The Battle of Britain saw its worst air raid on December 29, 1940. The attack brought heavy devastation and massive fires to London. But the British kept fighting.

German Blitzkrieg

The German Luftwaffe executed a bombing campaign against Britain known as the Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war." The Blitz happened at night, and the Germans covered the city with around 100,000 incendiary bombs.

The bombs were made of magnesium, which lit thousands of fires throughout the city. Even though the bombings continued, brave firefighters went out to fight the fires that were popping up throughout London.

With their valiant effort, they were able to put out the worst of the blazes. The silver lining to the air attack was that most of the bombings happened in areas where there were non-residential buildings.

In the raid, 160 lives were lost, and hundreds more were injured. Yet, miraculously, St. Paul's Cathedral stood tall the next morning, completely unharmed surrounded by ash and smoke.

Just The Beginning

The building became a symbol in the United Kingdom of enduring spirit. The air raids continued in Britain for almost a year. The British did not back down.

The Royal Air Force began launching counterattacks against the German's blitzkrieg defending their country. However, the air raids stopped when Hilter realized he could not reach superiority.

Commending the RAF's accomplishments, Winston Churchill said, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Britain will always be remembered for putting up a fight against the Nazi Third Reich.