Evening star., 1943-11-30

Mohne Raid Leader
Describes Months Of
Tests and Training
Sy the Associated Press.

OSS WIN uussssstS
Sy the Associated Press.
BOSTON, Nov. 30.-The breach
Ing Of the Ruhr Valley dams by the
Raj last May is history; now comes
the story behind that blow-the
months of preparation, experiments
that failed, the production of the
missile" which unleashed the tor
rents, precision flying and the in
fintte patience of a quiet, painstak-
ing scientist and Britain's most ex-
perienced bomber pilot.
The story Is told in the December
Atlantic Monthly by Wing Comdr.
Guy p. Gibson, who trained the men
who probably knew more about the
art Of bombing than any other
squadron In the world" and led the
attack. Comdr. Gibson, the most
decorated man in the British Army,
received the Victoria Cross for the
exploit.
He had been scheduled to 60 on
leave when he was ordered to form
q squadron of the best crews in the
bomber command to carry out "the
most damaging blow Of the war"
When he got his squadron together
-25 crews, which meant ITS men,
he told them: You're here as
crack squadron. What the target
Is, I cannot tell you. All I can tell
you is you will have to practice low
flying all day and all night until you
know how to do it. with your eyes
shut"
Security measures were taken,
telephone wires were tapped. Guards
were stationed everywhere in the
vicinity and the barmaid in the
local pub was given three months
holiday.
200-Foot Model Dam Built.
Comdr. Gibson went to London to
meet the scientist, whose name is
not disclosed-"one of the real back
room boys Of whom little can be
told until after the war" The
scientist gave Comdr. Gibson a lee
ture on damology, the art of break
ing down dams.
Now you may think me a stupid
old man." he said, "but wait until
I tell you what I know about the
Mohne Dam. It is q military OBJ
jective which I have been studying
ever since the war began. This dam
Is some $50 yards long, $50 feet
thick, and it is as high as 1t is
thick"
The scientist went on to explain
that experiments with explosives
on such walls had been going on
for some time and that now a dam,
some 200 feet across, had been built
'.in the South" and that certain
theories, evolved with smaller mod
els, would be tried out there. The
experiment proved success, but
the scientist was not convinced.
Another dam in the Midlands
was selected and, on one cold WIN
ter morning after another, Comdr
Gibson flew over this dam and
dropped his missile" The scien-
tist stood on the edge OF the lake,
but one after another the expert
ments failed.
Had to Fly 1T 45 Feet.
Then suddenly one morning in
April, on one of the first days of
spring, I flew over and dropped one
which worked" Comdr. Gibson re-
lates. "The man on the ground
danced and waved his hands in the
air.
Then there were urgent tele-
phone calls, and many signals writ
ten in cipher. and messengers rush.
ing to and fro, and factories receiv-
ing priority orders so that men and
women worked throughout the day
and the night making these things
which we were to carry with us
over to Germany to be dropped in
the Mohne Lake" These things"
and missiles" are as close as Comdr.
Gibson comes to describing the ex-
plosive device used to blast the
dams.
Night and day the squadron flew
iow-level, up and down lakes in
Scotland, the Midlands and In
Wales. One Of the hardest problems,
Comdr. Gibson says, was ito fly at
exactly As feet, not A feet or 46 !
feet, but As feet" over the water. He |
goes on:
Perhaps ought to tell you here
that it was obvious that our mis-
slles would have to be dropped with
extreme accuracy within literally a
matter OF feet of a certain spot. And
1t was necessary also to fly fast:
otherwise the operation became too
hazardous to allow for the possi-
bility Of success.
Trained for Two Months.
AL these things we could do ex-
eept the business of maintaining an
exact height. But this difficulty was
ultimately overcome in a most sim
pie manner and, although I should
ike to tell you how it was done, I
think that the Germans would like
70 know even better. The method
we used was accurate to a few
inches"
After two months of continuous
hard training, involving $50 hours
Of flying for each person, Comdr
Gibson considered his squadron fit
to undertake the mission.
Meanwhile, reconnaissance planes
were flying over Germany watch
Ing the dams "as a cat watches a |
mouse" They observed the density
Of the defenses and the height OF
the lake level, waiting for the right
amount Of water to exert the great
est pressure against the wall.
On May 16, reconnaissance planes
reported eevrything just right for
the attack. Crews reported to the
brieing room Immediately. They