Greenock Blitz facts for kids
The Greenock Blitz was a terrible event during World War II. It was when the German air force, called the Luftwaffe, heavily bombed the town of Greenock, Scotland. This happened over two nights, May 6th and 7th, in 1941. The German planes aimed for the important shipyards and ships docked nearby. However, most of the bombs hit homes and neighborhoods instead.
During these two nights, 271 people sadly lost their lives. More than 10,200 people were injured. Out of 180,000 homes in the area, almost 25,000 were damaged. A shocking 5,000 homes were completely destroyed.
Contents
First Night of Bombing: May 6th
The attack on Greenock started around midnight on May 6th. About 350 German bombers flew over the town. Bombs fell across Greenock and the areas around it. Streets like East Crawford Street and Belville Street were badly damaged. Many people found safety by hiding in tunnels in the eastern part of town. This wise decision helped save many lives on the second night.
Second Night of Bombing: May 7th
Air raid sirens blared at 12:15 AM on May 7th. This signaled the start of another night of bombing. First, the planes dropped fire bombs around the edges of the town. A second group of planes then attacked the east end and center of Greenock. A large distillery on Ingleston Street had caught fire from the first bombs. This huge blaze acted like a bright light, guiding the rest of the German bombers. The final wave of planes arrived around 2 AM. They dropped powerful high-explosive bombs and parachute land mines. These caused widespread destruction across the town.
At 3:30 AM, the "All Clear" signal finally sounded. But a large part of Greenock was burning. Important places like sugar refineries, the distillery, and foundries were severely damaged. The Greenock Municipal Buildings complex was partly destroyed. Several churches were left as burnt-out shells. Luckily, the damage to the shipyards, which were the main targets, was very small.
How a Decoy Site Helped
A clever trick helped save even more lives during the Greenock Blitz. The Air Ministry had set up a special decoy site behind Loch Thom. This site was designed to look like a burning town. It was lit up on the second night of the bombing. The decoy had many piles of burning materials spread out over the moorland. This made it seem like a large city was on fire. After the air raids, many huge bomb craters were found at this decoy site. This showed that the trick worked, drawing bombs away from Greenock.
Brave Firefighters Honored
Three local firefighters showed great bravery during the Greenock Blitz. They were awarded the George Medal for their courageous actions. This medal is given to people who show great courage when they are not in battle.
