7 September 1940
In the run up to 7 September, the night the Blitz began, the Luftwaffe had targeted RAF airfields and radar stations for destruction in preparation for the German invasion of the island. When these plans were put on hold, Hitler turned his attention to destroying London. At around 4pm, 348 German bombers escorted by 617 fighters blasted London. Two hours later, using the fires set by the first assault as a guide, a second group of raiders attacked the capital and carried on bombing until 4:30am the following morning. The attack started in the East End before moving to central London leaving more than 430 dead and more than 1600 people badly injured.
15 November 1940
The Luftwaffe returned to London and marked the full moon with the biggest raid of the month. Almost every borough was hit using a new bomb that Londoners nicknamed Satan, which used delayed action. The National Portrait Gallery was hit, as was Westminster Abbey and Euston Station. The previous night, Coventry was also hit in a raid that lasted more than 10 hours and left much of the city devastated.
