▁at ▁night ▁and ▁d row ning ▁during ▁the ▁black out . ▁ ▁Crime ▁also ▁increased ▁under ▁cover ▁of ▁darkness , ▁from ▁lo oting , ▁the ft , ▁burg l ary , ▁and ▁rob ber y , ▁to ▁fra ud , ▁cons , ▁and ▁gang - related ▁activities , ▁to ▁ra pe ▁and ▁murder , ▁and ▁even ▁serial ▁murder . ▁ ▁As ▁German ▁war - making ▁cap ability ▁decl ined , ▁a ▁" Dim - out " ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁which ▁allowed ▁light ing ▁to ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁moon light . ▁A ▁full ▁Black out ▁would ▁be ▁im posed ▁if ▁an ▁alert ▁was ▁sound ed . ▁Full ▁light ing ▁of ▁streets ▁was ▁allowed ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 5 ; ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁April , ▁the ▁day ▁Hitler ▁committed ▁suic ide , ▁Big ▁Ben ▁was ▁lit ▁ 5 ▁years ▁and ▁ 1 2 3 ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁Black out ▁was ▁first ▁im posed . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁the ▁contin ental ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁exposed ▁to ▁air ▁attacks ▁while ▁eng aging ▁in ▁a ▁war ▁with ▁Japan , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁of ▁Dutch ▁Har bor , ▁the ▁Look out ▁Air ▁Ra ids , ▁and ▁the ▁Fu - Go ▁bal lo on ▁bomb s , ▁but ▁these ▁were ▁considered ▁minor ▁or ▁neg lig ible ▁and ▁did ▁nothing ▁to ▁damage ▁American ▁mor ale ▁and ▁war ▁effort . ▁Al ong ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁coast , ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁coast al ▁black