Transcript Cardiff Docks

Wales’ appeal was based upon the assumption that it was too far to
the West to suffer from German bombing raids. The assumption proved
to be unfounded. Cardiff suffered its first raid in June 1940 and
during the following fifteen months thirty thousand buildings in the city
were damaged, Llandaff Cathedral among them.
The bombing of Cardiff Docks
Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: 85.25/60
A Luftwaffe Reconnaissance
photograph of Cardiff Docks
How has the dock area changed
over time?
Change over time
Look at the date when this
photograph was taken.
When did Britain declare war on
Germany?
What does this tell you about
German preparations for war and
the importance that was
attached to Cardiff Docks?
Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: 96.44
H.M.S. Cardiff (Guided Missile
Destroyer), berthed at Roath
Dock before being
decommissioned, July 2005.
This photograph gives you
a good idea of the size of
this one dock area and of
the types and size of
vessels that could have
been berthed at Cardiff
Docks during the war.
Cardiff Bay in 2005 as seen from roughly Point E on the
Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Photo.
Cardiff Bay in 2005 as seen from roughly Point F on the
Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Photo.
Why would the Luftwaffe have wanted to target Cardiff
Docks during the Second World War?
Click on each image to help you answer this question.
A Sea Hurricane being loaded at Cardiff Docks, c.1942
Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: 79.86/60
United States Soldiers disembarking at Cardiff Docks, 1943
Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: 79.89
A porter at Cardiff Docks during World War Two.
“One third of the nation’s vital imports and exports were channelled
through the South Wales ports…”
Can you think what some of those imports and exports would have been?
Image and information courtesy of Dennis Morgan
Over 300 bombs dropped on the Cardiff Docks area during the war
and thousands of mines were laid in the Bristol Channel.
Number of ships passing
through Cardiff Docks
between 1939 - 45
25,000
Tons of cargo handled
between 1939 - 45
25,000,000
Number of ships sailing
in and out of Penarth
between 1939 - 45
9,000
Statistics courtesy of Dennis Morgan, Cardiff: A City at War
If Cardiff Docks were so important, what else would have had to have
been developed to cope with the huge amounts of imports and exports?
Image and information courtesy of Dennis Morgan
SS Stresso following a raid on Cardiff Docks on 20th June, 1940
This was the first raid on Cardiff Docks carried out by the Luftwaffe.
16 bombs were dropped altogether by one lone raider.
Image courtesy of the Associated British Ports
San Felippe was sunk after a raid on Cardiff Docks on 9th July, 1940
Six men were killed when this ship was sunk. The tragedy is also
remembered because of the bravery of two men. Tim O’Brien jumped into
the hold of the burning ship three times to rescue his work mates.
J.N. Anderson also jumped onto the ship to help the injured men.
Image courtesy of the Associated British Ports
Look back at the photographs of the docks
taken in 1942-1943 and the shipping statistics.
Although lives were lost and shipping often
disrupted, do you believe that the docks had been
seriously affected by German bombing raids
during the war?
Yes
Reason
No
Even though Cardiff Docks may not have been seriously affected by
Luftwaffe raids, the merchant shipping vessels that played such a
crucial role during the war by bringing in food and supplies of raw
material, suffered enormously once out on the open seas.
The Docks around Wales were vital for the unloading of food and
other materials, but of 164 merchant ships that sailed from the
ports of South Wales, 123 were sunk by enemy action once at sea.
One Cardiff shipping firm (The Reardon Smith Company) had lost 33
of its 41 ships by the end of the war. Most had been torpedoed by
German U-Boats. The U-Boat menace was a serious threat to Britain
being able to continue the war.
You may like to view the U-Boat Presentation at this point.
Why bomb dock
areas within Wales?
The bombing
of Cardiff Docks
What were the effects of
bombing Cardiff Docks
END