When the air raid sirens sounded at approximately 7pm, there was no panic as the sirens had been heard plenty of times before, but just a few minutes later the first German planes were heard and seen moving across the clear sky, lit up by the moon.
What followed was devastation in the city centre and across Sheffield with many buildings destroyed.
The biggest tragedy of the night occurred just before midnight when the Marples Hotel received a direct hit.
Only seven people were brought out alive; a number of victims were never recovered.
These photos from our archive take a look back at the night of the blitz and the wartime spirit that prevailed in the immediate aftermath.
9. Burtons
Burtons on The Moor after the Blitz on December 12, 1940 Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
10. Waingate
A car sits amongst the devastation at Waingate after the Sheffield Blitz Photo: Submitted
11. Wartime humour
Several business premises in Sheffield city centre were severely damaged in the blitz, but despite this the indomitable spirit of these businesses lived on as is demonstrated by the touch of grim humour displayed in this picture of the wrecked building of Ellis, Willis & Beckett Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
12. Empire
The clean up gets underway after the blitz and here the first swings of a pickaxe dig into the rubble outside the Empire building, at the corner of Charles Street and Union Street, Sheffield Photo: Stuart Hastings (Staff)