Question: Build a movie plot around this: What do the bombers attack? The Mohne Dam
Answer:
Barnes Wallis (Michael Redgrave) and his children are apparently playing ducks and drakes (skipping flat stones on water) with the aid of a brim-full tin bath. Subsequent events show that this is far from the case.Wallis, a dedicated scientist, devotes all the time he has (including family time) to develop a totally new 5 ton bomb. His initial struggles with an uninterested war ministry are graphically portrayed. When he asks for a Wellington bomber to test his bomb, the irate minister says "They are worth their weight in gold. What possible justification can I give for such a request?" Barnes replies, "You could tell them I designed it."At the Scampton RAF base, a weary Wing Commander Guy Gibson (Richard Todd) and his crew are completing a tour of 30 sorties over Germany. Just as they are looking forward to well earned leave, Gibson is asked to form a new squadron. By now Barnes is dropping nearly full-sized bombs off Reculver, but they are bursting rather than bouncing over the sea. Again and again, Gibson travels down to the Kent coast only to see another failure.Wallis asks if the bombers can fly at just 60 feet rather than the 150 feet originally requested. Guy points out that the altimeters are not accurate enough to fly at such low level without crashing. But later Gibson is watching a show in London and the spotlights focusing on the star on stage give him the answer. Lights are mounted in the nose and tail of each Lancaster bomber and set to converge on the ground at 60 feet. The raid is now on but while the crews of 617 Squadron are being briefed, Gibson's faithful dog Nigger is run over. Not a good omen for the coming attack.Poignant scenes of the very young-looking bomber crews sitting around waiting to depart, culminating in Gibson saying "My watch says it's time to go." Dramatic scenes of crews driving out to their dispersed Lancasters and then engines starting and serried ranks of the huge four-engine bombers lining up to take off. The low-level flight to the target dams commences with some...