#359 Erkenningsnummer P708816
december 3, 2014 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2
politics \ p4
Saying Goodbye to an icon
Flanders is mourning the loss of Gorki lead singer Luc De Vos, who died suddenly last weekend \2
BUSiNESS \ p6
innovation \ p7
A beer premiere
A country known worldwide for its beautifully crafted brews finally has a museum devoted to the subject
education \ p9
art & living \ p10
Bridging generations
Creches and rest homes in Flanders are teaming up to share facilities and bridge the ends of the generation spectrum
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© Louis Van Cauwenbergh
Six months of terror
Seventy years on, Antwerp remembers the carnage caused by the Nazi V-bombs Dan Smith More articles by Dan \ flanderstoday.eu
Antwerp suffered heavily at the hands of the Nazis’ flying “vengeance bombs” during the Second World War, with daily attacks that killed more than 4,000 people and destroyed or damaged 90,000 properties
S
eventy years ago, Antwerp was in the midst of one of the darkest periods in its history. After being liberated from the Nazis on 4 September, 1944, the city enjoyed less than six weeks of relative peace before V-bombs started to fall. The first indications of the pending attacks came when reconnaissance images showed the Nazis building launch pads in Germany and the Netherlands that all pointed to Antwerp. Before this, London had been the sole target for
these guided missiles, also known as buzz bombs or doodlebugs. On 12 October, Hitler gave the command to start concentrated attacks on both Antwerp and London. By the time Allied forces captured the last launch site on 29 March the following year, more V-bombs had fallen on greater Antwerp than had hit London. The first V-bomb fell on Schilderstraat near the Museum of Fine Arts at 9.45 on 13 October. The blast killed 32 people instantly and destroyed 15 houses. Another 46 were injured in this attack and more than 500 homes damaged. The spot where the bomb fell is marked with a plaque set into the footpath outside the museum. That afternoon, a second V-bomb hit an abattoir in Lange
Lobroekstraat, killing another 14 people. Shortly after the first V-bomb hit, Antwerp city council built a wooden observation room on the Boerentoren (Farmer’s Tower), the second tallest structure in the city. Observers were connected by telephone to the War Room, where the Red Cross, fire brigade and police were represented. When a V-bomb fell, the observers could direct emergency services to the site of the explosion. On 6 January, 1945, a V-bomb hit the Boerentoren itself, leaving a seven-metre hole in the side. People taking shelter in the tower’s basement didn’t even realise the building had been hit. After the war, the observation room was replaced by the Panorama Hall, which occupies the 26th floor of the building. continued on page 5