Belfast Blitz
The Belfast Blitz consisted of three 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 first was on the night of 7–8 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast's defences. The next took place on Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941, when 200 Luftwaffe bombers 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.
| Belfast Blitz | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Strategic bombing campaign of World War II | |||||
Rescue workers searching through rubble after an air raid on Belfast | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
| United Kingdom | Germany | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| |||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
|
~1,000 killed ~1,500 injured 30–50,000 houses damaged | |||||
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 on the following night, 5–6 May. In total over 1,300 houses were demolished, some 5,000 badly damaged, nearly 30,000 slightly damaged while 20,000 required "first aid repairs".