Northern Ireland in the Second World War: the Belfast Blitz of 1941, the strategic and economic role of Northern Ireland, and the arrival of American troops.

What this dot point is asking

You need to explain how the Second World War affected Northern Ireland: the Belfast Blitz of 1941 and why it caused such heavy losses, the strategic value of Northern Ireland, its economic contribution, and the arrival of American troops. CCEA examiners reward precise knowledge of the Blitz and the defences, an understanding of Northern Ireland's importance to the war effort, and a judgement on why the losses were so severe.

The Belfast Blitz

The losses were so heavy because Belfast was very poorly defended. It had been assumed to be beyond the range of German bombers, so it had few anti-aircraft guns, no fighter cover, almost no searchlights and too few air-raid shelters. Little had been done to evacuate civilians. A major industrial city was therefore left exposed to a heavy attack.

The strategic role of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland was of great strategic value in the war, above all in the Battle of the Atlantic, the long struggle to keep the sea lanes open against German U-boats.

• Its ports and airfields were used as bases for the warships and aircraft that escorted convoys and hunted submarines.
• Its position on the western approaches made it vital for protecting the supply convoys from North America on which Britain depended.

This strategic value was sharpened by the fact that the ports of the neutral Eire (the Irish Free State, later the Republic) were closed to the Allies.

The economic contribution and American troops

Northern Ireland also contributed to the war effort through its industry. The Harland and Wolff shipyard built and repaired warships and merchant ships, the Short Brothers factory built aircraft, and farms supplied food. From 1942, large numbers of American troops arrived in Northern Ireland to train and prepare before the campaigns in Europe, the first American forces to be based in the United Kingdom, bringing change and a glimpse of a wider world to local communities.

Examples in context

Model causation paragraph. "The Belfast Blitz caused such heavy losses above all because the city was left almost undefended. It had been assumed that Belfast lay beyond the range of German bombers, so it had few anti-aircraft guns, no fighter cover and almost no searchlights, while there were too few shelters and little evacuation. When the heavy raids came in April and May 1941, a major industrial target, important for shipbuilding and aircraft, was exposed to attack, and around a thousand people were killed. Belfast was a worthwhile target, but the decisive reason for the scale of the losses was the poor state of its defences." This scores highly because it ranks the reasons and anchors them to precise evidence.

Try this

Q1. When was the Belfast Blitz and roughly how many were killed? [2 marks]

• Cue. In April and May 1941; around a thousand people were killed, one of the heaviest tolls outside London.

Q2. Why was Belfast so poorly defended? [2 marks]

• Cue. It had been assumed to be beyond the range of German bombers, so it had few guns, no fighter cover and too few shelters.

Q3. Why was Northern Ireland strategically important in the war? [3 marks]

• Cue. Its ports and airfields were vital in the Battle of the Atlantic, protecting the supply convoys, especially as Eire's ports were closed.