Bombing of Dublin in World War II
Encyclopedia
The first bombing of neutral Ireland
during World War II
took place on 26 August 1940, when the German
Air Force (Luftwaffe
) dropped bombs at Campile, County Wexford
killing three people. The first bombing of the city of Dublin occurred early on the morning of 2 January 1941 when German bombs were dropped in the Terenure
area of south Dublin. This was followed the next night by further German bombing of houses in Donore Terrace in the South Circular Road area of south Dublin in the early morning of 3 January 1941. Although a number of people were injured, no one was killed in these bombings. Later the same year, on 31 May 1941, four German bombs fell in north Dublin, with the greatest damage in the North Strand
area, killing 28 people.
and proclaimed "The Emergency". By July 1940 the United Kingdom
stood only with the Commonwealth against Germany
, after Germany’s military conquests of Poland
, Denmark and Norway (Operation Weserübung
), France and the Low Countries (Battle of France
), most of which had been neutral. By May 1941 the German Air Force
had bombed numerous cities in the United Kingdom, including Belfast
in Northern Ireland
in "The Blitz
". Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom was at war, but the independent state of Ireland was neutral. German area bombings
aimed in the direction of the British Isles
were reduced after the launch of Operation Barbarossa
in late June 1941.
. Lavarna Grove was still under construction at this time and the bomb fell on undeveloped ground with the nearby houses at nos. 25 and 27 Lavarna Grove suffering the worst damage. Only one person was slightly injured, and there was no loss of life.
One bomb fell in the Ballybough area, demolishing two houses at 43 and 44 Summerhill Park, injuring many but with no loss of life. A second fell at the Dog Pond pumping works near the Zoo
in Phoenix Park
, with no casualties but damaging Áras an Uachtaráin
, the official residence of the Irish President (Douglas Hyde
at the time). A third made a large crater in the North Circular Road near Summerhill, causing no injuries. A fourth, which was apparently a landmine, fell in North Strand
destroying 17 houses and severely damaging about 50 others, with the worst damage in the area between Seville Place and Newcomen Bridge. The raid claimed the lives of 28 people, injured 90, destroyed or damaged approximately 300 houses, and left 400 people homeless.
On 5 June, a mass funeral was held for 12 of the victims; Éamon de Valera
, the Taoiseach
, and other government officials attended. De Valera made a speech in the Dáil Éireann
(the lower house of the Irish Parliament) on the same day:
The then-West Germany
later accepted responsibility for the raid, and by 1958 it paid compensation of £327,000. Over 2,000 claims for compensation were processed by the Irish government, eventually costing £344,000. East Germany and Austria
, which were both part of Germany in 1941, made no contribution. The amounts were fixed after the 1953 Agreement on German External Debts
, allowing maximum compensation.
regulations, so the city would have been visible from the air, unlike Belfast. A limited blackout had been ordered as from 15 April. An Irish Department of Defence
report dated 16 July 1941 noted that un-blacked-out Irish lights were often used by the Luftwaffe as an "aid to navigation" towards Northern Ireland, and that: "...the lights on the south coast and Dublin were used as points of arrival and departure in synchronized timing."
German Radio, operated by the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
, broadcast that - "it is impossible that the Germans bombed Dublin intentionally". Irish airspace
had been violated repeatedly, and both Allied and German airmen were being interned at the Curragh. A possible cause was a navigational error and mistaken target. Numerous large cities in the United Kingdom were targeted for bombing, including Belfast, which like Dublin is across the Irish Sea
from Great Britain
. Navigational error, equipment malfunction, or weather may also have played a role. A pilot who was one of the pathfinders on the raid later recounted this as the cause of the raid. War-time Germany’s acceptance of responsibility and post-war Germany’s payment of compensation are cited as further indications that the causation was error on the part of the Luftwaffe pilots.
Irish neutrality in the Second World War was stretched. In April 1941, Germany had launched the Belfast blitz
. Belfast, in Northern Ireland and therefore part of the United Kingdom was bombed severely during April. In response, Ireland had sent rescue, fire, and emergency personnel to Belfast to assist the city, and De Valera formally protested the bombing to the German government and made his famous "they are our people" speech. Ireland's response must have seemed unexpected from a neutral state, and some have contended that the raid served as a warning to Ireland to keep out of the war. This contention was expanded upon by Colonel Edward Flynn, second cousin of Ireland's Minister for Coordination of Defensive Measures, who recalled to the press that Lord Haw Haw warned Ireland that Dublin's Amiens Street Railway Station
, where a stream of refugees from Belfast was arriving, would be bombed. The station, now called Connolly Station, stands a few hundred metres from North Strand Road, where the bombing damage was heaviest. He similarly contended that the German bombing of Dundalk
on 4 July was pre-warned by Lord Haw Haw as a punishment for Dundalk being the point of shipment of Irish cattle sold to the United Kingdom.
After the war, Winston Churchill
said that the British could interfere with direction finding
radio signals that the Luftwaffe used to guide bombers to their targets "The bombing of Dublin on the night of May 30, 1941, may well have been an unforeseen and unintended result of our interference with "Y"." He was referring to the Battle of the Beams
.
Some intelligence officials claimed that such interference caused the planes to hit Dublin. The technology, however, was not sufficiently well-developed by mid-1941 to have deflected planes from one target to another specific target, and could only limit the ability of bombers to receive the signals.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
took place on 26 August 1940, when the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Air Force (Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
) dropped bombs at Campile, County Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
killing three people. The first bombing of the city of Dublin occurred early on the morning of 2 January 1941 when German bombs were dropped in the Terenure
Terenure
Terenure is a mainly residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, largely in the administrative area of Dublin City Council but with parts in the administrative county of South Dublin County .-Location and transport:...
area of south Dublin. This was followed the next night by further German bombing of houses in Donore Terrace in the South Circular Road area of south Dublin in the early morning of 3 January 1941. Although a number of people were injured, no one was killed in these bombings. Later the same year, on 31 May 1941, four German bombs fell in north Dublin, with the greatest damage in the North Strand
North Strand
North Strand is an area of the inner city on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. The area is bounded roughly by East Wall to the east, Ballybough to the northwest, and Fairview to the north...
area, killing 28 people.
Background
At the beginning of the Second World War, Ireland declared its neutralityIrish neutrality during World War II
The policy of Irish neutrality during World War II was adopted by Dáil Éireann at the instigation of Éamon de Valera, its Taoiseach upon the outbreak of hostilities in Europe and maintained throughout the conflict. De Valera refrained from joining either the Allies or Axis powers...
and proclaimed "The Emergency". By July 1940 the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stood only with the Commonwealth against Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, after Germany’s military conquests of Poland
History of Poland (1918–1939)
The History of interwar Poland comprises the period from the re-recreation of the independent Polish state in 1918, until the joint Invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939 at the onset of World War II...
, Denmark and Norway (Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
), France and the Low Countries (Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
), most of which had been neutral. By May 1941 the German Air Force
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
had bombed numerous cities in the United Kingdom, including Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in "The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
". Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom was at war, but the independent state of Ireland was neutral. German area bombings
Area bombardment
In military aviation, area bombardment is aerial bombardment targeted indiscriminately at a large area, such as a city block or an entire city.Area bombing is a form of strategic bombing...
aimed in the direction of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
were reduced after the launch of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
in late June 1941.
Timeline of German bombings of the Irish state
Despite its neutrality, Ireland experienced a number of bombing raids:- 26 August 1940; Five German bombs were dropped on County WexfordCounty WexfordCounty Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
in a daylight raid. One bomb hit the Shelbourne Co-operative Creamery in CampileCampileCampile is a small village situated in the south of County Wexford, Ireland. It is nine miles outside the town of New Ross.Nearby exists the ruins of an old Cistercian abbey of Dunbrody.-Transport:...
killing three people . In 1943 the German government paid £9000 in compensation.. - 20 December 1940; Around 7.30pm two bombs fell in SandycoveSandycoveSandycove is an area of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Dún Laoghaire and Glasthule, but north of Dalkey.Sandycove is well-known for its gentlemen's bathing place, the Forty Foot, which in the past afforded a quiet swimming haven for males only...
near Dun LaoghaireDún LaoghaireDún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
(the first at the junction of Rosmeen Park and Summerhill Road and the second between Rosmeen Park and Rosmeen Gardens), injuring three people. A third bomb fell around 8pm near Shantonagh near CarrickmacrossCarrickmacrossCarrickmacross or Carrickmacros is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town and environs had a population of 4,387 according to the 2006 census, making it the second largest town in the county. The town won the prestigious European Entente Florale Silver Medal Award. It is a market town which...
in County MonaghanCounty MonaghanCounty Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, slightly injuring one person. - Night of 1–2 January 1941; bombs fell in Counties MeathCounty MeathCounty Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, CarlowCarlowCarlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
, KildareKildare-External links:*******...
, WicklowWicklowWicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
, WexfordWexfordWexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
and Dublin. Meath: five bombs fell at DuleekDuleekDuleek is a town in County Meath, Ireland, close to the Louth border.Duleek takes is name from the Irish word daimh liag, meaning house of stones and referring to an early stone-built church, St Cianan’s Church, the ruins of which are still visible in Duleek today...
and three bombs at JulianstownJulianstownJulianstown is a village in County Meath, Ireland. It is located near Drogheda on the R132 regional road not far from the Mosney Camp. In 1641, the battle of Julianstown was fought here during the Irish Rebellion of 1641...
, without casualties; Carlow: a house in Knockroe was destroyed, killing three people and injuring two others; Kildare:three high explosive bombs and many incendiary bombs fell in the CurraghCurraghThe Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also...
area; Wicklow: two sea mines were dropped by parachute near EnniskerryEnniskerryEnniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...
; Wexford: three German bombs fell near Ballymurrin without casualties; Dublin: German bombs hit TerenureTerenureTerenure is a mainly residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, largely in the administrative area of Dublin City Council but with parts in the administrative county of South Dublin County .-Location and transport:...
in Dublin, two falling at Rathdown Park, and two at Fortfield Road and Lavarna Grove, with injuries but no loss of life. - Night of 3 January 1941; Dublin was again hit by German bombers, with bombs falling in Donore Terrace in the South Circular Road area with 20 people injured, but no loss of life.
- 31 May 1941; four German bombs fell on North Dublin, with much damage in the North Strand area and 28 people killed.
- 2 June 1941, ArklowArklowArklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
was bombed by the Luftwaffe with no casualties. - 24 July 1941, Bombs fell on DundalkDundalkDundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
, causing only minor damage and no casualties.
The Terenure Bombing
Around 6am on 2 January 1941, two bombs were dropped in Rathdown Park, Terenure. The first bomb, which dropped behind the houses at the corner of Rathdown Park and Rathfarnham Road, landed in soft ground and created a large crater but caused little other damage. The second landed behind the houses at 25 and 27 Rathdown Park, destroying both and damaging many neighbouring houses. Two other bombs were dropped on the corner of Lavarna Grove and Fortfield Road, close to the Kimmage Crossroads (KCR)Kimmage
Kimmage is a small suburb on the Southside of Dublin near Crumlin, Greenhills, Harold's Cross, Rathfarnham, Templeogue, and Terenure. The name "Kimmage" comes from the Irish cam uisce, which means "winding" river. The River Poddle flows through Kimmage, and flows on to join the River Liffey...
. Lavarna Grove was still under construction at this time and the bomb fell on undeveloped ground with the nearby houses at nos. 25 and 27 Lavarna Grove suffering the worst damage. Only one person was slightly injured, and there was no loss of life.
The Donore Bombing
Just before 4am on the morning of 3 January 1941, a bomb fell at the rear of the houses at 91 and 93 Donore Terrace in the South Circular Road area of Dublin. Three houses were destroyed and about fifty houses damaged. Donore Presbyterian Church, the attached school and the Jewish Synagogue in Donore were also damaged. 20 people were injured, but there was no loss of life.The North Strand Bombing
Around 2am on 31 May 1941 four German bombs dropped on north Dublin.One bomb fell in the Ballybough area, demolishing two houses at 43 and 44 Summerhill Park, injuring many but with no loss of life. A second fell at the Dog Pond pumping works near the Zoo
Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo , in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland is the largest zoo in Ireland and one of Dublin's most popular attractions. Opened in 1831, the zoo describes its role as conservation, study, and education...
in Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
, with no casualties but damaging Áras an Uachtaráin
Áras an Uachtaráin
Áras an Uachtaráin , formerly the Viceregal Lodge, is the official residence of the President of Ireland. It is located in the Phoenix Park on the northside of Dublin.-Origins:...
, the official residence of the Irish President (Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde , known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn , was an Irish scholar of the Irish language who served as the first President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945...
at the time). A third made a large crater in the North Circular Road near Summerhill, causing no injuries. A fourth, which was apparently a landmine, fell in North Strand
North Strand
North Strand is an area of the inner city on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. The area is bounded roughly by East Wall to the east, Ballybough to the northwest, and Fairview to the north...
destroying 17 houses and severely damaging about 50 others, with the worst damage in the area between Seville Place and Newcomen Bridge. The raid claimed the lives of 28 people, injured 90, destroyed or damaged approximately 300 houses, and left 400 people homeless.
On 5 June, a mass funeral was held for 12 of the victims; Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, and other government officials attended. De Valera made a speech in the Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
(the lower house of the Irish Parliament) on the same day:
-
- Members of the Dáil desire to be directly associated with the expression of sympathy already tendered by the Government on behalf of the nation to the great number of our citizens who have been so cruelly bereaved by the recent bombing. Although a complete survey has not yet been possible, the latest report which I have received is that 27 persons were killed outright or subsequently died; 45 were wounded or received other serious bodily injury and are still in hospital; 25 houses were completely destroyed and 300 so damaged as to be unfit for habitation, leaving many hundreds of our people homeless. It has been for all our citizens an occasion of profound sorrow in which the members of this House have fully shared. (Members rose in their places.) The Dáil will also desire to be associated with the expression of sincere thanks which has gone out from the Government and from our whole community to the several voluntary organisations the devoted exertions of whose members helped to confine the extent of the disaster and have mitigated the sufferings of those affected by it. As I have already informed the public, a protest has been made to the German Government. The Dáil will not expect me, at the moment, to say more on this head.
The then-West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
later accepted responsibility for the raid, and by 1958 it paid compensation of £327,000. Over 2,000 claims for compensation were processed by the Irish government, eventually costing £344,000. East Germany and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, which were both part of Germany in 1941, made no contribution. The amounts were fixed after the 1953 Agreement on German External Debts
Agreement on German External Debts
London Agreement on German External Debts, also known as the London Debt Agreement, was a debt relief treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany on one part and on Belgium, Canada, Ceylon, Denmark, the French Republic, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Pakistan,...
, allowing maximum compensation.
Cause of the North Strand Raid
Several reasons for the raid have been asserted over time. Among the most discussed are: a navigational error; a deliberate attack in retaliation for Irish assistance to the victims of the Luftwaffe’s bombings of Belfast; a warning to Ireland not to assist Britain during the war or a deflection of radio beams on which the Luftwaffe relied. Unlike British cities Dublin was not subject to full blackoutBlackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
regulations, so the city would have been visible from the air, unlike Belfast. A limited blackout had been ordered as from 15 April. An Irish Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Ireland)
The Department of Defence is the department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for preserving peace and security in Ireland and abroad...
report dated 16 July 1941 noted that un-blacked-out Irish lights were often used by the Luftwaffe as an "aid to navigation" towards Northern Ireland, and that: "...the lights on the south coast and Dublin were used as points of arrival and departure in synchronized timing."
German Radio, operated by the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
The Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda was Nazi Germany's ministry that enforced Nazi Party ideology in Germany and regulated its culture and society. Founded on March 13, 1933, by Adolf Hitler's new National Socialist government, the Ministry was headed by Dr...
, broadcast that - "it is impossible that the Germans bombed Dublin intentionally". Irish airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
had been violated repeatedly, and both Allied and German airmen were being interned at the Curragh. A possible cause was a navigational error and mistaken target. Numerous large cities in the United Kingdom were targeted for bombing, including Belfast, which like Dublin is across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Navigational error, equipment malfunction, or weather may also have played a role. A pilot who was one of the pathfinders on the raid later recounted this as the cause of the raid. War-time Germany’s acceptance of responsibility and post-war Germany’s payment of compensation are cited as further indications that the causation was error on the part of the Luftwaffe pilots.
Irish neutrality in the Second World War was stretched. In April 1941, Germany had launched the Belfast blitz
Belfast Blitz
The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on the night of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941 during World War II. Two hundred bombers of the German Air Force attacked the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Nearly one thousand people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. In terms...
. Belfast, in Northern Ireland and therefore part of the United Kingdom was bombed severely during April. In response, Ireland had sent rescue, fire, and emergency personnel to Belfast to assist the city, and De Valera formally protested the bombing to the German government and made his famous "they are our people" speech. Ireland's response must have seemed unexpected from a neutral state, and some have contended that the raid served as a warning to Ireland to keep out of the war. This contention was expanded upon by Colonel Edward Flynn, second cousin of Ireland's Minister for Coordination of Defensive Measures, who recalled to the press that Lord Haw Haw warned Ireland that Dublin's Amiens Street Railway Station
Dublin Connolly railway station
Dublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. Opened in 1844 as Amiens Street Station, the ornate facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...
, where a stream of refugees from Belfast was arriving, would be bombed. The station, now called Connolly Station, stands a few hundred metres from North Strand Road, where the bombing damage was heaviest. He similarly contended that the German bombing of Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
on 4 July was pre-warned by Lord Haw Haw as a punishment for Dundalk being the point of shipment of Irish cattle sold to the United Kingdom.
After the war, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
said that the British could interfere with direction finding
Direction finding
Direction finding refers to the establishment of the direction from which a received signal was transmitted. This can refer to radio or other forms of wireless communication...
radio signals that the Luftwaffe used to guide bombers to their targets "The bombing of Dublin on the night of May 30, 1941, may well have been an unforeseen and unintended result of our interference with "Y"." He was referring to the Battle of the Beams
Battle of the beams
The Battle of the Beams was a period early in the Second World War when bombers of the German Air Force used a number of increasingly accurate systems of radio navigation for night bombing. British "scientific intelligence" at the Air Ministry fought back with a variety of increasingly effective...
.
Some intelligence officials claimed that such interference caused the planes to hit Dublin. The technology, however, was not sufficiently well-developed by mid-1941 to have deflected planes from one target to another specific target, and could only limit the ability of bombers to receive the signals.
External links
- North Strand Bombing website by Dublin City Archives.
- Terenure and Donore Bombing Records at Dublin City Archives.
- Bombing incidents in Ireland 1939-1945
- Campile Bombing web-site by Scoil Mhuire.