The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on Easter Tuesday, April 15, 1941, when 200 German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1,000 died. More were injured. Half of the houses in the city were destroyed. Outside of London, this was the greatest loss of life in a night raid during the Battle of Britain. 100,000 of the population of 415,000 became homeless. Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 30-33 (see Good Friday). ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Luftwaffe â–¶(?) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Belfast (Béal Feirste in Irish) is a city in the United Kingdom, and the second-largest city on the island of Ireland. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Combatants British Royal Air Force and allies Nazi German Luftwaffe Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength approx 700 fighters (at the beginning) 1,260 bombers; 316 dive-bombers; 1,089 fighters Casualties 1,547 aircraft; Civilian: 27,450 dead, 32,138 wounded 1,887 aircraft A major campaign of...

Background

Although the Republic of Ireland had declared its neutrality during World War II, Belfast being part of Northern Ireland and therefore part of the United Kingdom was at war. Irish neutrality has been a policy of the Irish Free State and its successor the Republic of Ireland since independence from the United Kingdom in 1922. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1...

Belfast had an enviable engineering tradition. As Britain was preparing for the conflict, the factories and shipyards of Belfast were gearing up. Belfast made a considerable contribution towards the Allied war effort. Engineering applies scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... A factory (previously manufactory) or manufacturing plant is a large industrial building where workers manufacture goods or products. ... Small shipyard in Klaksvík (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Dockyards and shipyards are places which repair and build ships. ...

Government

Unfortunately, the government of Northern Ireland lacked the will, energy and capacity to cope with a major crisis when it came.

James Craig, Lord Craigavon, was Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since is inception in 1921, until his death on November 24, 1940. Lady Londonderry confided to Sir Samuel Hoare, the Home Secretary, that Craigavon had become "ga-ga". Sir James Craig, later Viscount Craigavon 1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... November 24 is the 328th day (329th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Right Honourable Sir Samuel John Gurney Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood (1880-1959), more commonly known as Sir Samuel Hoare, was a British Conservative politician who served in various capacities in the Conservative and National governments of the 1920s and 1930s. ... The Home Secretary (official full title Secretary of State for the Home Department) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ...

Richard Dawson Bates, was the Home Affairs Minister. According to Sir Wilfred Spender, the cabinet secretary, “incapable of giving his responsible officers coherent directions on policy” – actually, he was drunk for most of each day.¹

It appears that Sir Basil Brooke, the Minister of Agriculture, was the only active minister. He successfully busied himself with the task of making Northern Ireland a major supplier of food to Britain in her time of need. Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, KG, CBE, MC (June 9, 1888-August 18, 1973) was an Irish Unionist politician. ...

Mention must be made of John Clarke MacDermott, the Minister of Public Security, who, after the first bombing, initiated the “Hiram Plan” to evacuate the city and to return Belfast to 'normalcy' as quickly as possible. It was MacDermott who sent the telegram to deValera seeking assistance.

There was unease with the complacent attitude of the government, which led to resignations:

• John Edmond Warnock, the parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, resigned from the Northern Ireland government on May 25, 1940. He said “I have heard speeches about Ulster pulling her weight but they have never carried conviction.” and "the government has been slack, dilatory and apathetic."
• Lt. Col. Alexander Robert Gisborne Gordon, Parliamentary and Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, resigned on June 13, 1940, explaining to the Commons that the government was “quite unfitted to sustain the people in the ordeal we have to face.”

Craigavon died on Sunday, November 24, 1940. He was succeeded by the 70 year old, John Andrews, who was no more capable of dealing with the situation than his predecessor. The minutes of his cabinet meetings show more discussion on protecting the bronze statue of Carson than the provision of air-raid shelters. May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 24 is the 328th day (329th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... John Millar Andrews (July 17, 1871 - August 5, 1956) was the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Edward Carson HMSO image The Right Honourable Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC (February 9, 1854 – October 22, 1935) was a leader of the Irish Unionists, a Barrister and a Judge. ...

On April 28, 1943, six members of the Government threatened to resign, forcing him from office. He resigned on May 1. April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ...

Manufacturing Facilities

HMS Belfast (in 2004)

HMS Formidable

• Harland and Wolff were one of the largest shipbuilding yards in the world. It is best known for the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Their yards constructed many ships for the Royal Navy, including aircraft carriers such as HMS Formidable and HMS Unicorn; the cruisers, HMS Belfast and HMS Penelope ; and 131 other naval vessels. Up to 35,000 people were employed. [1]

• During the war years, Belfast yards built or converted over 3,000 naval vessels, repaired more than 22,000 vessels and launched over half a million tons of merchant shipping - over 140 merchant vessels.

• Short Brothers manufactured aircraft. They are best known for the Short Sunderland flying boat and the Short Stirling long-range heavy bomber. Up to 20,000 people were employed. They were re-equipping as early as 1936 for the manufacture of 189 Handley Page Hereford bombers

• James Mackie & Sons were re-equipped in 1938. They were the primary supplier of Bofors anti-aircraft shells.

• Harland’s Engineering works built tanks. They designed the Churchill tank.

Handley Page Hampden bomber

The Churchill tank

• Aero linen for covering aircraft, such as the Hawker Hurricane, and glider frames was manufactured by a number of Belfast flax spinning mills, such as The York Street Flax Spinning Co.; Brookfield Spinning Co.; Wm. Ewart's Rosebank Weaving Co.; and the Linen Thread Co.

• Other Belfast factories manufactured gun mountings, ordnance pieces, aircraft parts and ammunition.

War materials and food was sent by sea from Belfast to Britain, some under the protection of the “neutral” Irish flag. The M.V. Munster, operated by the ‘Belfast SteamShip Company’ plyed between Belfast and Liverpool under the Irish flag, until she hit a mine and was sunk outside Liverpool. see picture HMS Belfast, London File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... HMS Belfast, London File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1094x692, 55 KB)From http://www. ... Download high resolution version (1094x692, 55 KB)From http://www. ... Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries began as a shipyard located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... The New York Herald reports the disaster. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... HMS Formidable was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy during World War II. Categories: Stub | Illustrious class aircraft carriers ... HMS Unicorn 172: Maintenance Carrier (modified Colossus-class Light Fleet Carrier) 14750 tons standard, 20300 tons full load. ... HMS Hood (left) and HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ... Belfast at her London berth in 2004. ... Nine ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Penelope, after the faithful wife Penelope of Greek mythology. ... Short Brothers, almost universally referred to simply as Shorts, is a British aerospace company currently located in Belfast. ... The Sunderland, S.25, was a flying boat patrol bomber, developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers, based on their successful S.23 Empire flying boats, the flagship of Imperial Airways. ... Boeing 314 A flying boat is an aircraft that is designed to take off and land on water, in particular a type of seaplane which uses its fuselage as a floating hull (instead of pontoons mounted below the fuselage). ... The Stirling was a World War II heavy bomber design built by Short Brothers. ... The B-52 Stratofortress, a heavy bomber. ... The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force that was one of the main front-line bombers at the start of World War II. Along with the Whitley and Wellington bombers, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Bofors 40mm/L60. ... General characteristics Length 24 ft 5 in, 7. ... Handley Page Hampden medium bomber. ... Handley Page Hampden medium bomber. ... the Churchill tank File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... the Churchill tank File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Torn linen cloth, recovered from the Dead Sea Linen is a material made from the fibers of the flax (and historically, cannabis) plant. ... The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ... Gliders are heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for un-powered flight. ... Binomial name Linum usitatissimum Linnaeus. ... Ordnance is a general term for a quantity of military equipment, usually specifying the ammunition for artillery, bombs, or other large weapons. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ... The Irish tricolour (flag ratio: 1:2) The National Flag of Ireland (Irish: An Bhratach Náisiúnta), also known as the Irish tricolour, is the national flag of the Republic of Ireland. ... Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Northwest England. ... A naval mine is a stationary self-contained explosive device placed in water, to destroy ships and/or submarines. ...

Preparation

Sir James Craig,
former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. HMSO image

John Millar Andrews
Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. HMSO image

Image File history File links Sir James Craig, Lord Craigavon — first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Image File history File links Sir James Craig, Lord Craigavon — first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Her Majestys Stationery Office (usually abbreviated as HMSO) is part of the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File links John Miller Andrews, — second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Image File history File links John Miller Andrews, — second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Her Majestys Stationery Office (usually abbreviated as HMSO) is part of the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. ...

Government Preparation

Unfortunately there was almost no preparation for the conflict with Germany.

James Craig, Lord Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since is inception in 1921, claimed; "Ulster is ready when we get the word and always will be." He was asked, in the N.I. parliament: “if the government realized 'that these fast bombers can come to Northern Ireland in two and three quarter hours'.” 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. There is no slacking in our loyalty.” Sir James Craig, later Viscount Craigavon 1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The British Empire was the worlds first global power and the largest empire in history. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland. ...

Richard Dawson Bates, the Home Affairs Minister, simply refused to reply to army correspondence and when the Ministry of Home Affairs was informed by imperial defence experts that Belfast was a certain Luftwaffe target, nothing was done.

Air-raid Shelters

Belfast, a city with the highest population density had the lowest proportion of air-raid shelters. Prior to the "Belfast Blitz" there were only 200 public shelters, although 4,000 households had built their own shelters. No searchlights set up, as they only arrived on April 10. There were no night-fighters. On the night of the raid, no RAF aircraft took to the air. There were only 22 anti-aircraft guns, six light, and sixteen heavy. On the night, only seven were operated for a short time. There was no smokescreen ability. There were some barrage balloons. RAF is an three letter acronym for: Royal Air Force -- the Air Force of the United Kingdom (see also Air Ministry) Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion) -- a German terror organisation Rigas Autobusu Fabrika -- a factory making buses in Riga, Latvia Rapid Action Force in India Računarski Fakultet RAF...

These air-raid shelters were Anderson shelters. They were just sheets of corrugated galvanised iron. Since most casualties were caused by falling masonry rather than by blast, these structures provided effective shelter for those who had them. Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air. ... Corrugated galvanised iron, commonly abbreviated CGI, is a building material composed of sheets of hot-dip galvanised mild steel cold-rolled to have a linear corrugated pattern in them. ...

Children

Unlike other British cities, children had not been evacuated. There had been the "Hiram Plan" initiated by Richard Dawson Bates, the Home Affairs Minister, but it failed to materialise. Less than 4,000 women and children were evacuated. There were still 80,000 children in Belfast. Even the children of soldiers had not been evacuated, with calamitous results when the married quarters of Victoria barracks received a direct hit.

German Preparation

From papers recovered after the war, we know of a Luftwaffe reconnaissance flight over Belfast on November 30, 1940. The Germans established that Belfast, was defended by only seven anti-aircraft batteries, which made it the most undefended city in the United Kingdom. From their photographs, they identified suitable targets: November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

• Die Werft Harland and Wolff Ltd
• Die Tankskelle Conns Water
• Das Flugzeugwerk Short and Harland
• Das Kraftwerk Belfast
• Die Grossmuhle Rank & Co
• Das Wasserwerk Belfast
• Die Kasernlagen Victoria Barracks

Earlier Raids

There had been a number of small bombings, probably by planes that missed their targets over the Clyde or the cities of the north-west of England. The River Clyde, looking eastwards upstream, as it passes beneath the Kingston Bridge. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ...

On March 24, 1941, John McDermott, Minister for Security, wrote to the Prime Minister, John Andrews expressing his concerns that Belfast was so poorly protected. "Up to now we have escaped attack. So had Clydeside until recently. 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. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn." Unfortunately, McDermott was proved right. On 7th April 1941 Belfast suffered the first of three air raids. 1989 - Exxon Valdez oil spill: In Alaskas Prince William Sound the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (42,000 m³) of petroleum after running aground. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The first deliberate raid took place on the night of April 7. (Some authors count this as the second raid of four). It targeted the docks. Neighbouring residential areas were also hit. Six Heinkel He 111 bombers, from Kampfgruppe 26, flying at 7,000 feet, dropped incendiaries, high explosive and parachute-bombs. By British blitz experience, casualties were light. 13 lost their lives, including a soldier killed when an anti-aircraft battery, at the Balmoral show-grounds, misfired. The most significant loss was a 4½ acre factory floor for manufacturing the fuselages of Short Stirling bombers. The Royal Air Force announced that Squadron Leader J. W.C. Simpson shot down one of the Heinkels over Downpatrick. April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most obvious symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... Incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, or white phosphorus. ... In an aircraft, the fuselage is the main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. ... The Stirling was a World War II heavy bomber design built by Short Brothers. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Downpatrick (Dún Phádraig in Irish, meaning Fort of Patrick) is a town in County Down in Northern Ireland with about 10,113 inhabitants. ...

The Luftwaffe crews returned to their base in Northern France and reported that Belfast's defences were, "inferior in quality, scanty and insufficient"

The "Easter Tuesday" Blitz

William Joyce (known as "Lord Haw-Haw"), announced in radio broadcasts from Hamburg that there will be “Easter eggs for Belfast”. William Joyce (April 24, 1906 – January 3, 1946), known as Lord Haw-Haw was a fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during World War II. A condemned war-time traitor, he was controversially executed for treason. ...

Junkers Ju-88

On Easter Tuesday, April 15, 1941, spectators watching a football match at Windsor Park noticed a lone Luftwaffe Junkers 107 circling overhead. There was no military response. Lisburn Distillery F.C. defeated Linfield F.C. by 3 goals to 1. Junkers Ju 88 bomber. ... Junkers Ju 88 bomber. ... Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 30-33 (see Good Friday). ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG) The Rec. ... Windsor Park is the home ground of the Northern Irish football (soccer) club, Linfield FC, in Belfast. ... The Luftwaffe â–¶(?) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... ... Lisburn Distillery F.C. is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the Irish Football League. ... Linfield F.C. (the Blues) are a Northern Irish football team, founded in March 1886 in south Belfast, who play at Windsor Park, the home of the Northern Ireland international team. ...

That evening up to 200 bombers left their bases in Northern France and the Low Countries and headed for Belfast. There were Heinkel He 111s, Junkers Ju 88s and Dorniers. Belfast (Béal Feirste in Irish) is a city in the United Kingdom, and the second-largest city on the island of Ireland. ... The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most obvious symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... The Junkers Ju 88 was a WW2 Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. ... Dornier logo. ...

At 10:40PM the air raid sirens sounded. Accounts differ as to when flares were dropped to light up the city. A civil defense siren, air raid siren, outdoor warning siren, or tornado siren is usually considered to be an electrically-powered mechanical device for generating sound to provide warning of approaching danger and to indicate when the danger has passed. ...

The first attack was against the city's waterworks, which had been attacked in the previous raid. High explosives were dropped. Initially it was thought that the Germans had mistaken this reservoir for the harbour and shipyards, where many ships, including HMS Ark Royal were being repaired. However that attack was not an error. When incendiaries were dropped and the city burned, the water pressure was too low for fire-fighting. HMS Ark Royal (91), was the third ship of the Royal Navy to be named in honor of the flagship of the English fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada. ...

Wave after wave of bombers dropped their incendiaries, high explosives and land-mines. Altogether 203 metric tons of high explosives bombs, 80 landmines attached to parachutes, and 800 firebomb canisters containing 96,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on the city.

There was no opposition. In the mistaken belief that they might damage RAF fighters, the 7 anti-aircraft batteries, ceased firing. But, the RAF had not responded. The bombs continued to fall until 5AM. American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ...

Eamon de Valera, Taoiseach of Éire

Basil Brookeborough,
Later Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. (HMSO image)

About 1,000 died. 56,000 houses (more than half of the city's housing stock) were damaged leaving 100,000 temporarily homeless. Outside of London, this was the greatest loss of life in a night raid during the Battle of Britain. Eamon de Valera. ... Eamon de Valera. ... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet. ... Map of Éire Éire (pronounced ) is the Irish name for Ireland. ... Image File history File links Basil Brookeborough, — third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Image File history File links Basil Brookeborough, — third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... A prime minister may be either: chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1... Her Majestys Stationery Office (usually abbreviated as HMSO) is part of the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Combatants British Royal Air Force and allies Nazi German Luftwaffe Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength approx 700 fighters (at the beginning) 1,260 bombers; 316 dive-bombers; 1,089 fighters Casualties 1,547 aircraft; Civilian: 27,450 dead, 32,138 wounded 1,887 aircraft A major campaign of...

A stray bomber attacked Derry killing 15. Another attacked Bangor killing 5. Derry or Londonderry (in Irish, Doire or Doire Cholm Chille), often called the Maiden City, is a city in Northern Ireland. ... Bangor (in Irish Beannchor) is a town of approximately 80,000 population in County Down, Northern Ireland. ...

By 4AM the entire city seemed to be in flames. At 4:15AM John MacDermot, the Minister of Security managed to contact Basil Brooke (then Agriculture Minister), seeking permission to seek help from Éire ("southern" Ireland). Brooke noted in his diary "I gave him authority as it is obviously a question of expediency". Since 1:45AM all telephones had been cut. Fortunately, the railway telegram from Belfast to Dublin was still operational. The telegram was sent at 4:35AM, asking the Irish Premier, de Valera for assistance. Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, KG, CBE, MC (June 9, 1888-August 18, 1973) was an Irish Unionist politician. ... Map of Éire Éire (pronounced ) is the Irish name for Ireland. ... Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far and graphein = write) is the long-distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ... Éamon de Valera (born Edward George de Valera, sometimes Gaelicised Éamonn de Bhailéara; October 14, 1882 – August 29, 1975), was an Irish politician, best known as a leader of Irelands struggle for independence from the United Kingdom in the early 20th Century, and the Republican anti-Treaty opposition...

Human Cost

Over 900 lives were lost, 1,500 were injured, 400 of them seriously. 35, 000 houses, more than half the houses in the city are damaged. 11 churches, 2 hospitals, and 2 schools were destroyed

There are many accounts of the Blitz. They rely on newspaper reports of the time, personal recollections and other primary sources, such as Jimmy Doherty, an air raid warden, (and later served in London during the V1 and V2 blitz), who wrote a book on the blitz; Emma Duffin, a nurse at the Queen’s University Hospital, (who previously served during the Great War), who kept a diary; and Major Seán O’Sullivan, who produced a detailed report for the Dublin government. There are other diarists and narratives. A primary source is any piece of information that is used for constructing history as an artifact of its times. ... The Vergeltungswaffe 1 Fi 103 / FZG-76 (V-1), known as the Flying bomb, Buzz bomb or Doodlebug, was the first modern guided missile used in wartime and the first cruise missile. ... The V-2 rocket was an early ballistic missile used by the German Army during the later stages of World War II against mostly British and Belgian targets. ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machine guns, and poison gas. ... A diary is a book for writing discrete entries arranged by date. ...

Instructions

When the bombs fell, the population did not know what to do. There were few bomb shelters. An air raid shelter on the Hallidays Road received a direct hit killing all those taking shelter within it. Many people who were dug out of the rubble alive had taken shelter underneath their stairs and were fortunate enough that their homes had not received a direct hit or had even caught on fire.

The population did not know whether to run, hide or stay in their beds.

In the New Lodge area people had taken refuge in a Mill, which presumably appeared to them to be a sturdy building. Tragically 35 were crushed to death when the mill wall collapsed. In another mill, the York Street Mill, one of its massive sidewalls collapsed on to Sussex and Vere Streets killing all those who still remained in their homes.

Major O’Sullivan reported "In the heavily ‘blitzed’ areas people ran panic-stricken into the streets and made for the open country. As many were caught in the open by blast and secondary missiles, the enormous number of casualties can be readily accounted for. It is perhaps true that many saved their lives running but I am afraid a much greater number lost them or became casualties."

That night almost 300 people, many from the Shankill, took refuge in Clonard Monastery in the Falls Road. The crypt under the sanctuary and the cellar under the working sacristy, had been fitted out and opened to the people, as an air-raid shelter. Prayers are said and hymns sung by the, mainly Protestant women and children, during the bombing. Shankill Road is a predominantly Protestant working-class area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... The Falls Road is a main road through West Belfast; from Divis Street in the city centre to Andersonstown in the suburbs. ...

Mortuary

The mortuary services had emergency plans to deal with only 200 bodies. In the event, the public baths on the Falls Road and on Peter’s Hill, and the large fruit market, Saint George’s market, were used as mortuaries. 150 corpses remained in The Falls Road baths for three days. Then they were buried in a mass grave, 123 were still unidentified. There were a further 255 corpses were laid out in St. George’s Market. Many bodies and parts of bodies could not be identified

Mass graves were dug in the Milltown and City Cemeteries where the unclaimed bodies of those who died on that Easter Tuesday are buried.

Nurse Emma Duffin

Nurse Emma Duffin, who had served in the Great War, contrasted death in that conflict with what she saw:

“(Great War casualties) had died in hospital beds, their eyes had been reverently closed, their hands crossed to their breasts. Death had to a certain extent been...made decent. It was solemn, tragic, dignified, but here it was grotesque, repulsive, horrible. No attendant nurse had soothed the last moments of these victims; no gentle reverent hand had closed their eyes or crossed their hands. With tangled hair, staring eyes, clutching hands, contorted limbs, their grey-green faces covered with dust, they lay, bundled into the coffins, half-shrouded in rugs or blankets, or an occasional sheet, still wearing their dirty, torn twisted garments. Death should be dignified, peaceful; Hitler had made even death grotesque. I felt outraged, I should have felt sympathy, grief, but instead feelings of revulsion and disgust assailed me.”

Major Seán O’Sullivan

Major Seán O’Sullivan, reported on the intensity of the bombing in some areas, such as the Antrim Road, where bombs “fell within fifteen to twenty yards of one another.” The most heavily-bombed area was that which lay between York Street and the Antrim Road..

His opinion was that the whole civil defence sector was utterly overwhelmed. Heavy jacks were unavailable. He described some distressing consequences, such as how “in one case the leg and arm of a child had to be amputated before it could be extricated”

In his opinion, the greatest want was the lack of hospital facilities. He went to the Mater Hospital at 2PM in the afternoon, 9 hours after the raid ended, to find the street with a traffic jam of ambulances waiting to admit their casualties. He spoke with Professor Flynn,(Prof Thomas Flynn a Newzealander based at the Mater hospital father of Errol flynn of Hollywood fame) 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.” O’Sullivan reported: “There were many terrible mutilations among both living and dead - heads crushed, ghastly abdominal and face wounds, penetration by beams, mangled and crushed limbs etc”. His report concluded with: “a second Belfast would be too horrible to contemplate’.

Gasworks Vacuum

To a Dún Laoghaire fireman the most haunting sight were not the horribly wounded dead, but those without a blemish. When the city’s gasworks exploded, there was a temporary vacuum. This smothered all fires and all life. Windows, slates, and all loose material were sucked from the houses. Those inside, mostly still lying in their beds, were lifeless, their eyes wide open with fright, and their mouths wide open seeking a breath. Normally, out of respect, you cover the faces of the dead, but in this case all cloth had been sucked away by the vacuum. Dún Laoghaire (pronounced DoonLAIRuh or, less accurately, Dunleary) is a seaside town and a ferry port situated some 12 km south of Dublin city centre, and is the administrative centre of the county of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. ... For other uses, see vacuum cleaner and Vacuum (musical group). ...

Refugees

220,000 fled from the city. Many “arrived in Fermanagh having nothing with them only night shirts”. 10,000 “officially” crossed the border. Over 500 received care from the Irish Red Cross in Dublin. The town of Dromara saw its population increase from 500 to 2,500. In Newtownards, Bangor, Larne, Carrickfergus, Lisburn and Antrim many thousands of Belfast citizens took refuge either with friends or strangers

Major O’Sullivan reported on a

“continuous trek to railway stations. The refugees looked dazed and horror stricken and many had neglected to bring more than a few belongings” … “Any and every means of exit from the city was availed of and the final destination appeared to be a matter of indifference. Train after train and bus after bus were filled with those next in line. 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. 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.”

Moya Woodside noted in her diary: “Evacuation is taking on panic proportions. Roads out of town are still one stream of cars, with mattresses and bedding tied on top. Everything on wheels is being pressed into service. People are leaving from all parts of town and not only from the bombed areas. Where they are going, what they will find to eat when they get there, nobody knows.”

Regrettably, there were those who took advantage of the misfortune of others. Cabinet Minister Richard Dawson Bates informed the cabinet of rack-renting of barns, and over thirty people per house in some areas.

Newspaper reaction

The Irish Times editorial on April 17: Logo of The Irish Times The Irish Times is Irelands newspaper of record, launched in the late 1850s. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ...

“Humanity knows no borders, no politics, no differences of religious belief. Yesterday for once the people of Ireland were united under the shadow of a national blow. 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? Yesterday the hand of good-fellowship was reached across the Border. Men from the South worked with men from the North in the universal cause of the relief of suffering.

Aftermath

Southern reaction

By 6AM; within two hours of the request for assistance, 71 fire men with 13 fire tenders from Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin, and Dún Laoghaire were on their way to cross the Irish border to assist their Belfast colleagues. In each station volunteers were asked for, as it was beyond their normal duties. In every instance, all volunteered. They remained for three days, until they were sent back by the Northern Ireland government. By then 250 fire men from Clydeside had arrived. (See: Clydeside's Ordeal by Fire by M. Chadwick) Firefighter in full turn out gear with a pickhead axe. ... Engine 4 - City of Chico, CA A Fire Engine is one of many specialized fire suppression apparatuses. ... Dundalk (Irish: Dún Dealgan) is the largest town in the Republic of Ireland and is the county town of County Louth, close to the border with Northern Ireland. ... Drogheda (Droichead Átha in Irish, meaning Bridge of the Ford) is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. ... Dún Laoghaire (pronounced Doonlairah or, roughly, Dunleary) is a seaside town and a ferry port situated 11 km (7 miles) south of Dublin in the council area of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown in County Dublin. ...

De Valera formally protested to Berlin. He followed up with his "they are our people" speech. This article is about the city in Germany. ...

“In the past, and probably in the present, too, a number of them did not see eye to eye with us politically, but they are our people – we are one and the same people – and their sorrows in the present instance are also our sorrows; and I want to say to them that any help we can give to them in the present time we will give to them whole-heartedly, believing that were the circumstances reversed they would also give us their help whole-heartedly …”

Frank Aiken, the Minister for Defence was in Boston, Massachusetts at the time. He gave an interview to the press there, saying: “the people of Belfast are Irish people too”. Frank Aiken (February 13, 1898 - May 18, 1983) was a senior Irish politician. ... The Minister for Supplies was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1939, to assist Ireland through the World War II, or The Emergency, as referred to by the Irish Government. ... City nickname: Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Official website: www. ...

Initial German radio broadcasts celebrated the raid. Luftwaffe pilot gave this description "We were in exceptional good humour knowing that we were going for a new target, one of England's last hiding places. Wherever Churchill is hiding his war material we will go…Belfast is as worthy a target as Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol or Glasgow." Lord Haw-Haw announced that "The Fuhrer will give you time to bury your dead before the next attack … ….Tuesday was only a sample." The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The Precinct in Coventry city centre For alternative meanings see: Coventry (disambiguation) Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Bristol is an English city and county and one of the three administrative centres of South West England (with Plymouth and Exeter). ... Glasgows location in Scotland Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... William Joyce (April 24, 1906 – January 3, 1946), known as Lord Haw-Haw was a fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during World War II. A condemned war-time traitor, he was controversially executed for treason. ...

German response

However it was not mentioned again. Instructions from Joseph Goebbels discovered after the war told them not to mention it. Adolf Hitler was astonished at the attitude of Eamon de Valera. Hitler did not want de Valera and Irish American politicans to encourage the United States to enter the war. Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) was Adolf Hitlers Propaganda Minister (see Propagandaministerium) in Nazi Germany. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Irish Americans are residents or citizens of the United States who claim Irish ancestry. ...

Eduard Hempel, the German ambassador called to the Irish Ministry for External Affairs, to offer sympathy and attempt an explanation. J.P. Walshe, assistant secretary, recorded that the German was "clearly distressed by the news of the severe raid on Belfast and especially of the number of civilian casualties". He stated that "he would once more tell his government how he felt about the matter and he would ask them to confine the operations to military objectives as far as it was humanly possible. 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". Eduard Hempel (1887–1972) was the German Ambassador to Ireland between 1937 and 1945. ... The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs (An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha) in the Irish Government. ...

Recriminations

There were those who sought to attribute blame for the calamity.

One claim was that the Germans located Belfast by heading for Dublin, which was not observing a blackout and following the railway lines north. Dr Brian Barton said "Government Ministers felt with justification, that the Germans were able to use the unblacked out lights in the south to guide them to their targets in the North." Dr Barton insists that Belfast was "too far north" to use radio guidance. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Others, such as Tony Gray in "The Lost Years" say that the Germans did follow their radio guidance beams. It seems strange that the railway line, and the railway telegraph wire which was used to call Dublin for help, remained intact if they were following it. Several accounts point out that Belfast, standing at the end of the long inlet of Belfast Lough, would be easily located. Belfast Lough (Loch Lao in Irish) is a large intertidal sea lough situated at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. ...

Another claim was that the Catholic population in general and the IRA in particular guided the bombers. Dr Brian Barton said: "the Catholic population was much more strongly opposed to conscription, was inclined to sympathise with Germany" and "there were suspicions that the Germans were assisted in identifying targets, held by the Unionist population. It is true that the bulk of the damage caused by the raids was in Protestant areas." and "The police, at the time reported seeing lights shining from the hills surrounding the city and thought it suspicious." Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the Irish Republican Army in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and opponents of the Treaty. ...

He is correct to say that the bulk of the damage caused by the raids was in Protestant areas. However many of the industries attacked, such as the Harland and Wolff Shipyards, had a policy of only employing Protestants. The areas adjoining these industries were Protestant.

This view was probably influenced by the decision of the IRA Army Council to support Germany. However they were not in a position to communicate with the Germans. Information recovered from Germany after the war showed that the planning of the blitz was based entirely on their own aerial reconnaissance. The IRA Army Council is the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA, a paramilitary group dedicated to the removal of the British presence in Ireland. ...

Firemen Return South

After three days, sometime after 6pm the fire crews from south of the border began making up their hose and ladders to head for home. By then most of the major fires were under control and the filemen from Clydeside and other British cities were arriving. Some had received food, others were famished. All were exhausted. Two of the crews received refreshments in Banbridge; others were entertained in the Ancient Order of Hibernians hall in Newry. Arms of Banbridge Banbridge (Droichead na Banna in Irish) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... Shield of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) is an Irish-Catholic fraternal organization. ... Newry (Irish: Iúr Chinn Trá) is the fourth largest city in Northern Ireland, and ninth in all-Ireland. ...

Belatedly in 1995 on the fiftieth anniversary of the ending of the Second World War an invitation was received by the Dublin Fire Brigade, addressed to any survivors of those historic days, to attend a function at Hillsborough Castle and meet Prince Charles. Only four of those who were there were still known to be alive at that time, one Tom Coleman, travelled north to receive some recognition for his colleagues' solidarity at such a critical time. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The official entrance of Hillsborough Castle Hillsborough Castle in County Down is a mansion in Northern Ireland. ... The Prince of Wales His Royal Highness The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales (born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ...

Later Raid

There was a later raid on May 4; it was confined to the docks and shipyards. Again the emergency services crossed the border, this time without an invitation. May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ...

Anecdote

Most civilian deaths during bombing raids are caused by falling masonry. The advice for those unable to use a bomb shelter was to go under their stairs. A staircase is the strongest internal structure. Many lives were saved by this advice. In the aftermath of a raid, bricks and debris from collapsed houses had to be removed to release those buried below under their staircase. One particular family were trapped in this way. They had been calling for assistance for some time. Eventually, to their relief, they heard digging overhead. They shouted for help. The replies were reassuring, even though they were in a strange accent. The family were perplexed. The conversation continued. In time, a brick was removed, they could see out. Looking up, they saw men in a strange uniform. “Who are you?” they enquired. “We are the Dublin fire-brigade” was the reply. “That must have been a mighty bomb – we have been blown all the way from Belfast to Dublin!”

Footnotes

Note 1: Richard Bates was drunk for most of each day. Source: The Belfast Blitz, 1941, Jonathan Bardon, Lecturer of History, Queens University, Belfast.

See also

• Aerial bombing of cities
• Harland and Wolff
• Belfast

The aerial bombing of cities became a common tactic in World War II. // Balkan Wars The first ever aerial bombardment was on October 16, 1912 by a Bulgarian military airplane during the Balkan Wars. ... Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries began as a shipyard located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... Belfast (Béal Feirste in Irish) is a city in the United Kingdom, and the second-largest city on the island of Ireland. ...

External links

• History Ireland

• BBC

• Extracts from an article on The Belfast Blitz, 1941. By Jonathan Bardon. Lecturer of History, Queens University, Belfast
  Account of the Belfast Blitz from a history of "THE DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE." By Tom Geraghty & Trevor Whitehead.

• Clydeside's Ordeal by Fire by M. Chadwick

• The Government of Northern Ireland

References

• B. Barton, The Blitz: Belfast in the war years (Belfast 1989).
• Tony Gray, The Lost Years: The Emergency in Ireland 1939-1945. ISBN 075152333X
• R. Fisk, In Time of War: Ireland, Ulster and the price of neutrality 1939-45 (Dublin 1983).
• R.S. Davison, ‘The Belfast Blitz’, The Irish Sword, Vol.XVI, No.63 (1985)