The third significant raid on Belfast took place on the night of 4–5 May. Just before midnight the air raid siren warned people of the incoming attack. Many had already taken the precaution of fleeing the city, and by the time the German planes started dropping their bombs at 1 am most of the city’s population had reached cover. The Luftwaffe’s main targets were the shipyards and Short’s aircraft factory. Two hundred and fifty bombers dropped more than 230 tonnes of high explosives, incendiaries and mines on the docklands.
The city was engulfed in a firestorm that destroyed or damaged much of the harbour area. The Memel Street air raid shelter was hit, killing all those inside. In total 200 people were killed. Harland and Wolff and Short’s were extensively damaged and had to shut down while repairs could be carried out.
A family takes shelter during the air raid.
This was the final large-scale raid on Belfast for the remainder of World War II. By the summer of 1941 Hitler had abandoned plans to invade Britain and was focused instead on the USSR. Despite there only being three large raids, Belfast had suffered greatly. 100,000 people were temporarily made homeless, and over 50% of housing was damaged or destroyed. An estimated £20 million worth of damage was done to private property and businesses.
More than half of the city’s housing was damaged in the German raids.
THE PURSUIT OF SOVEREIGNTY AND THE IMPACT OF PARTITION, 1912–1949 241
