The period in question began quietly with the Luftwaffe busy elsewhere, yet the increasing attacks on Germany by the Royal Air Force provoked a response in the form of the so-called Baedeker offensive of 1942. And it is against the background of the hammer blows dealt out to German towns and cities that the Blitz on Britain during the 1942–1944 period must be viewed. Hitler's frustration at not being able to hit back, like for like, led to the appointment in 1943 of a Blitz supremo to mete out retaliation. This finally came in 1944 with the Steinbock raids — known better as the Baby Blitz — yet it was only an interim measure. As the manned bomber attacks faded, so a new and fearsome method of attack by robot bomb began with weapons of vengeance. The V1 and V2 period is fully documented with the basic facts and figures balanced by eyewitness accounts never before published.The three volumes of The Blitz Then and Now run to more than 1,500 pages and include over 3,500 illustrations. It has taken ten years to bring to fruition — longer than the period it encompasses — and it is dedicated to the 60,000 British civilians who died and the 86,000 who were injured.

COMPLETE CONTENTS VOLUME 3

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

FROM THE EDITOR

THE CONTRIBUTORS

THE LUFTWAFFE

PART I-RAIDERS OVERHEAD
May 1941-May 1944

INTRODUCTION

LUFTWAFFE OPERATIONS AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN

PART II-V FOR VENGEANCE
June 1944-March 1945

The features and special articles:

BOMB DISPOSAL BECKTON GASWORKS NOVEMBER 1986

THE FORMATION OF THE NATIONAL FIRE SERVICE

FIGHTING THE FIRES — THE APPLIANCES

THE BAEDEKER RAIDS

BATH RAIDER AT BUILTH WELLS

BAEDEKER CASUALTY

THE OBSERVER CORPS

ATTACK ON GB 73 19

THE DANGER BY DAY: FIGHTER BOMBER AND HIGH ALTITUDE ATTACKS

JAGDBOMBENANGRIFF

THE DAY LOWESTOFT HIT BACK

PLUMBING THE DEPTHS — THE FIASCO OF 1943

SANDHURST ROAD SCHOOL, CATFORD

THE BETHNAL GREEN TUBE SHELTER DISASTER

GERMAN WAR GRAVES IN GREAT BRITAIN

WHEN THE LUFTWAFFE LANDED IN BRITAIN

JABOS OVER SUFFOLK

THE FIRST OF THE 'K's

TORQUAY: TRAGEDY AT ST MARYCHURCH

MOSQUITO v. HORNET

THE FIRST JUNKERS 188 DOWN ON BRITISH SOIL

THE STEINBOCK RAIDS

BOMBED OUT

ONE BOY'S WAR

ESCAPE TO BRITAIN

THE V-WEAPONS

V1 FIESLER Fi 103

A SCHOOLBOY'S AIR DIARY — PART I

A SCHOOLBOY'S AIR DIARY — PART II

DO DOGS CRY?

METEOR VERSUS V1

A SCHOOLBOY'S AIR DIARY — PART III

THOSE INCREDIBLE EIGHTY DAYS

THE V2

V2 ROCKETS — DEADLY BOLTS FROM THE BLUE

THE V2 AGAINST EAST ANGLIA

BIG BEN 257

THE CHRISTMAS EVE FLYING BOMB RAID ON MANCHESTER

THE CARTER DIARY I

THE CARTER DIARY II

THE CARTER DIARY III

LUFTWAFFE FINALE

POSTSCRIPT

MEMORIAL TO THE BLITZ

GLOSSARY