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Sunderland in world war 2

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Scotty said:
no, you said they were 'encouraged' to drop reamaining payloads over Sunderland - i was merely pointing out that this was unlikely.

And i think you're giving 1940's navigation too much credit.

This was 1940 when bombing the right country was classed as a success.
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But that would suggest the area around Sunderland would become a target, what with the Durham Coal Fields, the shipyards and the port... that's a lot of targets spread over a decent space but still relatively highly concentrated.

I am not saying it is gospel, but I have definitely read it somewhere, and I'm 95% sure it was on a BBC documentary at one point. The suggestions was they would come up the country, towards Manchester/Liverpool then exit British airspace as quickly as possible, which would take them over the NE, and any bombs left would be dumped here. Again I am no historian but I can read and watch TV... so I am only repeating this info. I could be wrong, but only if what I have read or seen is wrong (which I am not ruling out).
 

Vinny the Mackem said:
I had a quick look at the diary. Not had time to go through it all, but there is a rogue bomber incident on 9 August 1940.

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sporadic raids that day because of the weather and because the next day was 'Adler Tag'. It was shot down by a 79 squadron hurricane (i think a Hurri)

Scotty said:
sporadic raids that day because of the weather and because the next day was 'Adler Tag'. It was shot down by a 79 squadron hurricane (i think a Hurri)
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I'll reply to myself, Adler Tag was actually pushed back til the 13th because of the weather - which meant sporadic raids only from the 8th to the 12th
 
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the bastars bombed me grandads chip shop... fact

well documented that sunderland was targeted during world war 2, some good photos on the thread
 
Have just bought 'The Luftwaffe war diaries' by Cajus Bekker - once delivered i'll see what is has to say (if anything) about specific raids during the BoB

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details of the big 15th August raid by Luftflotte 5 on the NE

Vinny the Mackem said:
I had a quick look at the diary. Not had time to go through it all, but there is a rogue bomber incident on 9 August 1940.

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a HE111-H3 of KG26 piloted by Unteroffizier (sergeant) O. Denner - shot down 9/8/40 by a Hurricane of 79 Squadron
 
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The North Dock was bombed by Zeppelins during WW1, I've got a recording of my grandad talking about it somewhere (he lived on Whickham Street at the time).
 
I love and hate these threads in equal measures. As well as the book mentioned above i've now gone and purchased 'Broken Eagles 2'

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damn you SMB, making me spend money

:)
 
Just looking at those maps there's quite a few bombings missed out. Just been getting it from the horses mouth as it were. Me grandparents lived in May Street, Milfield and I remember when we used to walk there from Cleveland Road that there were large gaps inbetween houses that were referred to as 'bomb sites' where a house had been bombed out and then later demolished.
Just spoke to me mam who was a young teenager during the war and she told me about me grandad who when not working his shift in the yards, was an ARP. When a house was bombed out in Lily Street he was sent so he could make sure his family were OK. However, there was one massive hole in the housing stock at the top of May Street taking out houses through from Deptford Road, Headley Street and Milburn Street. This was commonly referred to as 'the bomb site' when we were bairns and playing on it. Grandad said it was a landmine that had taken them all out - he was one of the first on the scene and broke his heart as he removed the broken body of a bairn he knew out of the rubble. Quite a grizzly job and something that was never discussed.

Also me man's memories are at odds with raids always being in the morning, as she regales the stories of coming back from the Youth Club from a church down Matamber Terrace way. Her and her friends used to stop off at the chippy then having to run home as the raids were going on hitting the yards with shrapnel from the ack ack guns hitting the cobbles as she ran. Bit mad when you think of it as she was running closer to where the bombs were likely to be aiming for ......

At the early stages of the war she was evacuated to Wakefield for 18 months, but came back probably 1942 to find she had a new sister!!! Raids were fewer after her return but they were still happening ...
 
Dougal said:
Just looking at those maps there's quite a few bombings missed out. Just been getting it from the horses mouth as it were. Me grandparents lived in May Street, Milfield and I remember when we used to walk there from Cleveland Road that there were large gaps inbetween houses that were referred to as 'bomb sites' where a house had been bombed out and then later demolished.
Just spoke to me mam who was a young teenager during the war and she told me about me grandad who when not working his shift in the yards, was an ARP. When a house was bombed out in Lily Street he was sent so he could make sure his family were OK. However, there was one massive hole in the housing stock at the top of May Street taking out houses through from Deptford Road, Headley Street and Milburn Street. This was commonly referred to as 'the bomb site' when we were bairns and playing on it. Grandad said it was a landmine that had taken them all out - he was one of the first on the scene and broke his heart as he removed the broken body of a bairn he knew out of the rubble. Quite a grizzly job and something that was never discussed.

Also me man's memories are at odds with raids always being in the morning, as she regales the stories of coming back from the Youth Club from a church down Matamber Terrace way. Her and her friends used to stop off at the chippy then having to run home as the raids were going on hitting the yards with shrapnel from the ack ack guns hitting the cobbles as she ran. Bit mad when you think of it as she was running closer to where the bombs were likely to be aiming for ......

At the early stages of the war she was evacuated to Wakefield for 18 months, but came back probably 1942 to find she had a new sister!!! Raids were fewer after her return but they were still happening ...
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It says they are compiled from photos so I don't think it's comprehensive.
 
fishboy said:
Monkwearmouth station ( next to St. Peter's ) was bombed by a Zeppelin in ww1
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Dresden was flattened in retaliation for Coventry, I was there last year ago and all the buildings have been re-built since the German unification to look as they did pre-war. Beautiful city, much better that the concrete shite we build.
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Did you pop into Colditz? Its halfway between Dresden and Leipzig about 5m off the autobahn.

Stevie Freestein II said:
We could have had this in Sunderland if the Luftwaffe/Sunderland Council (delete as applicable depending on cynicism level) had done its job properly:

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Spent a crakin day in the sun wandering around that area a couple of years back. Then bought one of the top ten worst hangowers Ive ever had in my life that night.
 
muggboots said:
It says they are compiled from photos so I don't think it's comprehensive.
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That'll explain then .......... I suppose after a raid the Sunderland Echo photographer would be too busy taking pictures of the worst damage and probably wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the yards ........
 
The dummy site at West Herrington was pretending to be Sunderland Forge according to my dad. He reckons his marras dad had the job of keeping it in repair or believable or summit.

redgauntlet said:
Censorship.
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Damage wasnt reported so that the Germans would think theyd "missed" by getting their calculations wrong.
Same thing happened in London. Long range rocket damage to central London was reported as being hits out Watford Way. The Germans then supposedly altered their range and bombed the fuck out of SE London/NW Kent.
 
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Burleigh and wear garth had air raid shelters underneath them, creepy as fuck. Candles still stuck to the walls and that

Yes, they used to bomb the docks the bastards.
 
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