#Otd-8 April 1941: 1st night of Belfast Blitz. 13 killed. De Valera authorised 71 firemen from Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin & Dún Laoghaire to assist. There would be 3 more nights. Apart from London, greatest loss of life in any UK Blitz, in #Belfast (900 killed, 1500 injured).

Watched 'Zoo' (2018), historical war drama film. Based on a true story, as the Belfast Blitz ravages the city (April-May '41), a lonely widow & teenager with misfit friends take an elephant named Buster from @BelfastZoo & hide it behind a row house! 5/5!

#Otd 1941: 2nd night of Belfast Blitz, on Easter Tuesday. 200 bombers of Luftwaffe attacked military & manufacturing targets. This was worst night. Apart from London, greatest loss of life in any UK Blitz, in #Belfast (900 killed, 1500 injured). There would be 2 more nights.

#Otd 1941: 2nd night of Belfast Blitz continued into 16th. >56,000 homes were damaged leaving almost 1/4 population homeless! Fire crews from S of border stayed for up to 3 days to help. 15-16th was worst night. Apart from London, greatest loss of life in UK in #Belfast Blitz.

My Granny Hood used to talk about the Belfast Blitz (April-May 1941). They could see the flames in the night sky from their farm outside Ahoghill, Co Antrim, which is 31 miles away from Belfast city centre! : my Granda Hood in his Home Guard uniform, 1940. @Love_Antrim

15 April: Belfast Blitz: William Joyce, "Lord Haw-Haw", committing treason, announced in radio broadcasts from Hamburg that there would be "Easter eggs for Belfast"! c 300 people, many from Protestant Shankill area, took refuge in Clonard Monastery on Catholic Falls Road.

#Otd 1941: Taoiseach Éamon de Valera formally protested to Berlin, about the Belfast Blitz. He followed up with his "they are our people" speech, made in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

#Otd-morning 5 May 1941: >150 were killed in 3rd night of Belfast Blitz. Incendiary bombs & landmines attached to parachutes predominated in this raid; 'Fire Blitz'. Concentrated on Harbour Estate & Queen's Island. Firemen's water pressure v low. : @Harland_Wolff1 after bombing

#Otd-6 May 1941: 4th & final night of Belfast Blitz. 220,000 had fled. @NIWarMemorial tells story of >1,000 Blitz killed as well as Ulster Home Guard, role played by women in #WW2 & presence of US Forces. Key items made in Belfast! http://www.niwarmemorial.org/about/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast_Blitz#Manufacturing_facilities