doubled by June 1941. The "Communist threat" was deemed important enough for Herbert Morrison to order, with the support of the Cabinet, the stoppage of the Daily Worker and The Week; the Communist newspaper and journal.

qas: question: The success of the Communists helped what political group?
answers: text: British Union of Fascists (BUF)

question: Where did anti-semitic attitude spread primarily?
answers: text: particularly in London

question: What was one the rumors that Jews were doing in regard to shelters?
answers: text: secured the best shelters via underhanded methods

question: What was feared would happen when different races were mixed in shelters?
answers: text: race riots
context: The brief success of the Communists also fed into the hands of the British Union of Fascists (BUF). Anti-Semitic attitudes became widespread, particularly in London. Rumours that Jewish support was underpinning the Communist surge were frequent. Rumours that Jews were inflating prices, were responsible for the Black Market, were the first to panic under attack (even the cause of the panic), and secured the best shelters via underhanded methods, were also widespread. Moreover, there was also racial antagonism between the small Black, Indian and Jewish communities. However, the feared race riots did not transpire despite the mixing of different peoples into confined areas.

qas: question: How much of London's population left?
answers: text: Over a quarter

question: What locations saw an increase in populations?
answers: text: south Wales and Gloucester

question: What was another reason for populations moving?
answers: text: industry dispersal may have been a factor

question: How many evacuees were there?
answers: text: 1.4 million

question: How much of the population returned in four months?
answers: text: 88% of evacuated mothers, 86% of small children, and 43% of school children
context: In other cities, class conflict was more evident. Over a quarter of London's population had left the city by November 1940. Civilians left for more remote areas of the country. Upsurges in population south Wales and Gloucester intimated where these displaced people went. Other reasons, including industry dispersal may have been a factor. However, resentment of rich self-evacuees or hostile treatment of poor ones were signs of persistence of class resentments although these factors did not appear to threaten social order. The total number of evacuees numbered 1.4 million, including a high proportion from the poorest inner-city families. Reception committees were completely unprepared for the condition of some of the children. Far from displaying the nation's unity in time of war, the scheme backfired, often aggravating class antagonism and bolstering prejudice about the urban poor. Within four months, 88% of evacuated mothers, 86% of small children, and 43% of school children had been returned home. The lack of bombing in the Phoney War contributed significantly to the return of people to the cities, but class conflict was not eased a year later when evacuation operations had to be put into effect again.

qas: question: What are the audiobooks with wartime recordings?
answers: text: The Blitz, The Home Front and British War Broadcasting

question: What are some of the things included in these recordings?
answers: text: period interviews with civilians, servicemen, aircrew, politicians and Civil Defence personnel, as well as Blitz actuality recordings

question: What is one of the notable recordings included?
answers: text: Thomas Alderson, the first recipient of the George Cross, John Cormack, who survived eight days trapped beneath rubble on Clydeside

question: What is a second recording that is of note?
answers: text: Herbert Morrison's famous "Britain shall not burn" appeal for more fireguards in December 1940.
context: In recent years a large number of wartime recordings relating to the Blitz have been made available on audiobooks such as The Blitz, The Home Front and British War Broadcasting. These collections include period interviews with civilians, servicemen, aircrew, politicians and Civil Defence personnel, as well as Blitz actuality recordings, news bulletins and public information broadcasts. Notable interviews include Thomas Alderson, the first recipient of the George Cross, John Cormack, who survived eight days trapped beneath rubble on Clydeside, and Herbert Morrison's famous "Britain shall not burn" appeal for more fireguards in December 1940.