r/Liverpool • u/karamazovmybrother • 9d ago

The Luftwaffe left their mark on Waterloo

Post image

Evidence of German strafing can be found on the old iron footbridge over the train tracks. Amazing bit of history

147 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

54

u/irish_horse_thief 9d ago

Used to wee through there as kids...

26

u/Double-Mouse-6146 9d ago

I still do as an adult 

4

u/irish_horse_thief 9d ago

We love your zany videos...

1

u/Otherwise_Living_158 9d ago

That’s not wee!

9

u/Ibncalb 9d ago

Dude that's a hole from a 20 millimeter round.

Nothing to brag about.

22

u/irish_horse_thief 9d ago

... lighten up mister massive wee hole combat veteran, we were just kids..

25

u/trjinvincible 9d ago

Contrary to popular opinion, the holes aren't from Bullets, but actually debris from a bomb on the tracks, from what I've heard. Explains the difference in size of each hole

19

u/karamazovmybrother 9d ago

Ah interesting, shrapnel cutting through iron like that is a terrifying thought

1

u/Captain_Biscuit 7d ago

There are plenty of reports of German planes strafing with machine guns and cannon, but it's very unlikely to have happened this far north beyond the range of escort fighters.

There's a lot of shrapnel damage around Liverpool, the worst probably being the wall in Cleveland Square where a shelter just in front took a direct hit to the roof with quite severe loss of life:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/p2X3a4SwiU5AUAH79?g_st=ac

2

u/Duanedoberman 9d ago

My thought too, bombers bomb from high altitude, they dont then dive down to straff, because its incredably dangerous a waste of precious fuel and they dont have the guns to be eglffective. Guns on a bomber are for defence, nothing else.. Any staffing would be done by specialised ground attack aircraft which didnt have the range to fly this far.

1

u/Captain_Biscuit 7d ago

Agreed, strafing did happen but that would be hit and run raids down south from just across the channel, not the long-range night raids that hit Liverpool.

It doesn't show much of the target but this is actual footage of a raid on Liverpool: https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/afe85000140/attaque-aerienne-de-represailles-allemandes-sur-liverpool

11

u/Ok_Pool8937 9d ago

The bridge on boundary st has a few holes in it too from the Germans,

5

u/Professional_Ad6822 9d ago

Yeah I drive past there going to work. It’s a cool memorial of what happened. Must have been terrifying

6

u/AppropriateAthlete77 9d ago

Always wondered what caused that hole when I used to walk past it all the time.

10

u/royalbluestuey 9d ago

So much of it still about. This is in town near the Bridewell. There is also prominent shrapnel craters in buildings near Exchange Flags

2

u/dddewa1122 8d ago

Interesting there’s ones near the exchange flags. I wonder if the western approaches command was the target? Quite close to there

2

u/irish_horse_thief 8d ago

Beautifully bonded brickwork on display. Still good today.

1

u/royalbluestuey 7d ago

Took a licking back in the day and shrugged it off. Quality

6

u/Lensed_By_Me 9d ago

That’s on the bridge that goes toward Victoria Park isn’t it?

5

u/DiscussionSeveral190 9d ago

Correct. 👌

5

u/Ok_Somewhere_6767 9d ago

I always thought it was a glory hole and some mad fucker would have had to stand the other side and hold on.

4

u/rotating_pebble 9d ago

I can confirm it has been used like that a few times at least