[Jim Oxley]

The attack on 28th/29th December became known as 'The Second Great Fire Of London'.

The attack was opened by the pathfinder unti KGr 100 at 1817 hours, with 10 aircraft of the unit dropping 11,520 IB's in the space of 13 minutes; followed by seven aircraft of III./KG 26 which delivered five Sc 1000's and 1,008 IB's. In total 147 aircraft from KG's 4, 27, 51, and 55 dropped 120 tons of high explosive and 27,499 incendaries in just over three hours in a very small, concentrated area of the City of London.

It wasn't the heaviest raid on London, but it was one of the most destructive. Two natural factors combined to make it so. One was the neap tide, so the level of the Thames was very low. Mains were broken and hydrants in the ity soon dried up, leaving firemen helpless in the face of six conflagrations and sixteen major fires. The greatest were the half square mile of fire in the Moorgate - Aldersgate Street area, and another half this size in the Minories. The second factor was the wind. By 7.30pm the south-westerly breeze which, at the start of the raid had only been slight, had increased to a half gale.

Amazingly St. Pauls catherdral survived, surrounded as it was by a sea of flame. But many buildings of great antiquity did not. The fifteenth century Guildhall was badly damaged and eight Wren churches were destroyed. The Central Telegraph Office was hit and patients had to be removed from Guy's Hospital. Amen Court and Ave Maira Lane burned, as did Newgate Street, Ludgate Hill and Paternostor Row.

Casualties were heavy. More than 160 civilians were killed and 500 badly hurt. Sixteen firemen were killed and a further 250 were admitted to hosptial for treatment, mostly burns.