Sheffield College in support of 75th Anniversary of Sheffield Blitz

30th April 2015

The Sheffield Blitz is the name given to the worst nights of GermanLuftwaffebombing in Sheffield, England, during the Second World War.

It took place over the nights of 12 December and 15 December 1940. In 1940 Sheffield was a city of about 560,000 people and contained many heavy industries, primarily centred on steel and armaments. Hadfields steelworks was also the only place in the UK at that time where 18 inch armour piercing shells were made. Most of the factories were located in the East end of the city beside the River Don. Documents captured at the end of the war showed that the targets for the raids included the Atlas Steelworks, Brown Bayley Steelworks, Meadowhall Iron Works, River Don Works, Darnall Wagon Works, Tinsley Park Collieries, East Hecla Works and Orgreave Coke Ovens. The full moon was on 14 December 1940 and both blitz nights were cold and clear. The German code name for the operation was Schmelztiegel Crucible. 12 December raid On the afternoon of 12 December British monitoring stations detected X Verfahren (sometimes called X-Gerät) radio beams being laid across northern England and calculated that the likely target of the coming raid would be Sheffield.[1] The yellow alert was received at 6.15pm followed by the purple alert at 6.45pm. The red alert was sounded at 7pm.[1] The attack was made by three main groups of aircraft flying from airfields in northern France, including Cambrai. 13 Heinkel 111s from Kampfgruppe 100, the German Pathfinder unit arrived over the city at 7.41 p.m. and dropped 16 SC50 high explosive bombs, 1,009 B1 E1 ZA incendiaries and 10,080 B1 E1 incendiaries. The first incendiaries were dropped over the suburbs of Norton Lees and Gleadless.[1] The first main group was made up of three waves of 36 Junkers 88s and 29 Heinkel 111s. The second group was made up of 23 Junkers 88s, 74 Heinkel 111s and 7 Dornier 17s. The last group was made up of 63 Junkers 88s and 35 Heinkel 111s, a total of 280 aircraft. At about 9.30 p.m. a stick of bombs fell on Campo Lane and Vicar Lane, demolishing the West end of the Cathedral. At about 10.50 p.m. a 500 kg bomb fell on and destroyed the C&A building opposite the Marples Hotel in Fitzalan Square. At 11.44 p.m., The Marples Hotel itself received a direct hit. It is not known exactly how many people were killed but approximately 70 bodies were recovered from the rubble. This was the single biggest loss of life in the attacks.[1] The majority of the bombs on this night fell on the City Centre or on residential districts with the last bombs falling at 4am.[1] 15 December raid The second night of the Blitz saw the first use of a new German policy for their pathfinders. High explosive bombs were no longer carried and were replaced by incendiaries. On this night the pathfinder force was made up of 16 Heinkel 111s that dropped 11,520 B1 E1 incendiaries between 7 p.m. and 7.50 p.m. The 15 large and numerous small fires started were visible from 150 km away.[3] The main raid was carried out by 50 Heinkel 111s and 11 Dornier 17s. The raid finished at 10.15 p.m. Many steelworks received hits, including Hadfields, Brown Bayleys and Steel, Peech and Tozer Ltd, although the damage was not serious enough to affect production.[1] Aftermath In total over 660 people were killed, 1,500 injured and 40,000 made homeless. 3,000 homes were demolished with a further 3,000 badly damaged. A total of 78,000 homes received damage. Six George Medals were awarded to citizens of Sheffield for their bravery during the raids. 134 victims of the raids were buried in a communal grave in City Road Cemetery.[1] King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured the city soon after the raids to inspect the damage and boost morale amongst survivors. Prime MinisterWinston Churchill also toured the blitzed city, speaking through loudspeakers to a 20,000-strong crowd in Town Hall Square and giving his signature 'V' for 'Victory' V sign.[5] Further reading Lofthouse, Alistair (2001) Then & Now: The Sheffield Blitz - Operation Crucible Ald Design & Print ISBN 1-901587-09-6 Anderson, Neil (2010) Sheffield's Date With Hitler ACM Retro ISBN 978-0-9563649-3-7 Anderson, Neil (2012) Forgotten Memories From A Forgotten Blitz ACM Retro ISBN 978-1-908431-11-0 Background to this project - Its 75 years since German bombers targeted the Steel City and left behind a devastating path of destruction.  The Sheffield Blitz Memorial fund is appealing for donations and funds as match for a bid to go for Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) to be made to complete the 'Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trail'. The campaign aims to create visual memorials in tribute to those who lost their lives at key sites around the city centre, as there is nothing to mark the tragic events that changed the face of the city forever. One plaque was unveiled on the side of Sheffield's oldest independent store, Atkinsons, which along with the rest of the shops on the Moor, was completely decimated. Neil Anderson, author of 'Sheffield's date with Hitler' is the man behind the campaign. He said: -One of the first things we want to do is to raise the funds to put together a Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trail which will see the installation of highly visible plaques on key sites around the city centre. As well as marking war graves like the site of the Marples Hotel, it will help to educate people about the impact of the Blitz; what the city and its people went through and why the city centre looks as it does today, as so much of it had to be rebuilt. The story of devastation and destruction caused by the German bomb attack is best told by the facts and figures alone. The bomb campaign commenced on December 12th  1940, and after 330 German planes obliterated Sheffield, they returned on December 15th to wreak havoc on the industrial east end. The attacks lead to 2,160 people being killed or injured, a total of 77,624 homes damaged- almost 3,000 of which were completely wrecked. Eight of the city's schools were wiped out, 18 churches and 1,218 business premises were destroyed. Some of Sheffield's major steelworks were seriously damaged. Interestingly, at the time Sheffield was hit, it was home to Britain's most precious piece of war machinery- a giant 200 ton drop hammer. It was situated in the Vickers Works of the English Steel Corporation and was the only one of its kind in Britain. The hammer assisted in the construction of Spitfires, which eventually won the Battle of Britain. Although the Vickers works were targeted by bombers, the drop hammer survived. The trail of destruction began with bombs landing on residential areas such as Norton Lees and Gleadless with incendiaries causing a blazing inferno to sweep across Sheffield. As homes were being destroyed by the flames, Nether Edge Hospital also took direct hits, destroying one ward and leading to the death of several patients. One expectant mother gave birth to her baby underneath a bed for protection. The Luftwaffe then advanced to the city centre. Before the siren had sounded, the centre was bustling with people shopping due to the upcoming festivities, however it was quickly evacuated. By 4am that night, there wasn't a single premises on King Street or Angel Street that wasn't bombed or on fire. Stores such as Atkinsons and Marks and Spencer were completely wiped out. The greatest blow in terms of life loss and damage was at the Marples Hotel, which was at the time a popular nightspot in Fitzalan Square. Many people ignored the warning signs until a bomb landed nearby, forcing them to take shelter in the hotel cellar- thinking they would be protected and safe. The building's seven floors came crashing down when a bomb hit it, causing over 70 people to die. The motives of the Luftwaffe bombers have been questioned. Historians originally believed that Sheffield industrial east end were the primary targets. A German map plotting the bombings, illustrated in Neil Anderson's book 'Sheffield's date with Hitler' revealed that the heavy industry were only secondary targets. The attacks were to be concentrated on railways, hospitals and university buildings. This revelation means that the Sheffield Blitz was not just a tactical strike against the industrial force of the city, but a terror strike on the people of Sheffield. The launch of the book 'Sheffield's date with Hitler' became the basis for the BBC One documentary 'Sheffield- The Forgotten Blitz' which was broadcast in 2010, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the incident. Two years on, Neil's plans are set in motion: -We'd like to build a permanent interpretation/archive based around the Sheffield Blitz (hopefully at the National Emergency Services Museum currently under negotiation), a website and look towards future audio tours, leaflets, interpretation panels (approx 12 -15 sites), run oral history collection events in communities around the city centre with schools and other businesses, re-run of the Bluebird film that was cut short due to the Blitz and more. We'd ultimately like to fund a high profile memorial but realise this is likely to be more of a long-term aim. Andrew Cropley, Executive Director for Strategic Planning and Business Development, The Sheffield College, said: "We welcome the launch of the Sheffield Blitz 75th anniversary project and are keen to support it. As the largest training provider in the city, we have an interest in how the city was rebuilt following the devastation caused and how that connects to the future with our plans to develop a new Sustainable Living Construction Training Centre." Anyone wishing to make donations to the Sheffield Blitz Memorial Fund can do so via:- Nat West account number 52118665 and sort code 54-41-47 Cheques - 'Sheffield Blitz Memorial Fund' and should be sent c/o ACM Retro, The Grange, Church Street, Dronfield, Sheffield S18 1QB. Alternative offers of support, email:- michelle.macdonald@sheffcol.ac.uk.