The Terror Raids of 1942 - The Baedecker Blitz

Between April and June 1942, England was shaken by a series of raids on smaller, historic cities, which were not previously targetted in such a way. These raids were in direct retailiation for the bombing by the RAF of similar cities in Germany, and were known as the Baedecker Raids. The Baedecker Guide was a pre-war tourist book which rated locations for visitors - and the cities targeted were all rated  'three stars' in the terms of the Guide, and this was announced by the German Foreign Office, prior to the raids - ‘We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide’. The ensuing raids on Exeter, Bath, Norwich, York and Canterbury cost the lives of over a thousand people.  

While the Blitz on major cities - particularly London and Coventry - is well known, the 1942 raids have received less attention. While there are certainly books published on each specific raid (such as The Bombing of Bath by Niall Rothnie, Norwich - A Shattered City, by Steve Snelling, and Target Exeter by Geoff Worrall), this is the first recent book to provide an overview of all the raids and the impact on each city. The author has used a wide range of sources including newspapers from the period, material from Exeter Cathedral Archives, the Mass Observation Archive, Bath Records Office, and personal correspondence and interviews. Combined, this provides a unique insight into the impact of the raids, and gives voice to the civilians who experienced the raids first hand. 

Table of contents:

1. The Baedecker raids: background and chronology
2. Bombs and radio navigation: countermeasures and the types of bombs used in the raids
3. Air raid shelters and civil defence
4. Exeter and the Baedecker raids, April - May 1942
5. The Bath Blitz, 25-27 April 1942
6. Norwich, April - June 1942
7. The York raid, 29 April 1942
8. Canterbury, June 1942: the final series of Baedecker raids
9. Conclusion

The bibliography is helpfully broken down by city, to assist the interested in reader in finding additional sources for further research. As mentioned, there are more detailed books available on the individual raids (although some are now out of print), however this book gives a good broad overview of all the Baedecker Raids and provides attention to a lesser known period, which is certainly warranted. 

Thanks to Pen & Sword for the copy of this book.

Available from:
Pen & Sword