Question: when did the air raids started in ww2
Answer: The Blitz Part of the Western Front of World War II The undamaged St Paul 's Cathedral surrounded by smoke and bombed - out buildings and houses in December 1940 in the iconic photo St Paul 's Survives Date 7 September 1940 -- 11 May 1941 ( 1940 - 09 - 07 -- 1941 - 05 - 11 ) ( 8 months , 5 days ) Location United Kingdom Result German strategic failure Belligerents United Kingdom Germany Commanders and leaders Winston Churchill Hugh Dowding Frederick Pile Owen Tudor Boyd Sir Leslie Gossage Adolf Hitler Hermann Göring Hugo Sperrle Albert Kesselring Hans Jeschonnek Casualties and losses ~ 40,000 -- 43,000 civilians dead , ~ 46,000 injured figures for wounded possibly as high as 139,000 Unknown 3,363 aircrew 2,265 aircraft ( Summe