The History of Bombs and Manchester

Throughout the history of Manchester the cityand sixty-five warehouses, two hundred
has been the target of bombers.businesses premises and one hundred and fifty
During World War II, the Luftwaffe had targetedoffices.
Manchester with an onslaught of air raids. ThisManchester Cathedral and other historical parts of
was due to the fact factories in Manchesterthe city, including houses were severely damaged
where at the forefront of providing ammunitionwith the death toll nearly reaching four hundred.
and machinery to the war.Manchester also faced attacks from Irish
Here is an example of some of the factoriesRepublicans spanning from 1867 to 1996. The
involved and their contribution to the war effort.Manchester Martyrs detonated a bomb in 1867,
The casting and machining expertise at Beyer,arson in the 1920's and a series of explosions in
Peacock and Company's locomotive works in1939.
Gorton was switched to bomb making.On the 15th June 1996 the largest bomb to be
Dunlop's rubber works in Chorlton-on-Medlock wasdetonated on mainland England was planted next
issued to make barrage balloons.to a department store in the City Centre of
In Trafford Park, engineers Metropolitan-VickersManchester. The bomb was planted by the IRA
manufactured Avro Lancaster bombers and Fordand injured over two hundred people.
built the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines to powerBuildings and windows up to ½ a mile away
them.were greatly damaged by the explosion and a
Between the 22nd and 24th December 1940 anrough estimate of the cost of the damage
estimated 467 tons of explosives including wellcaused was £50 million.
over 37,000 incendiary bombs were dropped onHowever after revision the total cost was
Manchester.£400 million with many businesses never
The barrage of bombing destroyed one hundredrecovering from the affects of the bomb.