The Impact of the Belfast Blitz on Belfast

What was the impact of the Belfast Blitz in April/May 1941 on the city?

There was a sheet from a child's essay book, on the top of the page, it read 'the end of the world', it seemed appropriate as it was the end of the world as we knew it. - report from the Belfast telegraph after the fire raid on the 5th of May 1941.

The above quote shows the devastation that Belfast suffered after a major raid by the Luftwaffe in May 1941. As we will see this way a direct result of Belfast being completely unprepared for war with very poor protection. Outside of the city of London, Belfast suffered the greatest loss of life in one night raid during the Belfast Blitz. 900 people died and 600 were left injured after the second night of the raid. The government were poorly prepared for a potential attack from the german airforce and there were very few anti-aircraft guns and fire brigades and other emergency services were scant compared to other cities in the UK. Belfast was a major target for the German Luftwaffe because it housed the largest shipyard in the UK, ammunitions factories, an aircraft factory where 20,000 were employed, an engineering works which built churchill tanks and a linen factory which was important in producing military materials. The role of Belfast in the Second World War is not celebrated due to the fact that it was not a good time for the city mainly because they suffered greatly from the german attack due to being very unprepared.

Belfast was a clear target for the German Luftwaffe because of its large manufacturing facilities, Harland and Wolff was one of the largest shipbuilding yards in the world and it had constructed many ships for the Royal Navy including aircraft carriers such as the unicorn. This made the area a key target. Belfast shipyards built and repaired many vessels. Short brothers manufactured aircraft in the city, churchill tanks were built in the city and linen was manufactured for the British Military. War materials were...