“One doesn’t have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy or understanding are sufficient.” Charles M. Blow
Belfast, the city of my birth, was woefully prepared for the Luftwaffe. There was an arrogance that it was too far away to be hit. Foolish thinking given the significance of Belfast Harbour to the Allied war effort. It was one of the largest dry docks in Europe.
Belfast Blitz, April 1941
“Over 900 lives were lost, 1,500 people were injured, 400 of them seriously. Fifty-thousand houses, more than half the houses in the city, were damaged. Eleven churches, two hospitals and two schools were destroyed. These figures are based on newspaper reports of the time.
Belfast blitz was four attacks of high-casualty German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II. The first was on the night of 7-8 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast’s defenses. The next took place on Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941. Two hundred bombers of the Luftwaffe attacked , military and manufacturing targets in the city of Belfast. Some 900 people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. High explosive bombs predominated in this raid. Apart from those on London, this was the greatest loss of life in any night raid during the Blitz.
The third raid on Belfast took place over the evening and morning of 4-5 May 1941; 150 were killed. Incendiary bombs predominated in this raid. The fourth and final Belfast raid took place in the following night, 5-6 May.” Courtesy of Old Belfast Community Facebook page.