The bombing of the MINERVA car factory in Antwerp on April 5, 1943, turned out to be one of the major tragedies of World War II. The Erla factory was converted to repair workshops for Luftwaffe planes and therefore on the priority list for attention by the US Eighth Air Force. The bombing run was poor, due to evasive action being taken to avoid German fighters and ground missiles. Two bombs hit the factory killing many workers but the rest of the bombs were released too late and fell on the residential part of Mortsel, a suburb of Antwerp, over a mile away from the target. A total of 936 civilians were killed including 209 schoolchildren. Only 18 children survived the bombing of the St. Lutgardis school at No 30, Mechelsesteenweg. (which still stands). In all, 342 people were injured and 220 houses destroyed. On March, 27, 1945, the last of the German V2 rockets fell on Mortsel killing twenty-seven people. It was here in Mortsel that Lieven Gevaert built his photographic film factory later known as Agfa-Gevaert.
