Baedeker Blitz - Definition and Overview

The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids were a series of reprisal raids for the bombing of the erstwhile Hanseatic League city of Lübeck during World War II, which was being used to supply the Russian front.

The Baedeker Blitz was conducted by the German Luftwaffe between April and June 1942. It targeted strategically unimportant but picturesque cities in England. The cities were reputedly selected from the German Baedeker tourist Guide to Britain.

The cities attacked were:

• Bath (April 25 and 26)
• Canterbury (May 31; June 2 and 6)
• Exeter (April 23 and 24; May 3)
• Norwich (April 27 and 29)
• York (April 28)

1,637 civilians were killed and 1,760 injured during the raids on these five towns, and over 50,000 houses were destroyed.

Several other raids are sometimes included under the Baedeker title, although only a few aircraft were involved in each and damage was not extensive:

• Bury St Edmunds
• Cambridge
• Great Yarmouth
• Ipswich

See also

• Battle of Britain
• The Blitz
• British military history of World War II
• UK topics

External links

• The Bath Blitz Memorial Project (http://www.thejwarrens.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bathblitz/blitz.htm)
• Canterbury at War (http://www.digiserve.com/peter/war/hs1.htm)