New Delhi: World War I was the most devastating battle the world had ever seen till the occurrence of its sequel a few decades later. Germany and the United Kingdom were the common parties in both the wars and each of them, there were phases when the former heavily bombed the latter. Between 1914 and 1918, Germany simply pummeled the UK with bombs. The bombings were made difficult by weather and night times, and often, they hit civilian places instead of intended military installations. One of the most devastating raids took place on June 13, 1917, and the bombings led to the creation of the Royal Air Force on April 1, 1918.
The terrible German raids on the UK in 1917
The German air raid in 1917 began on the night of March 16-17, but not one of the planes managed to hit the target. But it was the bombings of Germany over England on the nights of June 13 that invited the real wrath of the British population. What happened on that night?
The raid on June 13 began at 10 a.m. and it was the first daylight raid targeting London. The raid was done with little preparation and planning and was ineffective in the beginning as a result. England retaliated with 92 aircraft but failed in the defence of the city in the initial phases. Captain John Cole-Hamilton’s Bristol F.2 Fighter of 35 (Training) Squadron took on three Gothas of Germany but that defence was neutralised. While the anti-aircraft guns near the coast of the UK proved to be more successful, the Gothas maintained their tempo. The British aircraft were also engaged near Ostend where one fighter took on a Gotha which was also attacked from the rear, but then several other Gothas came to its rescue and drove off the British fighters.
The raid killed 162 people including 18 children and injured 432 people. Such a devastating toll was because the public was unaware of the threat of aerial bombardment in daylight. Rather, they crowded out into the street to watch and did not bother to take cover at first. It was the most deadly air raid of World War I and Germany did not lose a single plane on that day. This raid infuriated the British population and the killing of the children by dropping a bomb on a school added fuel to the fire of British national sentiment.
The raid killed 162 people including 18 children and injured 432 people. Such a devastating toll was because the public was unaware of the threat of aerial bombardment in daylight. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
