Virtual Portsmouth - The Portsmouth Bomb Map

Portsmouth suffered heavily during the Blitz, with bombs killing or injuring over 3,000 people in the city. The bombs also destroyed and damaged buildings, as well as water mains, gas pipes, sewers, electricity cables and telephone lines - all of which made rescue work and firefighting much more difficult.

ARP (Air Raid Precautions) reports of the time recorded where the bombs had hit, as well as information from people on the ground of damage done. These have been retained by the Portsmouth Records Office, and now inform the Portsmouth Bomb Map.

This interactive resource allows you to see where in the city bombs fell, and read reports from the day detailing the destruction. It provides insight into just how badly Portsmouth was bombed during the war - with all areas of Portsea Island being struck between 1940 and 1944.

Whether you're teaching homeschool history and need some inspiration, or simply want to look at what happened in the areas you know and love, the Bomb Map is a fascinating resource.

Head to the Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery website for more information about the map and how to use it, or head straight through to take a look at the map itself.

If this has piqued your interest, be sure to follow the Portsmouth Museum social media accounts for further information as it commemorates 80 years since the Blitz. This included an as-live stream of reports from 10 January 1941 - the deadliest night of all. See more on Facebook and Twitter.