In April 1941, Belfast suffered the first of four air attacks by the German air force, the Luftwaffe. An offensive that took the unprepared and defenseless town by surprise. Aerial bombardments caused more than 1,000 deaths, as well as the destruction of many of the city’s buildings.
This surprise attack, which took place between April and May 1941, was experienced as a real trauma in Northern Ireland. An episode now infamously known as the “Belfast Blitz”.
Belfast before the Blitz
Belfast, 1941. World War II rages on.
Northern Ireland, although an integral part of the United Kingdom, declared itself neutral in the conflict (on the model of the Republic of Ireland to the south), while England became deeply involved in the war.
During this period, the UK was undergoing violent bombing campaigns. The Luftwaffe, the German air fleet, stepped up its attacks to destabilize Great Britain, targeting its cities and strategic industrial infrastructures.
Cities targeted include London, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Swansea; while Belfast is a regular landing place for German aircraft. (Some English garrisons are stationed near Belfast, but remain static).
However, Belfast remains a strategic location for the war. The city made a huge contribution to the Allied war effort, thanks to its gigantic shipyards, as well as its production of munitions and military aircraft.
For the Nazis, Belfast is clearly a place to be destroyed. A massive bombardment would enable them to greatly limit the UK’s field of action.
It was then decided to attack the town…
Luftwaffe aircraft under bombardment
The first raid on Belfast took place on April 7, 1941. A few weeks earlier, John MacDermott, Minister for Security, tries to alert Prime Minister John Andrews, explaining that Belfast is vulnerable to any potential attack… A warning unfortunately ignored…
The first deliberate raid took place on the night of April 7. It targets the city’s waterfront, affecting nearby residential areas in the process. Six Heinkel He 111 bombers from Kampfgruppe 26, flying at 7,000 feet, dropped incendiaries, high explosives and parachute mines.
The biggest loss was a 1.8-hectare plant dedicated to the manufacture of fuselages for Short Stirling bombers.
After the attack, Luftwaffe crews returned to their base in northern France and reported that Belfast’s defenses were “inferior, scarce and inadequate”.
Overall, the raid caused relatively little damage, but gave the Germans an idea of just how vulnerable Belfast remains.
The Belfast Blitz
The Germans decided to continue the offensive on Tuesday April 15, 1941. From then on, almost 150 German bombers flew overhead. The sirens went off, causing panic among the population.
The Germans then attacked the Belfast shipyards first. Three ships nearing completion at Harland and Wolff’s are affected, as is a power station.
Wave after wave, the planes meticulously attacked Belfast’s strategic bases: the shipyards, City Hall, Ulster Hospital, York Road station… Over 55,000 homes were hit by the bombs.
Heavily bombed downtown streets include High Street, Ann Street, Callender Street, Chichester Street, Castle Street, Tomb Street, Bridge Street, Rosemary Street, Waring Street, North Street, Victoria Street, Donegall Street, York Street , Gloucester Street and East Bridge Street.
From then on, the city burned. Local firefighters are running out of water to save their infrastructure from the flames.
And therein lies the problem: despite being the second raid, Belfast remains defenseless and unable to defend itself against the attack. There’s no opposition.
The bombs continued to fall until 5am.
By the end of the attack, the damage was considerable: over 900 dead and the city on fire. It was one of the deadliest night raids in the history of the Second World War.
The third attack continued the following month, on the night of May 4-5, 1941. Incendiary bombs destroyed the last of the town’s infrastructure, killing over 150 people.
The final attack of the Belfast Blitz took place on the night of May 5-6, 1941, in the wake of the third attack. The Nazis bomb at every turn. For Belfast, it’s the coup de grâce: over 52% of the city has been razed to the ground since the first attacks.
The town is destroyed by the Belfast Blitz
Although the Belfast Blitz resulted in a large number of deaths and injuries, the population proved extremely resilient and began rebuilding their city soon after the fighting ended. Despite these efforts, the economic and social situation remained very vulnerable following the German invasion.
Local authorities have pledged to rapidly rebuild a large part of the neighborhoods affected by the attack. Projects such as urban development, street cleaning and the restoration of factories that used to produce paper, synthetic rubber and other industrial products have put several vital sectors back into operation to stimulate economic recovery.
The Belfast Blitz not only had an impact on the city’s current infrastructure, but also had a lasting effect on the collective memory of its inhabitants. It is widely regarded as a landmark date when residents came together to rebuild their city while it was still battered by air raids.
Belfast suffered a similar fate to some British cities such as London, which also underwent a massive Luftwaffe bombing campaign during the conflict. Interestingly, despite the absence of military forces defending Belfast during this troubled period, the city held its own against German assaults by adopting a strategy based on individual efforts to contribute to the common cause.
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