The Portsmouth blitz in pictures | Nostalgia

Portsmouth, home to the Royal Navy, was a prime target for bombing raids by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War.

The city officially suffered 67 air raids between July 1940 and May 1944, three of these categorised as major attacks.

Edinburgh Road, Landport, Portsmouth.placeholder image
Edinburgh Road, Landport, Portsmouth.

The three major raids took place on August 24, 1940, January 10, 1941 and March 10, 1941.

In the Portsmouth blitz 930 people were killed, 1,216 hospitalised and 1,621 suffered less severe injuries.

Penny Street, Old Portsmouth.placeholder image
Penny Street, Old Portsmouth.

To see another 30 pictures of the blitz from The News archive, click here.

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.

Related topics:
News you can trust since 1877
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice