Birmingham Blitz

Birmingham Blitz

The Birmingham Blitz was the heavy bombing by the Nazi German Luftwaffe of the city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, beginning on August 9, 1940 and ending on April 23, 1943.


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Situated in the Midlands, Birmingham is an important industrial and manufacturing location and is also heavily populated, being the UK's second largest city. 2,241 people were killed, and 3,010 seriously injured. A further 3,682 sustained lesser injuries. 12,391 houses, 302 factories and 239 other buildings were destroyed, with many more damaged. Overall, around 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Birmingham making it the third most heavily bombed city in the United Kingdom in World War II, only behind London and Liverpool. Official figures state that 5,129 high explosive bombs and 48 parachute mines landed on the city, although there are no figures for the number of incendiary bombs that were dropped. Of the high explosive bombs, around one fifth failed to detonate and one third of the parachute mines were left suspended after the parachute cords became caught in various obstacles such as trees. [cite web |url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ELibrary?E_LIBRARY_ID=61&a=1080741348832 |title=Architecture & Austerity - Birmingham 1940-1950 |month=February |year=1995 |author=Birmingham City Council Department of Planning and Architecture |publisher=Birmingham City Council |accessdate=2008-08-23]

The first fatality of the bombing in Birmingham was a soldier in Erdington, home on leave from his unit. That night, eight bombs were dropped by a single German plane. It is believed the intended target was Fort Dunlop or Bromford Tubular Rolling Mills.

Important industrial targets

Other targets included:Dunlop, Lucas, Metro-Cammell, Morris Commercial, British Timken, Hudson's Whistles and the Monitor Radio Company.

Aftermath

The massive bomb damage on civilian housing in Birmingham led to the development of many large housing estates across the city for some 20 years after the Second World War. These neighbourhoods included Castle Vale and Chelmsley Wood. Some of the bomb-damaged inner city areas such as Ladywood and Highgate were redeveloped with modern housing after the war.

References

*"The Story of Erdington - From Sleepy Hamlet to Thriving Suburb", Douglas V. Jones, 1989, Westwood Press (ISBN 0-948025-05-0)

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/40/a5101840.shtml A girl’s memory of evacuation]
* [http://www.birminghamstories.co.uk/story_page.php?id=1&type=s&page=1&now=0 Birmingham - the workshop of the war]
* [http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/conflict/elphickblitz.asp Bombing account]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A1061740 More information]
* [http://www.channel4.com/fourdocs/film/film-detail.jsp?id=37085 Recollections of eye witnesses (video)]


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