An interactive map has been created showing where German bombs landed on London during eight months of the second World War Blitz.
The year-long mapping project, devised by geographer Dr Kate Jones of the University of Portsmouth, uses red bomb symbols to illustrate where each bomb landed in the area between October 1940 and June 1941.
The map shows how the entire greater city, from Egham in the west to Dartford in the east, Potters Bar in the north to Caterham in the south, was devastated.
“When you look at these maps and see the proliferation of bombs dropped on the capital, it does illustrate the meaning of the word ‘blitz’, which comes from the German meaning ‘lightning war’,” said Dr Jones.
“It seems astonishing that London survived the onslaught. The Bomb Sight project demonstrates the clustering together of lots of different data using the power of geography.”
Dr Jones chose to focus on the Blitz, the most intensive bombing period by the Luftwaffe, which killed thousands and destroyed more than a million homes.
Users can manipulate the online map ( bombsight.org) and zoom into specific streets or boroughs as well as find out what type of bomb was dropped where.
The website allows people to find out where and what sort of bombs fell in their area, and explore photos and stories from those involved in or affected by the war.
The associated Android app also gives users an augmented reality view. This allows users to point their phone at a street scene and, using the phone’s camera and GPS, see a display showing the bombs that fell nearby. – (PA)