Dublin, Ireland bombed by the Germans (accidentally?) 70 years ago today....

[Mr. 'H']

On May 31st, 1941, a single low-flying German aircraft dropped four bombs on Dublin, the last of which hit the city’s North Strand area, killing 29 people and injuring 90.

The evidence suggests the bombing was accidental, the action of a stray pilot most likely mistaking Dublin for a British city or responding to being fired upon by the Army’s anti-aircraft guns

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0530/1224298056896.html

 

[Grigori_Storri]

That is wild and horrible all at same time.

 

[Tomasso]

What a bizarre story.

 

[Edward]

I should imagine it was genuinely accidental, whatever the reason. Can't see the Nazis wanting to risk Ireland dropping its neutral stance, even after they abandoned Operation Sealion. Not that Ireland was a huge threat to Germany or anything (and it would have taken some doing to get DeV to throw in his lot with the Brits), but it always seemed to me that having a neutral neighbour so close to the Brits could have been strategically advantageous.

 

[Tomasso]

Can't see the Nazis wanting to risk .............

Right, they were after all a very conservative lot...........

 

[Edward]

Right, they were after all a very conservative lot...........

Ha, well... there was that. The parallel universe into which I would like to look is the one where Operation Sealion took place successfully, out of sheer curiosity at the outcome for the Irish situation. Could have raised a lot of complications on top of the existing political strife there.