10 facts about the belfast blitz

There are other diarists and narratives. For eight months the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London and other strategic cities across Britain. The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The Belfast Blitz was a series of devastating Luftwaffe air raids that took place in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. For 57 nightsuntil November 2more than 1 million bombs were dropped on the capital city. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. J.P. Walshe, assistant secretary, recorded that Hempel was "clearly distressed by the news of the severe raid on Belfast and especially of the number of civilian casualties." A Raid From Above He was asked, in the N.I. The Belfast blitz. Neighbouring residential areas were also hit. Under the leadership of Prime Minister John Miller Andrews, Northern Ireland remained unprepared. (Some authors count this as the second raid of four). In addition, there simply was not enough space for everyone who needed shelter in one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world. Updates? The national government also provided funds to local municipalities to construct public air-raid shelters. Video, 00:01:15The Belfast blitz, Up Next. Poor visibility on the night meant that the accuracy of the bombers was hampered and the explosives were dropped on densely populated areas of Belfast. In the first days of the Blitz, a tragic incident in the East End stoked public anger over the governments shelter policy. Belfast Blitz - Wikipedia Their Chain Home early warning radar, the most advanced system in the world, gave Fighter Command adequate notice of where and when to direct their forces, and the Luftwaffe never made a concerted effort to neutralize it. As more and more people began sleeping on the platforms, however, the government relented and provided bunk beds and bathrooms for the underground communities. Streets heavily bombed in the city centre included High Street, Ann Street, Callender Street, Chichester Street, Castle Street, Tomb Street, Bridge Street (effectively obliterated), Rosemary Street, Waring Street, North Street, Victoria Street, Donegall Street, York Street, Gloucester Street, and East Bridge Street. 10 Awesome Facts About Fibre - linkedin.com The bombing of British cities - Swansea, Belfast, Glasgow Before the war broke out, civilians had been issued with gas masks and Anderson shelters, which people were encouraged to build at the. On the ground, there were only 22 anti-aircraft guns positioned around the city, six light and 16 heavy, and on the first night only seven of these were manned and operational. Anna and Billy were buried up their necks in sewage but were rescued and survived. In 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War, an invitation was received by the Dublin Fire Brigade for any survivors of that time to attend a function at Hillsborough Castle and meet Prince Charles. 8. NI WW2 veterans honoured by France. On 4-5 May, another raid, made up of 204 bombers, killed another 203 people and the following night 22 more died. Belfast was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, the world' most famous ship which, when it was constructed in the early 1900s, was longer than the height of the world's tallest building at 882 feet and six inches in length. Read about our approach to external linking. These private air-raid shelters were Anderson shelters, constructed of sheets of corrugated galvanised iron covered in earth. Just before Easter 1941, Anna and Billy Burdett and their 12-year-old daughter, Dorothy, returned to Belfast from England to visit Anna's family. Wave after wave of bombers dropped their incendiaries, high explosives and land-mines. It would appear that Adolf Hitler, in view of de Valera's negative reaction, was concerned that de Valera and Irish American politicians might encourage the United States to enter the war. The Blitz was devastating for the people of London and other cities. Death had to a certain extent been made decent. Although it arrested German spies that its police and military intelligence services caught, the state never broke off diplomatic relations with Axis nations: the German Legation in Dublin remained open throughout the war. On the 17th I heard that hundreds who either could not get away or could not leave for other reasons simply went out into the fields and remained in the open all night with whatever they could take in the way of covering. The bombing of British cities - Swansea, Belfast, Glasgow On August 2, Luftwaffe commander Hermann Gring issued his Eagle Day directive, laying down a plan of attack in which a few massive blows from the air were to destroy British air power and so open the way for the invasion. German bombing of London during the Blitz, Discover how the Third Reich attacked Great Britain during World War II's Battle of Britain, atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Watch President Roosevelt outline his Four Freedoms and learn how Britain defeated Germany's Luftwaffe. Video, 00:03:09, Mapping the lives lost in the Belfast Blitz, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. The bombs caused death and destruction across the city, affecting those of all religions and political backgrounds. No attendant nurse had soothed the last moments of these victims; no gentle reverent hand had closed their eyes or crossed their hands. More than 1,000 people were killed, and the damage was more widespread than on any previous occasion. Up to now, we have escaped an attack, said John MacDermott, the Minister for Security, Belfast, on March 24, 1941. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Protection of the city fell to seven anti-aircraft batteries of 16 heavy guns and six light guns. I felt outraged, I should have felt sympathy, grief, but instead feelings of revulsion and disgust assailed me. "But there is no such equivalent in Belfast. 2. St George's Church in High Street was damaged by fire. His reply was: "We here today are in a state of war and we are prepared with the rest of the United Kingdom and Empire to face all the responsibilities that imposes on the Ulster people. 1. The attack on Coventry was particularly destructive. Belfast confetti," said one archive news report. ", Dawson Bates informed the Cabinet of rack-renting of barns, and over thirty people per house in some areas.[24]. The British thus fought with the advantage of superior equipment and undivided aim against an enemy with inconsistent objectives. and Major Sen O'Sullivan, who produced a detailed report for the Dublin government. At nightfall the Northern Counties Station was packed from platform gates to entrance gates and still refugees were coming along in a steady stream from the surrounding streets Open military lorries were finally put into service and even expectant mothers and mothers with young children were put into these in the rather heavy drizzle that lasted throughout the evening. Many "arrived in Fermanagh having nothing with them only night shirts". The nights of November 3 and 28 were the only occasions during this period in which Londons peace was unbroken by siren or bomb. Wherever Churchill is hiding his war material we will go. More than 500 German planes dropped more than 700 tons of bombs across the city, killing nearly 1,500 people and destroying 11,000 homes. The area included the Harland and Wolff Ltd. Shipyard, the Short and Harland Ltd. Aircraft Factory, and the airfield at RAF Sydenham. Between April 7 and May 6 of that year, Luftwaffe bombers unleashed death and destruction on the cities of Belfast, Bangor, Derry/Londonderry and Newtownards. This view was probably influenced by the decision of the IRA Army Council to support Germany. Barton insisted that Belfast was "too far north" to use radio guidance. Brooke noted in his diary "I gave him authority as it is obviously a question of expediency". department distributed more than two million Anderson shelters (named after Sir John Anderson, head of the A.R.P.) The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast's defences. When war broke out in 1939 the city did not expect to be attacked by German bombers: it was geographically remote and deemed a relatively . The next took place on Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941, when 200 Luftwaffe bombers attacked military and manufacturing targets in the city of Belfast. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn." That night almost 300 people, many from the Protestant Shankill area, took refuge in the Clonard Monastery in the Catholic Falls Road. He spoke with Professor Flynn, (Theodore Thomson Flynn, an Australian based at the Mater Hospital and father of actor Errol Flynn), head of the casualty service for the city, who told him of "casualties due to shock, blast and secondary missiles, such as glass, stones, pieces of piping, etc." The winter of 193940 was severe, but the summer was pleasant, and in their leisure hours Londoners thronged the parks or worked in their gardens. The Germans established that Belfast was defended by only seven anti-aircraft batteries, which made it the most poorly defended city in the United Kingdom. 6. NI WW2 veterans honoured by France. The wartime output of the yard included aircraft carriers HMS Formidable and HMS Unicorn, cruisers such as HMS Belfast and more than 130 other vessels used by the Royal Navy. On occasion, forces consisting of as many as 300 to 400 aircraft would cross the coast by day and split into small groups, and a few planes would succeed in penetrating Londons outer defenses. These figures are based on newspaper reports of the time, personal recollections and other primary sources, such as:- People are leaving from all parts of town and not only from the bombed areas. 2023 BBC. Read about our approach to external linking. It remains a high death toll - a shocking number of people killed in just a few weeks. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Morale did suffer amid the death and devastation, but there were few calls for surrender. The city covers a total area of 132.5 square kilometers (51 square miles). John Clarke MacDermott, the Minister of Public Security, after the first bombing, initiated the "Hiram Plan" to evacuate the city and to return Belfast to 'normality' as quickly as possible. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? In another building, the York Street Mill, one of its massive sidewalls collapsed on to Sussex and Vere Streets, killing all those who remained in their homes. He believed that key targets identified across the city were hit. Few children had been successfully evacuated. The A.R.P. Indeed, on the night of the first raid, no Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft took to the air to intercept German planes. Looking back on the Belfast Blitz, Oberleutnant Becker signed off with the following words: A war is the worst thing that can happen to Mankind. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Mother who killed her five children euthanised. Weighing 46,328 tonnes, Titanic was to be the largest manmade moveable object the world had ever seen. At 10:40pm the air raid sirens sounded. The M.V. There were Heinkel He 111s, Junkers Ju 88s and Dornier Do 17s. 10 Facts About the Blitz and the Bombing of Germany 55,000 British civilian casualties were sustained through German bombing before the end of 1940 This included 23,000 deaths. A victory for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain would indeed have exposed Great Britain to invasion and occupation. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn.. . "Through cross-referencing a number of different sources I have been able to get the most accurate number of people who died in the Blitz," he says. Targets identified included: the Short and Harland Ltd. Aircraft Factory; the Belfast power station and waterworks; Other maps uncovered following the Second World War also showed the parliament and city hall, Belfast gasworks, a rope factory and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. along with England, Scotland, and Wales. The Blitz | Facts, History, Damage, & Casualties | Britannica And even then, Westminster stated it was not ample provision; Stormont still worried about the costs to industry. The raid so infuriated Hitler that he ordered the Luftwaffe to shift its attacks from RAF sites to London and other cities. The British government had anticipated air attacks on its population centres, and it had predicted catastrophic casualties. It is situated at on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. At the core of this book is a compelling account of the Luftwaffe's blitz on Belfast in April-May 1941. It was not the last time Belfast would suffer. After the war, when the first girl from the home got married Billy gave her away, having lost his only daughter. Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17 planes fitted with Zeiss cameras captured high-quality aerial imagery. Fighter Commands efforts were greatly aided by the lack of any consistent plan of action on the part of the Germans. Six Heinkel He 111 bombers, from Kampfgruppe 26, flying at 7,000 feet (2,100m), dropped incendiaries, high explosive and parachute-mines. When the bombing began, 76-year-old William and 72-year-old Harriette took refuge under the stairs along with Dorothy, Dot and Isa. WW2: How did an elephant beat the Belfast Blitz? - BBC Teach 14 Breathtaking Facts about Belfast - Fact City Although there were some comparatively slight raids later in 1941, the most notable one on July 27, the May 1011 attack marked the conclusion of the Blitz. Anna and Billy returned to England and continued running the children's home. Churches destroyed or wrecked included Macrory Memorial Presbyterian in Duncairn Gardens; Duncairn Methodist, Castleton Presbyterian on York Road; St Silas's on the Oldpark Road; St James's on the Antrim Road; Newington Presbyterian on Limestone Road; Crumlin Road Presbyterian; Holy Trinity on Clifton Street and Clifton Street Presbyterian; York Street Presbyterian and York Street Non-Subscribing Presbyterian; Newtownards Road Methodist and Rosemary Street Presbyterian (the last of which was not rebuilt). Video, 00:00:26The German bombing of Coventry, Living through the London Blitz. Belfast's Albert Clock tower is sinking - it leans by four feet. Since 1:45am all telephones had been cut. Video, 00:02:12Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked Hancock's messages, Tears of relief after man found in Amazon jungle. A short respite followed, until a widespread series of night raids on April 7 included some targets in the London area. The initial human cost of the Blitz was lower than the government had expected, but the level of destruction exceeded the governments dire predictions. 13 died, including a soldier killed when an anti-aircraft gun, at the Balmoral show-grounds, misfired. Once more, London was targeted and children were victims. During the whole period, although the citys operation was disrupted in ways that were sometimes serious, no essential service was more than temporarily impaired. Harland and Wolff: The troubled history of Belfast's shipyard 50,000 houses, more than half the houses in the city, were damaged. William Joyce (known as "Lord Haw-Haw") announced in radio broadcasts from Hamburg that there will be "Easter eggs for Belfast". Interesting facts about Belfast | Just Fun Facts Has it taken bursting bombs to remind the people of this little country that they have common tradition, a common genius and a common home? Several accounts point out that Belfast, standing at the end of the long inlet of Belfast Lough, would be easily located. However Belfast was not mentioned again by the Nazis. Fiber-optic cables are made from thin strings of glass and are generally about one-tenth the width of a . Another attacked Bangor, killing five. As of October 2020, the population of Belfast is about 350,000 people. In the subsequent years, this lack of preparation has often dominated the discussion about the Belfast Blitz, but a new project led by Alan Freeburn from the Northern Ireland War Memorial aims to shift the focus back to the ordinary men, women and children who lost their lives. Nine were registered on three separate occasions, and from the start of the Blitz until November 30 there were more than 350 alerts. However, the Docklands was also a densely populated and impoverished area where thousands of working-class Londoners lived in run-down housing. The mortuary services had emergency plans to deal with only 200 bodies. A modern bomb census has attempted to pinpoint the location of every bomb dropped on London during the Blitz, and the visualization of that data makes clear how thoroughly the Luftwaffe saturated the city. "We can still see the physical scars of the Blitz in Belfast, that is what is left. At the beginning of the Blitz, British ack ack gunners struggled to inflict meaningful damage on German bombers, but later developments in radar guidance greatly improved the effectiveness of both antiaircraft artillery and searchlights. Streetlights, car headlights, and illuminated signs were kept off. 15 Powerful Photos Of The WW2 Blitz | Imperial War Museums By 1940, Short and Harland could shelter its entire workforce and Harland and Wolff had provision to shelter 16,000 workers. THE BELFAST BLITZ was a series of four air raids over Northern Ireland during the spring of 1941. Belfast has the world's largest dry dock. From September 1940 until May 1941, Britain was subjected to sustained enemy bombing campaign, now known as the Blitz. Since most casualties were caused by falling masonry rather than by blast, they provided effective shelter for those who had them. Other targets included Sheffield, Manchester, Coventry, and Southampton. [1][2], The third raid on Belfast took place over the evening and morning of 45 May 1941; 150 were killed. Around 20,000 people were employed on the site with 35,000 further along in the shipyard. Here are 10 facts about both the German Blitzkrieg and the Allied bombing of Germany. It is perhaps true that many saved their lives running but I am afraid a much greater number lost them or became casualties."[20]. Eduard Hempel, the German Minister to Ireland, visited the Irish Ministry for External Affairs to offer sympathy and attempt an explanation. Gring had insisted that such an attack was an impossibility, because of the citys formidable air defense network. Three vessels nearing completion at Harland and Wolff's were hit as was its power station. [citation needed]. Given Belfast's geographic position, it was considered to be at the fringe of the operational range of German bombers and hence there was no provision for night-fighter aerial cover. In early 1941 the Germans launched another wave of attacks, this time focusing on ports. 13 Facts You Didn't Know About Belfast A charitable relief fund for the people of London was opened September 10. Davies also set up medical stations and persuaded off-duty medical personnel to treat the sick and wounded. But the RAF had not responded. That evening over 150 bombers left their bases in northern France and the Netherlands and headed for Belfast. Unlike N Ireland, the Irish Free State was no longer part of the UK. Guided by Davies, the people of the shelter created an ad hoc government and established a set of rules. The use of the Tube system as a shelter saved thousands of lives, and images of Londoners huddled in Underground stations would become an indelible image of British life during World War II. Belfast, the city with the highest population density in the UK at the time, also had the lowest proportion of public air-raid shelters. Interesting facts about Belfast. Nearby residential areas in east Belfast were also hit when "203 metric tonnes of high explosive bombs, 80 land mines attached to parachutes, and 800 firebomb canisters containing 96,000 incendiary bombs"[16] were dropped. We were in exceptional good humour knowing that we were going for a new target, one of Englands last hiding places, said one pilot of the raid. Video, 00:01:37, Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off, Tear gas fired at Greece train crash protesters. Rescue workers search through the rubble of Eglington Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after a German Luftwaffe air raid, 7 May 1941, Anna (left) and her husband Billy (back right) survived while Harriette, Dorothy and Billy were killed along with Dot and Isa, Dot and Isa, with Dorothy when she was a toddler, Royal Welch Fusiliers assist in clearing bomb damage in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 7 May 1941, Mapping the lives lost in the Belfast Blitz. Video, 00:01:37Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off, Tear gas fired at Greece train crash protesters. [19], 220,000 people fled from the city. In the New Lodge area people had taken refuge in a mill. In the mistaken belief that they might damage RAF fighters, the anti-aircraft batteries ceased firing. O'Sullivan felt that the whole civil defence sector was utterly overwhelmed. These shelters were vital as these factories had many employees working late at night and early in the morning when Luftwaffe attacks were likely. The Belfast blitz devastated a city that up until 1941 had remained unscathed during World War Two. Your donations help keep MHN afloat. The firm had produced Handley Page Hereford bombers since 1936. People hung black curtains in their windows so that no lights showed outside their houses. Despite the attacks, Belfast continued to contribute to the war effort, and within less than a year the city witnessed the arrival of thousands of American troops. The bombs continued to fall until 5am. The most significant loss was a 4.5-acre (1.8ha) factory floor for manufacturing the fuselages of Short Stirling bombers. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. There [is] ground for thinking that the enemy could not easily reach Belfast in force except during a period of moonlight. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Authorities quickly implemented plans to protect Londoners from bombs and to house those left homeless by the attacks. There was no smokescreen ability, however there were some barrage balloons positioned strategically for protection. Mr Freeburn set out to find out more about those who died, their personal stories and the tales of those left behind. The Belfast Blitz: the city in the war years - History Ireland The Royal Air Force announced that Squadron Leader J.W.C. Most of the objectives laid out by the reconnaissance crews were of either military or industrial importance. Belfast Blitz: Marking the lost lives 80 years on A force of 180 bombers dropped 750 bombs - including 203 tonnes of high explosives - and 29,000 incendiaries over a five-hour period. The offensive came to be called the Blitz after the German word blitzkrieg ("lightning war"). "These people are often seen as a statistic but they were human beings, people who lived and grew up in - or moved to - Belfast and died in Belfast," Mr Freeburn, the museum's collections officer, says. However that attack was not an error. 9. He successfully busied himself with the task of making Northern Ireland a major supplier of food to Britain in her time of need.[5]. In every instance, all stepped forward. The British, on the other hand, were supremely well prepared for the kind of battle in which they now found themselves. ISBN 9781909556324. "Through resources such as the Public Records Office and ancestry and genealogy websites I managed to get about 100 photos - which is about one tenth of the victims," he says. devised the Morrison shelter (named for Home Secretary Herbert Stanley Morrison) as an alternative to the Anderson shelter. About 1,000 people were killed and bombs hit half of the houses in the city, leaving 100,000. Tommy Henderson, an Independent Unionist MP in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, summed up the feeling when he invited the Minister of Home Affairs to Hannahstown and the Falls Road, saying "The Catholics and the Protestants are going up there mixed and they are talking to one another. An air raid shelter on Hallidays Road received a direct hit, killing all those in it. Dissatisfaction with public shelters also led to another notable development in the East EndMickeys Shelter. As well as these two major targets, other firms in Belfast produced valuable materials for the war effort including munitions, linen, ropes, food supplies and, of course, cigarettes. Under the leadership of amon de Valera it had declared its neutrality during the Second World War. The Luftwaffe never attacked the city after May 1941, but it would be many years before life returned to normal for many in the city. The House of Commons, Westminster Abbey, and the British Museum were severely damaged, and The Temple was almost completely destroyed. By Jonathan Bardon. Thank you. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/the-Blitz, National Museums Liverpool - Merseyside Maritime Museum - The Blitz, The History Learning Site - The Blitz and World War Two. Belfast was Ireland's industrial home, famous for tobacco, rope-making, linen, and ship-building, which made it the powerhouse it was. Beginning in September 1940, the Blitz was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by the Luftwaffe against British cities. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom . Video, 00:00:46, Hong Kong skyscraper fire seen on city's skyline, Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds. Video, 00:01:38, At least 17 dead in Jakarta fuel storage depot fire, Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine. By mid-September 1940 the RAF had won the Battle of Britain, and the invasion was postponed indefinitely. So had Clydeside until recently. In each station volunteers were asked for, as it was beyond their normal duties. KS3 History (Environment and society) The Belfast Blitz learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers. What happened in 1941 changed the city forever. Belfast was ill-prepared for the blitz. The offensive came to be called the Blitz after the German word blitzkrieg (lightning war). Many in Northern Ireland thought that Belfast was outside the range of the Luftwaffe. During the first year of the war, behind-the-lines conditions prevailed in London. All were exhausted. He believed that this was being done already but it was inevitable that a certain number of civilian lives should be lost in the course of heavy bombing from the air". Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Compared to other cities, Belfast was virtually undefended. The Belfast blitz devastated a city that up until 1941 had remained unscathed during World War Two. Up Next. The first (April 7 -8), a small attack, was most likely carried out to test the city's defenses. A force of 180 bombers dropped 750 bombs - including 203 tonnes of high explosives - and 29,000 incendiaries over a five-hour period. Lecturer of History, Queens University, Belfast, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belfast_Blitz&oldid=1136721396, During the war years, Belfast shipyards built or converted over 3,000 navy vessels, repaired more than 22,000 others and launched over half a million tons of merchant shipping over 140. As the UK was preparing for the conflict, the factories and shipyards of Belfast were gearing up. The Blitz began at around 4 pm on September 7, 1940, when German bomber planes first appeared over London. Islington parish church, the rebuilt Our Lady of Victories (Kensington), the French church by Leicester square, St. Annes, Soho (famous for its music), All Souls, Langham place, and Christ Church in Westminster Bridge road (whose towerfortunately savedcommemorates President Lincolns abolition of slavery), were among a large number of others. By 1941, production of the Short Stirling Bomber and the Short Sunderland Flying Boat was underway. The phrase Business as usual, written in chalk on boarded-up shop windows, exemplified the British determination to keep calm and carry on as best they could. As well as photographs, the Luftwaffe gathered information on landmarks, potential targets and defences or lack thereof. Nevertheless, for all the hardship it caused, the campaign proved to be a strategic mistake by the Germans.

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