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damage. Casualties on the Square were low, considering the devastation, with the majority of hotel guests and staff having taken shelter in the hotel's basement. The majority of Bath's churches were greatly damaged, including St James Church on Stall Street and St Andrew's Church, both of which had
353:
The first raid struck just before 11 pm on the
Saturday night and lasted until 1 am. The German aircraft then returned to France, refuelled, rearmed and returned at 4.35 am. Bath was still on fire from the first raid, making it easier for the German bombers to pick out their targets.
408:
423:
occupants in the then private central garden. In 1948, the residents gave the garden to the people of Bath with the intention it would become a memorial to the victims of the enemy attacks. Today the square plays host to a variety of community activities, including the
354:
The third raid, which only lasted two hours but caused extensive damage, commenced in the early hours of Monday morning. The bombers flew low to drop their high explosives and incendiaries, and then returned to rake the streets with machine-gun fire.
1822:
362:
417 people were killed, another 1,000 injured. Over 19,000 buildings were affected, of which 1,100 were seriously damaged or destroyed, including 218 of architectural or historic interest. Houses in the
399:
Many buildings have subsequently been restored, or otherwise have been replaced by different buildings or a new land use (such as a park), although there are still some signs of the bombing.
705:
42:
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346:
As the city sirens wailed, few citizens took cover, even when the first pathfinder flares fell. The people of Bath still believed the attack was destined for nearby
1036:
675:
319:
throughout the period, and several bombs fell on Bath during 1940 and 1941. However, the city remained largely untouched until April 1942 and the start of the
435:, including the Bath Blitz, travelled to the UK as part of Bath's annual remembrance service on Friday 25 April 2008. Willi Schludecker died in a hospital in
35:
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28:
350:. During the previous four months, Bristol had been hit almost every night, so the people of Bath did not expect the bombs to fall on them.
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lost 24 metres (79 ft) of its hotel frontage, and most of the buildings on Queen Square suffered some level of
1072:
299:", in which targets were chosen for their cultural and historical, rather than their strategic or military, value.
1566:
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496:
311:, the German night bombing offensive against Britain's cities, as raiders flew overhead on their way to nearby
1745:
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In 2016, a live 500 pounds (230 kg) bomb was discovered by workmen under the playground of the former
182:
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396:
to be demolished; the St James site is now a retail building and the St Andrew's site is now a park.
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Willi
Schludecker at the 25 April 2008 memorial service in Bath, with his remembrance wreath.
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site. The bomb, which had remained undiscovered for over 70 years, was made safe by a
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450:, who in the 2000s became the last surviving frontline British Army veteran from the
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706:"Concerns over redevelopment plans for listed Bath Blitz bomb damage building"
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World War II aerial operations and battles of the
Western European Theatre
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Over the weekend of 25–27 April 1942, Bath suffered three raids from 80
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View of the centre of Bath in 1958, still with signs of war damage.
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Willi
Schludecker, 87, who flew more than 120 sorties for the
407:
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568:
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aircraft which took off from Nazi occupied northern France.
295:
The city was bombed in April 1942 as part of the so-called "
806:
387:, resulting in houses on the south side being damaged. The
307:
Bath was subject to numerous air raid warnings during
1756:
676:"Royal Crescent History: The Day Bombs fell on Bath"
646:"Buy St Andrews, Julian Road Prints at Bath in Time"
590:"Royal Crescent History: The Day Bombs fell on Bath"
1818:
World War II strategic bombing conducted by
Germany
752:"Bath WW2 bomb scare: Hundreds of homes evacuated"
778:"Bath WW2 bomb scare: Device defused, police say"
698:
1804:
428:Festival and the annual Bath Boules Tournament.
379:were burnt out. A 500 kilograms (1,100 lb)
620:"Bath Remembers Devastating 1942 Blitz Bombing"
1200:
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36:
741:. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
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541:. Stroud: The History Press. p. 55.
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16:Air raids on Bath, Somerset, during WWII
1843:April 1942 events in the United Kingdom
612:
1805:
536:
1188:
1112:
827:
668:
555:
503:, Pen & Sword, (Paperback 2005),
24:
735:"Luftwaffe pilot sorry for bombing"
439:on 17 June 2010, at the age of 90.
13:
1138:
712:. 25 February 2014. Archived from
566:
446:assigned to the scene in Bath was
14:
1854:
800:
465:team before being removed to the
383:bomb landed on the south side of
1790:
1778:
1766:
1073:American Ambulance Great Britain
1741:RAF strategic bombing offensive
770:
539:Bath in the Blitz: Then and Now
271:refers to the air raids by the
812:BBC News: Blitzed by guidebook
744:
728:
582:
52:British home front during the
1:
1746:United States Army Air Forces
853:
569:"Bath Blitz Memorial Project"
472:
302:
1216:Air Defence of Great Britain
680:Royal Crescent Society, Bath
594:Royal Crescent Society, Bath
334:
7:
1567:Women's Auxiliary Air Force
1552:Battle of Britain airfields
10:
1859:
357:
68:Air Raid Precautions (ARP)
1813:History of Bath, Somerset
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1471:
1443:
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1269:
1262:
1226:
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1098:Women's Voluntary Service
1055:
997:
861:
402:
63:
1833:20th century in Somerset
1239:Royal Canadian Air Force
537:Spence, Cathryn (2012).
1037:Evacuation of civilians
820:Retrieved February 2012
814:Retrieved February 2012
459:Royal High School, Bath
375:were destroyed and the
1294:Trafford Leigh-Mallory
1078:Auxiliary Fire Service
1042:Starfish (decoy) sites
412:
264:
1387:Anti-Aircraft Command
1093:War Damage Commission
1088:National Fire Service
1083:Civil Defence Service
1068:Anti-Aircraft Command
485:; Bloomsbury (2006);
483:Among the dead cities
469:quarry and blown up.
410:
262:
97:Battle of Britain Day
1736:Air Raid Precautions
1562:Royal Observer Corps
1063:Air Raid Precautions
1705:Battle of the Beams
1382:RAF Coastal Command
1377:RAF Balloon Command
1372:RAF Fighter Command
1022:Battle of the Beams
415:After the raid, an
1392:RAF Bomber Command
1343:Robert Watson-Watt
1254:Big Wing formation
807:Bath Blitz website
686:on 31 January 2008
600:on 31 January 2008
413:
325:the destruction of
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1591:Battle of Britain
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1350:
1244:Strategic bombing
1182:
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818:BBC: People's War
656:on 12 August 2017
419:was provided for
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1783:
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1720:German V weapons
1435:No. 14 Group RAF
1430:No. 13 Group RAF
1425:No. 12 Group RAF
1420:No. 11 Group RAF
1415:No. 10 Group RAF
1360:
1359:
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1220:Second World War
1209:
1202:
1195:
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1126:
1119:
1110:
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1015:Morrison shelter
1010:Anderson shelter
1005:Air raid shelter
862:Towns and Cities
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682:. Archived from
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652:. Archived from
650:bathintime.co.uk
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633:
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596:. Archived from
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501:Bomber Offensive
417:air-raid shelter
58:
56:
55:Second World War
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31:
22:
21:
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1828:1942 in England
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1779:
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1724:
1700:Barrage balloon
1688:
1637:
1584:
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1557:Eagle Squadrons
1540:
1467:
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1410:No. 9 Group RAF
1396:
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1308:
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1234:Royal Air Force
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716:on 7 March 2014
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626:. 25 April 2014
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479:Grayling, A. C.
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317:bombed severely
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92:The Hardest Day
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1773:United Kingdom
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1729:Related topics
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377:Assembly Rooms
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784:. 13 May 2016
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758:. 12 May 2016
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567:Warren, Jim.
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1607:
1473:AA Divisions
1463:III AA Corps
1356:Organisation
1289:Cyril Newall
1279:Hugh Dowding
1153:
873:
786:. Retrieved
781:
772:
760:. Retrieved
755:
746:
738:
730:
718:. Retrieved
714:the original
709:
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684:the original
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623:
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598:the original
593:
584:
572:. Retrieved
538:
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444:firefighters
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421:Queen Square
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385:Queen Square
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327:the city of
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290:World War II
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1649:Beaufighter
1545:Other units
1458:II AA Corps
1338:R. V. Jones
1218:during the
984:Southampton
889:Bournemouth
720:26 February
493:. pp. 50–52
448:Harry Patch
426:Jane Austen
188:Southampton
128:Bournemouth
1807:Categories
1714:Chain Home
1693:Technology
1630:Operation
1622:Operation
1614:Operation
1606:Operation
1583:operations
1453:I AA Corps
1331:Scientists
1299:Keith Park
1159:Canterbury
979:Sunderland
959:Nottingham
944:Manchester
884:Birmingham
690:9 December
604:9 December
473:References
467:Torr Works
442:Among the
315:which was
303:Background
269:Bath Blitz
183:Portsmouth
173:Manchester
123:Birmingham
82:Kanalkampf
1838:The Blitz
1659:Hurricane
1608:Steinbock
1596:The Blitz
974:Sheffield
949:Newcastle
934:Liverpool
909:Clydebank
855:The Blitz
660:11 August
630:11 August
624:Bath Echo
433:Luftwaffe
341:Luftwaffe
335:The Blitz
309:the Blitz
288:, during
277:Luftwaffe
267:The term
228:Steinbock
199:1942–1945
193:Sheffield
168:Liverpool
143:Clydebank
111:The Blitz
1785:Aviation
1674:Spitfire
1669:Mosquito
1642:Aircraft
1616:Crossbow
1445:AA Corps
1364:Commands
1227:Overview
1047:Trekking
1027:Blackout
969:Plymouth
964:Nuneaton
919:Greenock
914:Coventry
894:Brighton
782:BBC News
756:BBC News
739:BBC News
511:; p. 105
499:(1947);
481:(2006);
393:shrapnel
284:city of
205:Baedeker
178:Plymouth
148:Coventry
103:Sea Lion
87:Adlertag
1797:Germany
1759:Portals
1684:Typhoon
1679:Tempest
1654:Defiant
1169:Norwich
1147:Targets
989:Swansea
954:Norwich
904:Cardiff
899:Bristol
879:Belfast
437:Cologne
373:Paragon
358:Effects
348:Bristol
313:Bristol
282:British
280:on the
220:Norwich
138:Cardiff
133:Bristol
118:Belfast
75:Britain
1664:Meteor
1632:Gisela
1402:Groups
1263:People
1164:Exeter
939:London
869:Barrow
788:15 May
762:15 May
574:1 July
545:
507:
489:
403:Legacy
369:Circus
329:Lübeck
273:German
247:Gisela
210:Exeter
1710:Radar
1624:Diver
929:Leeds
235:Diver
163:Leeds
1314:Army
1174:York
1154:Bath
924:Hull
874:Bath
790:2016
764:2016
722:2014
692:2007
662:2017
632:2017
606:2007
576:2012
543:ISBN
505:ISBN
487:ISBN
371:and
215:Bath
158:Hull
1271:RAF
241:V-2
1809::
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557:^
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44:e
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30:v
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