Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: 85.25/60 The bombing of the city of Cardiff 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.

“Measures were taken to defend Cardiff before the full fury of the Blitz began. Anti-aircraft guns were ringed around the city and rocket guns on Ely Racecourse were strategically placed to deter low flying aircraft. Mobile guns on lorries were also deployed.” A Light Anti-Aircraft (A.A.) Gun Photograph courtesy of Swansea Museum Dennis Morgan, Cardiff: A City at War (1998)

A Barrage Balloon over Cathays Park. How effective do you think barrage balloons were in protecting Cardiff from Luftwaffe bombers? Talking Point: How did a barrage balloon work? Image courtesy of Cardiff Council Libraries and Information Service

Croft Street and Rose Street, January 1941 Image courtesy of Dennis Morgan On the 2 nd January Cardiff was bombed by about 100 German aircraft. High explosives and parachute mines caused extensive damage.

2 nd January, The attack began at 6:37 p.m. Flares fell first, followed by incendiary bombs and eventually the thud of high explosives and parachute mines. “Riverside was the first suburb of Cardiff to feel the full onslaught of the Luftwaffe. The district suffered the heaviest casualties in the city as more than 60 people lost their lives in the first half hour of the raid….seven people lost their lives when a landmine struck their house…another seven people were killed in another house….a high explosive bomb hit the bakery and thirty-two people in the basement were killed….the gasworks in Grangetown was lit up by flames.” Dennis Morgan, Cardiff: A City at War (1998) How many people were killed at just these three locations?

2 nd January, :00 p.m. A parachute was noticed drifting towards Llandaff Cathedral. Some people thought that it was a German airman who had bailed out of his aircraft. “ Probably the cords of the parachute became entangled in the spire of the cathedral before a landmine exploded outside the south porch….A huge crater erupted among the ancient graves in the churchyard and tombstones were hurled like ancient missiles more than half a mile away.” Dennis Morgan, Cardiff: A City at War (1998) Oak doors had been split and the whole of the nave had been unroofed. The inside of the cathedral was covered with debris, including shattered slates, stained glass window fragments and shattered timber. What do the past few slides tell you about the intensity of bombing on the 2 nd January, 1941?

Image courtesy of Dennis Morgan A view of the destruction caused by the landmine that fell on Llandaff Cathedral Llandaff Cathedral - old and new

Click here to compare the old and the new NGfL Cymru

Click here for a view of the interior of the nave

2005 The devastated interior of the nave of Llandaff Cathedral compared with the rebuilt nave, complete with Jacob Epstein’s concrete arch and aluminium statue of Christ in Majesty. Image courtesy of Dennis Morgan NGfL Cymru

Only Coventry Cathedral sustained more damage than Llandaff during World War Two. The Dean of the Cathedral could not find his steel air raid helmet when the raid began and so had to place a colander on his head to protect himself. Unfortunately, he did sustain injuries none-the-less, along with the Cathedral Verger who was knocked over by the blast and covered in debris. Memorial Stone at Llandaff Cathedral

Bomb damaged Bute Street, opposite Bute Street Station. April Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: 79.85/60

Bomb damage near the Heath Hotel, Allensbank Road. Photograph courtesy of The National Museums and Galleries of Wales, ref: 85.25/60

‘A stick of bombs fell on Allensbank Road, severely damaging a row of houses and the Heath Hotel…A landmine fell on Cathays Cemetery (one lady) recalls coming out of the Anderson shelter ” to find a piece of gravestone from the cemetery on her parents’ bed.” The final assault on Cardiff by the Luftwaffe occurred in May and lasted for 83 minutes. Over 4,000 houses and 140 shops were destroyed or damaged and 45 people were killed. Landmines caused the worst damage throwing debris high into the air and causing many people to be buried under rubble. Dennis Morgan, Cardiff: A City at War (1998)

What can you see? Describe the level of devastation seen in these photographs.

The bombing of the City of Cardiff Areas/places affected Effects of bombing Defences END