Were UK power stations targeted by the Luftwaffe?

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by davidbfpo, Apr 13, 2022.

  1. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    A local historian friend is researching the WW2 period in the history of the now demolished Hams Hall Power Station, in Warwickshire and this has raised a question: It appears that it was never hit during WWII which seems really strange. Wiki: Hams Hall power stations - Wikipedia

    Hams Hall (owned by Birmingham City Council) was a big enough power station to be guarded by the regular army till September 1942 (probably a AA battery) and a Home Guard company (formed from staff, also guarded Nechells power station) remained on guard till being stood down on 1st October 1944.

    Curiously before war was declared cables nearby were damaged by explosives - a rare example of possible sabotage IMHO. The Home Guard link below records both power station sites were attacked (minus details). Upadted: Id'd in Post 3 as the responsibility of the IRA.

    From: Staffs Home Guard Memories 134B 29th Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion - City Utilities - Gas, Water, Electricity, Salvage and Council Offices - E Company

    So, were power stations targeted by the Luftwaffe?

    I have looked through a number of threads here, for UK examples and there appear to be almost none that indicate targeting. Below are those I found.

    The Plymouth blitz 13th January 1941:
    From: 13th January 1941 ,Plymouth

    Gosport March 1941:
    From: Lufwaffe attacks on Gosport Nov. 1940 to April 1941

    Harry Ree on the distribution aspects of resilence:
    From: One man air raid shelter found.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2022
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  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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  3. ARPCDHG

    ARPCDHG Member

    Power stations were planned Luftwaffe targets - but that does not mean they managed to hit them all.

    For example, the Luftwaffe photographed Leicester's gas works and adjoining power station in June 1939 - three months before the outbreak of war.

    A year later, a lone German bomber tried to bomb it in daylight, but missed and bombed an adjoining residential street, killing 6 civilians.

    The full story is told in my book:

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0857042513/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

    The defence of the power station you mention would be a regular light AA unit possibly manning 20mm or 40mm Bofors AA guns, later replaced by a Home Guard contingent, most likely manning 20mm AA cannon. The pre-war explosive sabotage sounds like the pre-war IRA campaign against mainland targets. *Update: indeed it was:

    S-Plan - Wikipedia
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2022
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  4. RAFCommands

    RAFCommands Senior Member

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  5. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

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  6. hutt

    hutt Member

    Quite a few power stations along with substations and even routes of transmission lines are marked and identified in many of the Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance photographs reproduced in the fascinating book, Adolf Hitler's Home Counties Holiday Snaps by Nigel J Clarke. Power stations were target group GB50.
    There can be no doubt that given every chance they were a top target although specifically what damage was inflicted I don't know. If I were to trawl through some of the AA Brigade diaries I have, I am sure there would be some reference to individual incidents amongst the raid reports.
     
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  7. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Raids on power plants discussed here from Clive's thread.

    The Blitz Around UK 7th September 1940 onwards

    One important feature which greatly assisted the maintenance of electrical supplies throughout the country and during the future war was the total integration of the CEB 132kv grid network.Until 1938 the CEB Grid network was composed of two networks,one in the South and one in the North..Paralleling the two systems using a tie transmission line (sometimes referred to as an Interconnector) presented an unknown outcome regarding synchronism between the two systems.The Grid Control Engineers did not know what to expect but it presented a challenge in the control and operation of HVAC networks and total integration was finally achieved..The integrated grid system did give the important advantage in wartime, if the event of generating capacity being knocked out,restoration of supplies from remote sources of generation could be made, concurrent with efforts to repair damaged generating plant.


    In 1938 the CEB Southern system had a shortfall in generation to meet their network demand.It was decided to parallel the two systems together in order to transmit power to the south.The Grid System has been totally integrated since then. In the last 60 years automatic synchronising of AC generation has been developed and in the event of power islands being formed for an emergency recovery of the Grid, re-paralleling is achieved by automatic system synchronisers. Computers now play an important role in the control and operation of the 275kv and 400kv systems,(control of the 132kv networks has long been transferred to the now DNOs.)

    German aerial intelligence over the British Isles was sought by the Hindenberg returning from the US. It entered Britain at Barrow, travelling across the Bowland Forest, on to Keighley and Leeds, then overflying the River Aire down to Ferrybridge and then out to the North Sea via Thorne. It probably photographed Ferrybridge Power Station which had an electrical control room separate from the boiler and turbinehouse. On the top of the control block was a flat roof with surrounding walls. On the walls were marked out vectors positioned as an aid to fire watchers and the Observer Corps. Nearby at Fryston Park there was an Ack Ack battery with a searchlight unit protecting the power plant against raids, its searchlight continually panning the night sky.

    I would add for the 1939 plant extension at Ferrybridge (2 x42.5MW sets) the Yorkshire Electric Power Company installed a emergency standby power plant switchboard in the 66kv substation in case the main control room was bombed and damaged. Post war the switchboard being a replica of that in the main control room was used for control room equipment spares. In the mid 1950s at each Grid Control Area control centre, National Grid Control rooms were set up to be used for emergency should the country be subject to a nuclear strike.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2022
  8. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Last edited: Oct 20, 2023
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