A city steeped in maritime history, Plymouth has long had an association with the Royal Navy and shipbuilding. Once the city came into range of German bombers following the fall of France in , the Luftwaffe could easily reach Plymouth from airfields in France and Belgium β and the first bombs fell on the city on 6 July with the heaviest period of bombing occurring in March and April HMNB Devonport has been supporting the Royal Navy since and the vast site covered more than acres, with 15 dry docks, 4 miles of waterfront, 25 tidal berths and 5 basins.
The Royal Naval Armament Depot at Bull Point was also targeted due to its large supplies of torpedoes and sea mines β before the Luftwaffe gradually moved away from solely targeting areas of military or industrial importance. Details recorded by the official Home Office bombing statistics, indicates the quantity and type of bombs that fell on the County Borough of Plymouth during WWII excluding incendiary bombs.
A total of 2, recorded bombs fell in total, an average of The people of Plymouth experienced their first air raid alert at These bombs claimed the first civilian casualties in the city, killing a 33 year old woman, a 58 year old man and a 13 year old boy.
With air cover provided by aging interwar fighters from RNAS Roborough, and the city was vulnerable to enemy bombardment. The most devastating of the raids on Plymouth occurred during the spring of During these seven nights alone, over 6, general purpose bombs and , incendiary bombs were dropped on the city.
Between July and April , Plymouth experienced alerts and 59 bombing raids 1. The city experienced mass devastation resulting in the deaths of 1, civilians. A further 3, were injured, and approximately 4, properties were completely destroyed with a further 18, damaged or rendered uninhabitable. In late April , the Luftwaffe returned causing widespread damage once again. Tragedy struck on the evening of 22nd April when a communal air raid shelter at Portland Square β now part of the Plymouth University campus β took a direct hit and up to 76 people died in the incident 3.
