History of Madeira the ships, the Germans proceeded to bombard Funchal for two hours from a range of about . Batteries on Madeira returned fire and eventually forced the Germans to withdraw. In 1917 on December 12, two German U-boats, and (captained by Max Valentiner) again bombarded Funchal, Madeira. This time the attack lasted around 30 minutes. Forty, 4.7 inch and 5.9 inch shells were fired. There were 3 fatalities and 17 wounded, In addition, a number of houses and Santa Clara church were hit. A priest, José Marques Jardim, promised in 1917 to build a monument should peace ever return to Madeira.
Coat of arms of Madeira the first inhabitants of the island, and allude to the need to preserve this endangered species. The gold armillary sphere represents the Age of Discovery, initiated by the Portuguese, and King Manuel I of Portugal who ordered the settling of the archipelago. The Autonomous Region of Madeira motto, "Das Ilhas as Mais Belas e Livres", is Portuguese for "Of all islands, the most beautiful and free". Coat of arms of Madeira The coat of arms of the Portuguese Autonomous Region of Madeira consists of a shield azure a pale or charged with a Cross of Christ, with external elements. The