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The Swansea Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of
Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...
by the German ''
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
'' from 19 to 21 February 1941. A total of 230 people were killed and 397 were injured. Swansea was selected by the Germans as a legitimate strategic target due to its importance as a port and docks and the oil refinery just beyond, and its destruction was key to Nazi German war efforts as part of their strategic bombing campaign aimed at crippling coal export and demoralizing civilians and emergency services.


Bombing raids


First raid, June 1940

The first air raid on Swansea commenced at 3.30 am on 27 June 1940. An initial marker flare was dropped by a ''Luftwaffe'' plane, and the following bombers dropped high explosives to the east of the city centre in the Danygraig residential area. The raid was relatively light, with no casualties reported to the ARP controllers. A number of unexploded bombs were discovered in the Kilvey Hill area. There were a further 15 raids during the year, the heaviest of which, on 1-2 September, resulted in 33 deaths and 37 serious injuries.


The Three Nights' Blitz

In January 1941, after a series of small scale raids, on 17 January there was heavy bombardment resulting in 55 deaths and 38 serious injuries. German records show the raid involved 88 enemy aircraft dropping 178 high explosive bombs. There was substantial damage to residential and commercial areas of the town. The following month the most destructive period of bombing inflicted on Swansea during the war occurred over three nights on 19, 20, and 21 February 1941 in what became known as the ''Three Nights' Blitz'' starting at 7.30 pm on 19 February. On the first night, the building housing both the Regimental HQ of 79th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery and the Gun Operations Room (GOR) at Swansea was destroyed by a bomb. Two officers and five other ranks were killed or died of wounds, but the guns continued firing under local control, and communications were maintained. The second night of bombing saw the most concentrated loss of civilian life in the blitz on Swansea. At Teilo Crescent, in the Mayhill district of the town, 14 homes were destroyed and 24 residents as well as 6 firemen and civil defence volunteers perished. Altogether 38 people in the locality were killed during the raid. There was also extensive damage to the Mount Pleasant, Cwmbwrla and
Manselton Manselton () is a suburban area of Swansea, Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, ea ...
residential districts. On the evening of 21 February, there was confusion between the Sector Operations Room at
RAF Pembrey Pembrey Sands Air Weapons Range is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range located near the village of Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, northwest of Burry Port and south of Carmarthen, Wales. Adjacent to the weapons range site is a former Royal Air ...
and the temporary Swansea GOR. This resulted in the guns ceasing fire between 20.20 and 21.10, and as no Night fighters arrived, the town centre was left unprotected. Although some raiders were shot down once the restriction was lifted, the centre of Swansea was devastated, and fires and delayed-action bombs destroyed communications. By the time the "all clear" siren sounded after three days, 230 people were dead and 409 injured. Moreover, 7,000 people had lost their homes. The city centre suffered direct hits that started major conflagrations destroying many commercial premises, including the Ben Evans department store and the Victorian market. Over the three nights of the blitz, a total of nearly 14 hours of enemy activity were recorded. 1,273 high explosive bombs and 56,000 Incendiary bombs were estimated to have been dropped. An area measuring approximately 41 acres was targeted, with 857 properties destroyed and 11,000 damaged. To raise morale following the blitz, there were visits to Swansea by the King and
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
in March 1941, and the prime minister,
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
, the following month.


Further bombing

Swansea was the target for 11 more raids during 1941 and 1942. In total there were 40 bombing raids on Swansea during the war, the last of which occurred on 16 February 1943, causing 34 deaths and 111 injuries.


Notes


References


Basil Collier, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1957.
* * Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, . * Col J.D. Sainsbury, ''The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery, Part 2: The Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment 1938–1945 and the Searchlight Battery 1937–1945'', Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Trust/Hart Books, 2003, .


External links


BBCSwansea Blitz feature on YoutubeWarden remembers Swansea Blitz (BBC Wales)Scars of the blitz remain (BBC Wales)
{{WWII city bombing, state=autocollapse The Blitz History of Swansea 1941 in military history 1941 in Wales 20th century in Swansea 1940s in Glamorgan February 1941 in the United Kingdom