S-Plan facts for kids

The S-Plan, also known as the Sabotage Campaign or England Campaign, was a series of bombings and acts of sabotage in the United Kingdom. This campaign took place from 1939 to 1940. It was carried out by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The goal was to damage important buildings, transport systems, and military sites in Britain.

The idea for the S-Plan came from Seamus O'Donovan in 1938. He was asked by the IRA's leader at the time, Seán Russell. Russell and Joseph McGarrity are believed to have first thought of this plan in 1936. During the campaign, there were about 300 explosions or acts of sabotage. Sadly, 10 people died and 96 were injured.

Why the S-Plan Started

IRA Chief of Staff Seán Russell.

In 1938, Seán Russell became the leader, or Chief of Staff, of the IRA. He had been planning attacks on British soil since the mid-1930s. The IRA in Northern Ireland supported his idea to end the division of Ireland. However, the government in Northern Ireland started putting many IRA members in jail in December 1938.

Russell asked Seamus O'Donovan to create a plan for sabotage in Britain. O'Donovan was an expert in explosives from the "old IRA." His ideas became the S-Plan.

IRA Declares War

On December 17, 1938, a group claiming to be the "Government of the Irish Republic" announced something important. They said they had given their power to the IRA Army Council. This group believed they were the true government of all of Ireland. They did not accept the division of Ireland into two parts.

This announcement made it seem like the IRA's actions were those of a real government. In January 1939, the IRA officially declared war on Britain. They saw themselves as fighting against an occupying power.

Planning the Attacks

The S-Plan had clear instructions for destroying things in England. The goal was to stop all official activities and damage British defense sites.

The plan had two main parts:

• Propaganda: Spreading their message.
• Offensive (Military) Action: Carrying out attacks.

The plan listed six types of attacks:

• Destroying factories that made weapons.
• Damaging public services like transport, waterways, gasworks, and power stations.
• Attacking specific industrial buildings.
• Targeting many businesses.
• Attacking large newspaper companies.

The operations focused only on Great Britain. They happened in and around cities where IRA volunteers could blend in. No attacks were planned for Northern Ireland.

Training and Funding

Before the campaign, the IRA attacked British customs houses in Northern Ireland. On November 28 and 29, 1938, they blew up customs posts. Three IRA volunteers died when a bomb exploded too early.

Seán Russell shared O'Donovan's notes with IRA groups as official instructions. O'Donovan also helped train IRA volunteers in Dublin on how to make explosives. Patrick McGrath was a main instructor. He was later executed in Dublin in 1940.

The IRA teams were expected to raise their own money for missions. The volunteers were not paid. They had to support themselves while on missions.

The IRA had between 5,000 and 30,000 members at this time. They included both experienced and new recruits. Seán Russell went to the United States in March 1939 to get money and spread propaganda. He died on a German submarine in 1940.

Key Events of the S-Plan

On January 12, 1939, the IRA sent a warning to the British government. They said they intended to go to "war." When there was no reply, they posted a public announcement in Ireland on January 15. This announcement, written by Joseph McGarrity, declared war on Britain. It also asked Irish people to support the fight to remove the British from Ireland.

1939 Attacks Begin

• January 16: Five bombs exploded in London and three in Manchester. One person died in Manchester.
• January 17: Bombs hit electricity pylons and power stations, causing power cuts. Security was increased at important sites across England.
• February 4: Two bombs exploded in London Underground stations. This caused panic, but no deaths. The British government started arresting many people.
• February 5: Fires started in four department stores in Coventry. Police found the S-Plan document itself after arrests.
• February 8: The Irish government introduced new laws to stop IRA activity. These laws allowed people to be jailed without trial.
• March 2: Bombs damaged aqueducts for canals in London and Staffordshire.
• March 29: Two bombs exploded on Hammersmith Bridge in London, causing a lot of damage.
• April 10: The IRA announced that their attacks were avoiding casualties. They warned this could change if Britain took "extreme measures."
• May 5: Tear gas bombs exploded in cinemas in Liverpool, injuring 15 people. Four bombs exploded in Coventry.
• June 9-10: Letter bombs exploded in many postboxes and post offices across Britain.
• June 24: Several bombs exploded in London, targeting banks. The British government introduced the Prevention of Violence Bill. This bill gave them powers to deport Irish people and make them register with the police. They said 127 attacks had happened since January.

Summer and Autumn 1939

• July 3: Seven bombs went off in railway stations in the Midlands. No one was seriously injured.
• July 26: Bombs exploded in London's King's Cross and Victoria stations. One man lost his legs and later died, and 17 people were injured. This sped up the new Prevention of Violence law.
• August 3: The IRA announced they would continue their campaign for another two and a half years.
• August 25: The 1939 Coventry bombing killed 5 people and injured 70. This was a major event.
• September 3: The UK declared war on Germany, and the Emergency Powers Act was passed.
• December 11: A trial began in Birmingham for five people accused of murder in the Coventry bombing. James McCormick and Peter Barnes were sentenced to death. This led to more IRA attacks on post offices and mail trains.

1940 Attacks and End of Campaign

• February 6: More mailbag explosions happened in London and Birmingham. These were seen as revenge for the death sentences.
• February 7: McCormick and Barnes were hanged in Birmingham Prison. Many protests followed.
• February 23: Two explosions in London's West End injured 13 people.
• March 6: A bomb was set off at Park Lane Bank in London.

German Involvement

It is unlikely that German intelligence, called the Abwehr, helped create the S-Plan. They only became interested after the bombing campaign started. Germany was frustrated by the IRA's attacks on civilian targets. They wanted attacks that would actually harm Britain's ability to fight a war.

German intelligence chief Wilhelm Canaris lost faith in trying to use the IRA to infiltrate England. The IRA's help with military information was described as very poor. For example, a report on German bombing damage in Belfast was found by British authorities and never reached Germany.

Why the S-Plan Ended

The Coventry bombing on August 25, 1939, which killed five people, effectively marked the end of the campaign's main phase. By late 1940, new laws in Ireland and Britain weakened the IRA. Many members were jailed in Ireland or arrested and deported from Britain. About 119 people were deported.

Increased security around important targets in Britain also made it harder for the IRA to operate. It became difficult to get explosives and other materials into Britain. This led to more improvised devices, which were riskier and easier to discover. The campaign also caused a lot of anti-Irish feeling among the British public.

All these factors caused the attacks to slow down by early to mid-1940. The death of Seán Russell in August 1940 also contributed to the campaign fading out.

The main result of the S-Plan was the Prevention of Violence Act in Britain. This law allowed the Home Secretary to deport people suspected of being linked to the IRA. It also made Irish workers in arms factories register with the police. This act stayed in force until 1954. It was later brought back in 1974 to fight new IRA attacks.

Images for kids

• 

  Seamus O'Donovan prepared the S-Plan.

See also

• Fenian Dynamite Campaign
• Northern Campaign
• Border Campaign
• Christmas Raid
• Irish Republican Army – Abwehr collaboration in World War II