| Original caption: “Anti-aircraft guns in Hyde Park go into action as “enemy bombers” make a daylight raid on London, during giant air defense exercises in which over twenty thousand men and thirteen hundred Royal Air Force (RAF) planes are taking part.” 1,300 anti-aircraft guns surrounded London. Most were 75 millimeter (3-inch) and had little effect on German raiders, especially at night. Just before the war, Royal Air Force (RAF) planes staged a demonstration of London’s defenses. Here, QF 3.7-inch (94 millimeter) guns in Hyde Park open up with blank shells at RAF planes overhead. While this looked impressive, it did not reveal the main weakness of British anti-aircraft: they could not adequately track targets in the dark. By the Fall of 1940, most raids on London and Southern England were carried out at night. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0279.jpg |
| Image Size | 945.64 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2250 x 2898 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 1, 1939 |
| Location | |
| City | London |
| State or Province | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-306-NT-901(73) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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