Thursday 16 May 2013

The Dambusters 70th Anniversary



It is 70 years Today in May 1943 since Operation Chastise... an operation that has become the stuff of legend.

Carried out by 617 Squadron flying the infamous British Lancaster Bomber, which was powered by four Rolls Royce Merlin engines it was the most powerful Allied bomber capable of carrying a 20 ton payload...

617 Squadron was led by Group Captain Leonard Cheshire from 1943 to 1944, He  flew 100 missions and was awarded the Victoria Cross, becoming  the most decorated and one of the youngest commanding officers of Bomber Command.
But of course they were all young...




Operation Chastise;
617 Lancaster Bombers based at RAF Scampton were equipped with a top secret bouncing bomb, invented by Barnes Wallace,


The 133 crewmen of 19 Lancasters were trained flying at night at a height of 100 feet, at 200 mph 7 men per plane, stripped out to be able to carry the famous bouncing bomb...
In the operation they dropped down to the low level of 60 feet to release the bombs- think about that height for a sec...  have you seen the size of a Lancaster?
If you have watched the only surviving plane flying here in the UK and seen the wing span then you know what would happen if the plane banked at that height too much, it would all be over...



That was why it was so dangerous, in training and the operation...

The Squadron flew deep into Germany and dropped the bouncing bombs destroying the Mohne and Edersee Dams, which produced hydro power used for steel making, destroying the dams flooded the heavy industrial  Ruhr Vally and Edar Vally...


There is not an official number of how many German people died in the raids...

The danger of the RAF Operation and bravery and sacrifice of those young Lancaster crews made the success of the mission the stuff of legend, and to date one of the most famous air war missions of all time...

The Aircrews paid a terrible price on the mission... more than a quarter would fall...
19 planes left on what was called a suicide mission by the crews, often under enemy fire they did their misson...
Only 11 planes returned from the operation, 8 aircraft were shot down, 53 aircrew were killed, and 3 were taken prisoner...

Stats from Dambusters Wiki page...

List of aircraft involved
Aircraft call signCommanderTargetAttacked target?Hit target?Breached target?Returned?Notes
First Wave
G GeorgeGibsonMöhne DamYesNoN/AYesRaid leader. Mine exploded short of dam. Used aircraft to draw anti-aircraft fire away from other crews.
M MotherHopgoodYesNoN/ANoHit by anti-aircraft fire outbound. Mine bounced over dam. Shot down over the target while attacking.
P Peter (Popsie)MartinYesNoN/AYesMine missed the target.
A AppleYoungYesYesYesNoMine hit dam and caused small breach. Shot down over the Dutch coast while returning.
J JohnnyMaltbyYesYesYesYesMine hit dam and caused a large breach.
L LeatherShannonEder DamYesYesNoYesMine hit target—no effect.
Z ZebraMaudslayYesNoN/ANoMine overshot target and damaged the bomber, which was shot down over Germany while trying to return.
N Nancy (Nan)KnightYesYesYesYesMine hit the dam and caused a large breach.
B BakerAstellN/ANoN/AN/ANoCrashed after hitting large-scale power lines outbound.
Second Wave
T TommyMcCarthySorpe DamYesYesNoYesMine hit the target – no apparent effects.
E EasyBarlowN/ANoN/AN/ANoCrashed after hitting large-scale power lines outbound.
K KingByersNoN/AN/ANoShot down over the Dutch coast outbound.
H HarryRiceNoN/AN/AYesLost the mine after clipping the sea outbound. Returned without attacking a target.
W WillieMunroNoN/AN/AYesDamaged by anti-aircraft fire over the Dutch coast. Returned without attacking a target.
Third Wave
Y YorkAndersonSorpe DamNoN/AN/AYesCould not find the target due to mist. Landed at Scampton with an armed mine.
F FreddyBrownSorpe DamYesYesNoYesMine hit the target – no apparent effects.
O OrangeTownsendEnnepe or Bever DamYesYesNoYesMine hit the target – no apparent effect.
S SugarBurpeeN/ANoN/AN/ANoShot down over the Netherlands outbound.
C CharlieOttleyNoN/AN/ANoShot down over Germany outbound.


The Operation made the famous Movie THE DAM BUSTERS in 1954...

So many innocent people were killed on both sides...but this was war time...

Here is a brilliant 1 hour documentary on youtube on the film and of the real mission...
Martin Shaw of 1980`s TV `The Professionals` looks into the real Dambusters Raid... it features the only surviving airman, bomb aimer Jonny Johnstone...

At only 24 years old Wing Commander Guy Gibson was responsible for this mission...
He was awarded the Victorian Cross for flying in again on the bomb run 3 times to draw enemy fire as the following planes flew in...it is discussed in the documentary...




Those young brave  men who flew in 617 will always be remembered...









2 comments:

  1. An odd fact but on not many appreciate is that they flew off grass runways at Scampton to go on this mission. These were less reliable to use so after this mission Scampton was closed for 18 months to allow for the construction of concrete runways.

    The first squadron to use Scampton after {Oct 1944} that was 153 {bomber} Squadron, also flying Lancasters, which included my father. The men of 153 Squadron in some ways felt they had inherited Scampton from 617 and that they had something to live up to as a result.

    With a wingspan of about 110 feet you're absolutely right about the danger of maneuvering when flying at a height of 60ft. One false move and it was over.

    Operationally it wasn't that important {or even successful as steel production was only marginally affected}. Barnes Wallace was haunted by the losses incurred in the raid for the rest of his life as he felt almost personally responsible. Its real victory was in propaganda or morale if you prefer. Britain needed success after all they had endured, the RAF needed the recognition and support this generated and the German Reich surely understood that no matter how secure or inaccessible at target may have been, the RAF had the ability and the will to reach them no matter what.

    As for the men who flew those missions: Heroes one and all. But of course I'm biased.

    great piece Bruce.

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  2. Hi Al, we saw the 617 Tornados flying over from Lossiemouth while at work on the way to Scampton today for the memorial ceremony.

    I did read of your father`s 153 squadron based there in your writings, Bomber Command in my view should never have been judged for what they inflicted to Germany with Bombing, it was outright war, and the bravery of those young men i don`t think we today can really imagine the absolute fear and nerves they must have felt before, during and after the mission when so many of there comrades did not come back, heroes for ever that will always be remembered...

    pint soon?

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