UXO Risk in Swansea

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UXO City Guide

Home Office Bombing Statistics for Swansea

Record of German Ordnance dropped on the County Borough of Swansea

High Explosive Bombs (All types)

1,496

Parachute Mines

4

Oil Bombs

0

Phosphorus Bombs

5

Fire Pots

12

Pilotless Aircraft (V-1)

0

Long-range Rocket Bombs (V-2)

0

Weapons Total

1,517

Area Acreage

21,600

Number of items per 1,000 acres

70.2

Why was Swansea targeted and bombed in WWII?

Swansea’s industrial and port facilities were important to the UK’s war effort which made it a target of strategic importance for the Luftwaffe. Swansea was bombed in approximately 40 raids including a particularly heavy three-night raid in February 1941.

Luftwaffe target records for Swansea include references to ammunition depots, oil refineries, dockyards and industrial factories.

Luftwaffe target photography Swansea. Image credit: Imperial War Museum

Home Office Bombing Statistics for Swansea

Details obtained from the official Home Office bombing statistics, indicates the quantity and type of bombs that fell on the County Borough of Swansea during WWII (excluding incendiary bombs).

A total of 1,517 bombs fell on Swansea, equating to an average of 70.2 items of ordnance recorded per 1,000 acres.

These statistics do not account for any bombs that fell unrecorded during raids, many of which fell into areas that had already been previously bombed and were potentially obscured by ruins and rubble.

Major bombing raids on Swansea

Many of the raids on Swansea were relatively minor, but several in particular caused widespread damage and destruction. From 19th-21st February 1941, the ‘Three Nights Blitz’ saw around 800 high explosive bombs dropped on the city – killing 230 people and injuring 400 others.

Large raids occurred on several occasions:

September 1st – 2nd 1940 (approx. 250 H.E. bombs, 1,000+ incendiary bombs)
January 17th 1941 (approx. 100 H.E. bombs, 6-7,000 incendiary bombs)
February 19th – 21st 1941 (approx. 800 H.E. bombs, 30,000 incendiary bombs)

Buildings cleared near central Swansea, 1945, that were either destroyed or heavily damaged.

Swansea suffered extensive damage during the Three Nights Blitz. Image credit: Western Mail and Echo

In total, approximately 40 raids were inflicted on Swansea during WWII. The photo below, taken shortly after the war – shows an area of clearance in Swansea due to bomb damage. Many buildings were destroyed outright by bombing, and others were damaged so heavily that they were deemed unsafe and were later demolished.

Damage caused by the ‘Three Nights’ Blitz’ in College Street, Swansea. Image credit: peoplescollection.wales

Image showing Teilo Crescent in Swansea which was flattened during the bombing. Image credit: peoplescollection.wales

Can UXO still pose a risk to construction projects in Swansea?

Yes – UXO can still present a potential risk to construction and development projects in Swansea.

The primary threat comes from German air-delivered bombs dropped during WWII that failed to detonate as intended. It is estimated that around 10% of munitions deployed across the UK did not function correctly. Although significant wartime and post-war bomb disposal operations were carried out, not all unexploded bombs (UXBs) were located or removed.

Ongoing discoveries of UXO during intrusive groundworks across the UK continue to demonstrate that buried wartime ordnance remains a potential risk – including in areas such as Swansea.

I am about to start a project in Swansea, what should I do?

Before any intrusive groundworks begin, developers, principal contractors, and ground investigation teams should assess potential UXO risk through either:

This forms the first stage of an effective UXO risk mitigation strategy and should be undertaken as early as possible in the project lifecycle, in line with CIRIA C681 guidance.

Why does an early UXO Risk Assessment matter?

Where a credible risk is identified, appropriate mitigation measures should be implemented to reduce risk to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP).

Equally, unnecessary mitigation can create avoidable project costs, delays and operational disruption.

A professional UXO Risk Assessment will make sure:

Site-specific threats are properly identified.
Appropriate mitigation strategies are recommended.
Unnecessary mitigation measures are avoided.
Projects remain compliant, safe and commercially efficient.

Early-stage UXO Risk Assessments help developers make informed decisions, protect personnel, maintain compliance and avoid unnecessary expenditure.

If you are planning development or intrusive groundworks in Swansea, obtaining a professional and unbiased UXO Risk Assessment should be your first step.

Recent UXO discoveries in Swansea

Since the war, many items of UXO have been discovered across multiple cities within the UK, with Swansea no exception. See the news articles below about UXO incidents and discoveries from national and local press in Swansea.

1st Line Defence keep up-to-date with relevant and noteworthy UXO-related news stories reported across the UK, and you can browse through these articles using the buttons below.

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