Sheffield Blitz horrors could have been dwarfed by Luftwaffe 'dambuster' attack

The Sheffield Blitz left nearly a tenth of the city’s population homeless in December 1940 but a new book reveals there was an even bigger threat on its own doorstep – one that could have allowed the Luftwaffe to wipe much of the city off the map and kill tens of thousands of civilians.

‘Sheffield’s Date With Hitler’ – a new title which chronicles the devastating two night bombing raid using scores of eye witness accounts, rare photos and more - also tells the story of the formidable resources that were brought in to protect the city from a repeat of the Sheffield Flood of 1864, regularly cited as the worst disaster in Victorian Britain.

Though the legendary dam buster raids provided a massive moral boost to the country’s war effort the War Cabinet – far from celebrating – were more concerned about the Germans adopting their own ‘bouncing bomb’ technology and using it to destroy the city of Sheffield.

Every ounce of British engineering and scientific ingenuity was used to protect the city’s population from the possibility of a breach on any of the dams set high above the city in the Parish of Bradfield. Hundreds of military personal were stationed in the area; thick smoke was pumped out over the dams to disguise them; massive chain-like structures were hung across the water to stop low level bombing and hundreds of boats were put on standby to rescue residents in the event of a successful attack.

Author Neil Anderson said: “The Sheffield Blitz killed and wounded over 2,000 people and left the city crippled but a successful raid on one of the dams could have caused death and destruction on a scale not seen since 1864 when the wall of Dale Dyke Dam was breached and 700 million gallons of water poured through the heart of Sheffield destroying everything in its wake.”

Sheffield was always viewed as a prime target for attack because of its high concentration of steel and armaments factories in its East End and there were numerous bombings throughout the war. But the Sheffield Blitz raids on December 12th and 15th 1940 were on an unprecedented scale - seemingly indiscriminate bombing across the virtual length and breadth of Sheffield.

The biggest single loss of life in the Sheffield Blitz was at the Marples Hotel in Fitzalan Square that received a direct hit.

The tenth anniversary edition of ‘Sheffield’s Date With Hitler’ also includes details of the city’s Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trail and exhibition.

The book is available from www.acmretro.com for just ￡19.95 (plus P&P).