RAF - Operation Chastise_new Operation Chastise Attack on Ruhr Dams by aircraft of 617 Squadron on the night of 16-17 May 1943 Concept: The Air Ministry originally considered the Ruhr dams as a possible target early as 1937. A number of proposals and studies were undertaken between 1938 and 1941, though none produced a proper plan with all the necessary components of a viable weapon and feasible means of delivery. Command: Wing Commander Guy Gibson The Squadron: A new squadron was formed at Scampton on 21st March 1943, initially known as “X” Squadron and latterly as 617 Squadron, and the 24 year old Wing Commander Guy Gibson was personally selected to lead it by none other than Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur “Bomber” Harris, the Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command. Gibson had flown 71 bomber sorties and an entire tour of 99 sorties on night fighters and was already the holder of four gallantry awards - the Distinguished Service Order and bar and the Distinguished Flying Cross and bar.

Despite the “elite” tag and the presence of some very experienced airmen – e.g. the two flight commanders, Sqn Ldrs Dinghy’ Young and ‘Henry Maudslay, and experienced pilots such as Dave Shannon, ‘Hoppy’ Hopgood, Les Knight and Joe McCarthy - NOT all 617 Sqn air crew were veterans. Some had flown fewer than 10 missions and one less than 5 and some of the flight engineers on the raid were flying their first operational sortie. Not all had volunteered for 617, and not all were known to or selected by Gibson: one entire flight of 57 Squadron was simply posted en masse to 617 Squadron. The Weapon: Codenamed “Upkeep” The brainchild of Barnes Wallis of Vickers Armstrong, who had been working separately on some method of attacking dasince 1940 but probably did not conceive of the “bouncing bomb” idea until March 1942. He was given access and assistance by a variety of research bodies, including the National Physical Laboratories at Teddington, the Road Research Laboratory at Harmondsworth and the Building Research Station at Garston near Watford.

Experiments which involved exploding charges against model dams at these sites, and the destruction of a real 180 foot disused dam in Wales, gave Wallis valuable data, but also showed that the task was far from easy and that any explosion preferably needed to take place in contact with the dam wall. He persisted with a series of experiments and meanwhile attempted to persuade the powers that be of the project’s viability in the face of various bureaucratic hurdles and military scepticism. Nevertheless, prior to final approval on February 26th 1943 a full-scale weapon was, in the words of one noted historian, “scarcely more than an inventor’s dream”. However, because the optimum time to attack the dams was in the spring, when the reservoirs were full, when approval did come it left very little time to design and produce the weapons themselves. On 26th February 1943 there were neither modified aircraft nor weapons, nor drawings of either. Wallis began to draw the first full-scale drawing of an Upkeep mine only on 27th February, just eleven weeks before the raid took place.

“Upkeep “was effectively a 9250lb cylindrical mine or depth charge containing 6,600 lbs of Torpex underwater explosive and three hydrostatic pistols set to explode at 30ft below the surface. It was just under five feet long and just over four feet in diameter. The mine was held in the bomb-bay between twin sprung callipers, and a hydraulic motor imparted back spin at a rate of 500 rpm. The mine was intended to bounce across the water rather like a skipping stone, thus avoiding any torpedo nets. When it struck the dam wall the backspin would cause it to remain in contact with the face of the dam as it sank thus focusing the force of the explosion against the wall sufficient to rupture the massive stone structure. Aircraft: Modified Avro Lancaster B Mk III Special known as “Type 464 Provisioning”. The mid-upper gun turret along with the bomb-bay doors was removed and callipers along with a drive motor and belt fitted in the aircraft to hold and spin the bomb. Twin spotlights were fitted [see below] along with VHF radio telephone which allowed direct speech communication between aircraft, which was not normal for bomber aircraft at the time.

This would allow Wg Cdr Gibson personally to direct the raid. The final approval to start modifying just three Lancasters to conduct experiments came only on 26th February 1943 with conversion sets to be prepared for thirty, later reduced to twenty, aircraft. The first plans for the necessary modifications being drawn up on 1st March and the order for the conversion of the first aircraft being signed on 8th March. The Role of Industry With such short timescales the firms involved, some of them natural rivals, had to co-operate or the project would be stillborn. Under the direction of the Chief Designer, Roy Chadwick, Avros set to work on modifying the three Lancasters and making the additional conversion sets, whilst Vickers-Armstrong in Barrow and Newcastle made the mine casings and the small drive engine for spinning the bombs. The Royal Ordnance Factory at Chorley in Lancashire would fill the casings with the torpex explosive. The Oxley Engineering company provided the steel for the “Upkeep” mines and the Hoffman Manufacturing company made the bearings for the drive mechanism.

All these components and modifications had to be designed, manufactured and delivered in the eighty days between the 26th February and 17th May. The first modified Lancasters were delivered on 8th April and the last on 13th May just three days before the raid, and one aircraft used on the raid had been used in the experimental trials and arrived at Scampton only on the day itself. Vickers Armstrong at Barrow delivered the last of its fifty “Upkeep” mines to Chorley for filling with explosive on 9th April. Trials After initial trials dropping scaled down prototype weapons from a Wellington at Chesil Beach (Dec 1942 – March 1943), modified Lancasters were utilised during April and May to fly a series of tests dropping inert Upkeeps at Reculver on the Kent coast. The first trial drop was made on 13th April, just over a month before the raid. The mines were dropped at varying height and speed and differing bomb rotation speeds while Wallis attempted to work out the optimum approach height and speed for the raid.

He also had to establish that spinning a massive four ton cylinder at several hundred rpm would neither rip it from the calliper arms, nor seriously affect the aircraft’s flying characteristics. These trials also established that the original design of the “Upkeep”, which included a spherical outer wooden casing held in place by metal rings like a beer barrel, was not robust enough to survive initial impact with the water. Although designed to make sure the mine would bounce for a greater distance, and run true, the wooden outer sphere repeatedly shattered leaving just the inner metal cylinder which had often continued bouncing along the surface during the trials after the casing broke away. On 21st April Wallis decided to dispense with the wooden casing and run “Upkeep” as a bare cylinder. The disadvantage was that if a cylindrical “Upkeep” was dropped on any plane but the horizontal it was likely to bite into the water on one side and either not bounce as well or go off line, or both. Even the cylinders, however, broke up and sank if they were dropped from too great a height or speed. On 24th April Wallis asked Gibson if he could drop the mine at 60’ and 232 miles per hour.

At this speed and if it was dropped at the right distance, the mine would survive the impact with the water, the aircraft would be clear of the splash as it hit the surface, the weapon would carry all the way to the dam, and the aircraft would be flying fast enough to have some chance of getting through the defences. Air crew and Training: Number of air crew participating - 133 Number killed – 53 Number PoW: 3 RAF – 90; Royal Canadian Air Force – 29; Royal Australian Air Force – 12; Royal New Zealand Air Force – 2. Included in these figures were one American [RCAF] and one Anglo-American [RAF] and one Australian in the RAF. The crews, who had trained to operate their bombers at heights above 15000’, with a measured approach to the target allowing accurate navigation, were put through an intensive training programme involving extensive low-level flying and cross-country navigation eventually moving on to do the same thing at night, flying at 150’ over water, along with bombing practice.

However, night-flying at that height with no moon was a a major problem and there were not enough moonlit nights, so four aircraft were fitted with an American system involving sheets of blue celluloid inside the Perspex and orange goggles, which gave the impression of moonlight when flying in the day. The aircraft flew very low, returning with dents and bits of foliage hanging off them and on at least two occasions birds smashed through the cockpit windscreens which could have been disastrous. However, despite many close shaves there were no serious accidents. Attack Method This varied depending on the type of dam. For the Mohne and Eder aircraft approached at SIXTY feet above the water IN THE DARK flying at 220 mph. For the earthen Sorpe dam aircraft flew along the dam very low at 180 mph and dropped the bomb, without spin, in the water alongside the middle of the dam. The barometric altimeters were not sensitive enough to give that accurate a reading and in any case the pilot could not look at the instrument panel at that height for fear of hitting the water.

The aircraft therefore carried two spotlights which were angled so that when the beams met on the surface of the water the aircraft was flying at sixty feet, roughly twice the height of a normal house. The navigator watched the beams and called out “up” or “down” to the pilot. Flying very fast and very low with no modern radar aids with lights burning on your aircraft to show the enemy where you were was extremely hazardous. The wingspan of a Lancaster is 102’ so there was a real danger of hitting the water as the aircraft made the tight turns on the approaches to the dams. At the Eder and Sorpe the topography of the surrounding countryside with steep hills and the dams in the valleys made the approach in the dark to drop the bomb accurately in a large bomber very, very difficult. At the Eder the aircraft had to drop down from over 1000 feet to the lake and fly a curving approach hopping over a spit of land which rose to 50 feet less than a mile from the target, and then line up at the correct height and speed, before pulling up steeply to avoid the 300 feet hill which rose precipitously immediately behind the dam.

To get the Lancaster down to 60 feet round and over the spit and lined up properly at right angles to the dam at 220 mph, and then make a climbing turn to getaway in the dark, was very challenging flying. At the Sorpe the aircraft had to fly over a 180-foot hill and dip down steeply to the dam just a quarter of a mile beyond to fly along and drop the bomb before climbing out using full power over another 300-foot hill immediately behind the dam. To make matters even more difficult a tall church steeple was exactly in line with the correct line of approach to the dam. The approach at the Mohne was slightly less daunting but still involved lifting the aircraft over a spit of land which rose to some 180 feet, but did provide some cover from the flak, and then dropping down to the surface of the lake to line up on the dam about a mile away. After dropping the mine the aircraft crossed the dam and then the pilot had to turn the big bomber round to the left away from flak positions to the right. Outward Flight to Target The route to and from dams was also flown at very low level to avoid the defences.

Their primitive radio navigation aids were usually jammed over enemy territory though some apparently worked up to the River Rhine – most navigation after crossing the Dutch coast was done by map reading and dead reckoning. This was extremely difficult at low level in moonlight, and very dangerous – two, aircraft hit power cables and crashed, and one hit the surface of the sea, lost its bomb and was very lucky to make it back to Scampton. Some aircraft flew beneath power cables on their way to the target and others flew along roads below the level of the surrounding trees. Others strayed off course by just a few miles, which it was almost impossible to avoid doing, but the route had been designed to avoid flak defences, though not all were known, and some of the unlucky ones who strayed in the wrong place were shot down. Three waves of aircraft were sent to attack. First Wave – 9 aircraft in 3 “vics” of 3. To attack the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams. Aircraft Captains: Gibson, Martin, Hopgood; Young, Shannon, Maltby; Maudslay, Knight, Astell. Second Wave – 5 aircraft. To attack the Sorpe.

Aircraft Captains: Barlow, Munro, Rice, Byers, McCarthy. Third Wave – 5 aircraft. Airborne reserve. Aircraft Captains: Ottley, Burpee, Brown, Townsend, Anderson. Despatched: 19 Attacking dam: 11 Lost: 8 Aborted mission: 2 The waves followed different routes and the second wave actually took off first as it had the longest route. The weather produced stronger winds than forecast and this caused serious problems for the second wave, which actually crossed the Dutch coast first. Unforecast winds had pushed the aircraft south of their intended track. One aircraft, that of Byers, strayed over the heavily defended island of Texel, rather than the intended landfall at the apparently undefended but similar looking island of Vlieland. Byers’ aircraft was shot down and the crew were all killed. A short while later Munro’s aircraft flew over Vlieland, but was hit by fire from a flak battery whose presence was not known. Munro’s aircraft was damaged and he was forced to return to Scampton.

A different disaster befell Rice, whose aircraft hit the surface of the sea, ripping the Upkeep mine free and flooding the back of the aircraft with seawater. A shaken but very lucky Rice and crew also returned to Scampton. Some while later Barlow’s aircraft hit power lines, possibly after being struck by flak, and crashed with the loss of all on board. Four out of five aircraft from the second wave had thus been lost or had aborted within a short space of time. The fifth crew, McCarthy’s, had hurriedly had to change aircraft at Scampton because of a technical problem and were flying twenty minutes behind the others in the second wave. They crossed at Vlieland and were fired on but not hit, McCarthy reporting that he sank down to fly between two large dunes to provide cover from the flak! Later in the trip the aircraft was hit by a cannon shell which hit the undercarriage nacelle and burst the starboard tyre.

Red Aircraft (8) were lost, Grey Aircraft (3)turned back and Blue Aircraft (8) made it home The first wave, unlike the second, took-off in vics of three and tried to maintain this loose formation on the way to the target, which was very unusual for a night operation. Like the second wave, some of these aircraft were also pushed off-course and the first vic, led by Gibson, crossed the coast at the ominously and appropriately named island of Overflakee, which was heavily defended. Flying very fast and very low they were luckier than the aircraft of the second wave and caught the Germans by surprise and went across unscathed. The second vic, ten minutes behind, had climbed higher to use their radio aids and discovered the unforecast wind, so were on course. However, climbing to use the radio aids probably exposed them to the German radars, and although they crossed at the right place, the defences were awake and fired on the aircraft. The third trio, Maudslay, Astell and Knight, were on course and crossed the coast unscathed. En route to the Mohne Gibson’s vic came under fire several times and Hopgood’s aircraft was damaged.

- Young’s vic made it to the dam without damage despite being fired on, although Shannon’s aircraft was hit as it arrived at the Mohne by flak from one of the towers on the dam. The third vic was not so lucky and Astell’s aircraft collided with high tension cables north of the Ruhr. The aircraft crashed in flames and all the crew were killed. The third wave took off some time after the first two with the first aircraft taking off shortly after midnight. Each aircraft was detailed to one of the alternative targets and was also to be prepared to attack the Mohne or Eder if they did not receive a direct order in the air to attack the alternative dam. The first aircraft off was Ottley’s, and it was instructed by radio at 0230 to attack the Lister dam, and the message was acknowledged by the aircraft, but two minutes later another message changed this to the Sorpe. No acknowledgement was received. Ottley had strayed over the heavily defended town of Hamm in the Ruhr and his aircraft was hit and caught fire, crashed, and the fuel tanks and then the mine exploded.

Incredibly, the rear gunner, Sergeant Tees was blown clear still inside his turret by one of the explosions and survived, badly burned, to become a PoW. The aircraft’s demise was witnessed by other crews, including that of Gibson who was passing to the north of Hamm on his return journey and who hoped, vainly, that the exploding aircraft was a night fighter. The second aircraft in the wave, piloted by Burpee, also strayed off course, and flew over a German airfield at Gilze-Rijen near Tilburg where it was hit by flak, caught fire and exploded, before crashing on the edge of the airfield, killing all on board. Brown and Townsend were also sorely troubled by flak but survived unscathed, not least by flying below the height of the trees on occasion. The last to leave Scampton was Cyril Anderson, who was also plagued by searchlights and flak which drove him away from his prescribed route and his rear guns also malfunctioned. Deep over enemy territory Anderson and his crew could not pinpoint their position as mist obscured many of the landmarks they were looking for.

Eventually, shortly after three in the morning they abandoned the mission and turned for home to fly back the way they had come whilst it was still dark. The Attacks The Mohne The first dam to be attacked was the Mohne. Gibson flew over the dam once and then informed the other aircraft circling out of range of the flak that he was going to attack. As the aircraft passed over the spit of land, so low that the bomb-aimer told Gibson he was going to hit the trees, the navigator turned on the spotlights and gave Gibson instructions of “down…down” until the aircraft was at 60’, meanwhile the mine was spinning at 500 rpm and the bomb-aimer using the primitive but effective home-made sight waited for the right moment to release the bomb. The flak towers on the dam opened fire and the front-gunner of Gibson’s Lancaster fired back. Gibson admitted to being very frightened as his brightly lit aircraft became the target for every gun in the area but concentrated on keeping the aircraft lined up and rock steady at 60’ while his flight engineer adjusted the speed.

At 28 minutes past midnight they dropped their Upkeep mine at 230 mph on a bearing of 330 degrees. It bounced three times, but sank short of the wall. After a short delay the hydrostatic pistols detonated the bomb at the correct depth and a great spout of water surged up and over the dam wall. At first it was thought the dam had collapsed, but as the water subsided it was seen still to be intact. After allowing the waters of the lake to settle, Gibson called Hopgood in to attack. The flak gunners now knew what to expect and the aircraft was seen to be hit several times on the approach. The bomb-aimer knew that their orders were to be sure to drop the mine correctly and was considering ordering another run when the aircraft was hit. Hopgood ordered the mine to bereleased. This, unsurprisingly, resulted in the bomb being dropped late, and it bounced right over the dam and exploded, wrecking the main power house. Hopgood’s aircraft was on fire and he ordered the crew to bale out as the Lancaster struggled to 500’ and then exploded.

Only the rear gunner and the bomb-aimer baled out successfully and both men had chosen to pull the ripcord of their parachutes inside the aircraft, which undoubtedly saved their lives – all the other crewmembers perished. Martin attacked next, with Gibson flying alongside him to distract the flak gunners, and the mine was dropped at 38 minutes past midnight on a bearing of 335 degrees at 217 mph. It veered to the left and exploded near the bank of the reservoir twenty yards from the dam. Gibson now called up Young. Martin flew on Young’s left to distract the gunners while Gibson flew parallel to the dam on the downstream side hoping to divide the fire from the defences on and beyond the dam. Young made the perfect approach and drop, and his bomb hit the centre of the dam. The dam was apparently intact after the attack, and Maltby was making his bomb run with Martin and Gibson both acting as decoys when he saw the centre of the dam crumbling. Maltby veered to one side and dropped his mine which bounced, struck the dam and exploded.

The dam was already failing before Maltby’s mine exploded, and now millions of gallons of water were pouring through the breach and down the valley and beyond. Gibson, who had already ordered Shannon to prepare to attack, cancelled the order and instructed Shannon, Maudslay, and Knight to accompany him to the Eder dam, along with Young, who was to act as deputy leader if anything happened to Gibson. The Sorpe Meanwhile the sole survivor of the second wave, McCarthy, had arrived at the Sorpe which had been difficult to find because of low mist in the valleys. It was immediately apparent that the approach to the dam was extremely challenging, and so it proved. McCarthy flew the approach nine times but found it difficult to clear the high hill and then bring the Lancaster down low enough, with the church steeple on the approach proving particularly troublesome, and either McCarthy himself or his bomb-aimer were not satisfied that all was right and called for the aircraft to go around again. The other members of the crew became restless as the bomber had now been circuiting the dam for half an hour and they were also puzzled that no other aircraft from the second wave had appeared.

Eventually, on the tenth approach both McCarthy and his bomb-aimer were satisfied that the approach was perfect and dropped the bomb alongside the dam. Two and a half hours later Brown, who had received a radio message directing his aircraft to attack the Sorpe while in the air, arrived at the dam and found that the ground mist was now even thicker. Brown found the approach no easier than McCarthy, and the thickening mist made flying the circuit correctly difficult even though the dam itself was clear, and after flying into a mist-bound nearby valley and nearly crashing he ordered that incendiaries be dropped round the circuit to help him. In all Brown flew five separate approaches before dropping the mine on his sixth attempt. Although both mines exploded close to the dam and caused considerable damage, no breach occurred. The loss of so many from the second wave had seriously weakened the assault on the Sorpe and it survived the attack. The Eder The aircraft flying to the Eder all had difficult finding it in the thickening mists and when Gibson eventually located it he fired a red flare to attract the other crews. As at the Sorpe the approach proved very difficult. Shannon flew three or four approaches without being able to get the Lancaster low enough after the steep dive and sharp turn.

Maudslay then tried twice with similar results. Shannon flew two more approaches before he and his bomb-aimer were satisfied, dropping his mine at 1.39 in the morning. Maudslay then flew down the valley for the third time. The watching Gibson thought that he saw something hanging from the Lancaster as if it had previously been damaged. The mine was released but probably too close to the dam and exploded on hitting the parapet shortly after Maudslay’s aircraft passed over it. It is not clear whether the aircraft was caught in the explosion of its own Upkeep or not, as the eyewitnesses differed. Maudslay made brief and indistinct radio contact with Gibson and is known to have left the area immediately, suggesting his aircraft may indeed have been damaged. Knight attacked next, making one dummy run, before dropping his mine at the correct height, speed and alignment. It hit the dam, sank, and exploded at the correct depth. The dam crumbled and collapsed and the water poured into the valley beyond. The Ennepe/Bever Apart from Brown, the only other aircraft of the third wave to make an attack was Townsend, who believed he dropped his mine at the Ennepe dam.

As with the other dams he found flying the right approach at the right speed and height difficult and made three dummy runs before dropping the weapon on his fourth approach. It exploded short of the dam and no significant damage resulted. It is almost certain that Townsend actually attacked another dam in the area, the Bever, as German sources report an attack on this dam but none on the Ennepe. Homeward Bound Of the nineteen aircraft which left Scampton eleven had made attacks, resulting in breaches at the Mohne and Eder and damage to the Sorpe. Two aircraft had returned early, five had been lost on the outward journey and one at the Mohne dam. The surviving aircraft, including one which could not find its target, still had to make their way home across hundreds of miles of hostile territory. On the return trip two more aircraft were to be shot down. The victims were two of the most senior and experienced members of the Squadron. Maudslay’s aircraft may or may not have been caught in the explosion of its own weapon over the Eder and suffered further damage. Two radio messages were heard from the aircraft after the attack and it is clear that it headed for home as soon as it had dropped its mine.

Probably damaged it strayed too close to the oil refineries at Emmerich on its return journey and was shot down by the flak defences. Young very nearly made it home but fell victim to German flak batteries on the coast of Holland and crashed into the sea. There were no survivors from either aircraft. McCarthy’s aircraft also nearly came to grief when it strayed over the heavily defended marshalling yards of Hamm, flying through them so low that a member of the crew remarked that the Germans didn’t need flak they only needed to change the points. Other aircraft were fired on by flak batteries on the return journey and at the coast. In all eight aircraft from the raid were lost resulting in the deaths of 53 men: three more became PoWs. The Results The flooding from the breached dams affected a wide area inundating many factories and damaging or destroying power stations, road and rail bridges, and other facilities. The loss of power and water for the Ruhr, crucial to many manufacturing processes, was also significant. Among a large number of towns temporarily deprived of water were Hamm, Hagen, Bochum and Dortmund.

The Germans had to draft in tens of thousands of workers to repair the damaged dams and other facilities, including at least 7000 workers removed from building the Atlantic Wall defences against Allied invasion with direct positive results a year later during the D-Day invasion. Both ammunition and coal production fell after the attack, just at the point that the Germans mounted their last significant offensive on the Eastern Front. The raid also had political consequences. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was visiting America at the time, and news of the attack’s success was telephoned through to him. He was able to make considerable capital from the attack and specifically referred to it in an address to the American Congress. American and British newspapers also made much of the attack with it appearing on the front page of British papers and the New York Times. The Germans also constructed elaborate defences at all the dams in the Ruhr and elsewhere, diverting considerable military and construction resources in the process. These included anti-aircraft batteries covering every dam – prior to the raid only the Mohne had any guns protecting it. The dams were also protected by mine barrages, ramps to deflect Upkeep mines, and wire net curtains strung in front to down low flying aircraft.

Although the human cost of the raid was high, and unsustainable on a regular basis, it should be remembered that it represented less than a 1000th of Bomber Command’s total losses, and the results of the attack, politically, economically and militarily undoubtedly made it worthwhile. Decorations: Air crew decorated 34 Victoria Cross – 1; Distinguished Service Order – 5; Distinguished Flying Cross – 10; Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross – 4; Conspicuous Gallantry Medal – 2; Distinguished Flying Medal 11; Bar to Distinguished Flying Medal – 1. RAF - 617 Squadron 617 Squadron Badge: On a roundel, a wall in fesse, fracted by three flashes of lightning in pile and issuant from the breach water proper - approved by King George VI in March 1944. The broken dam is indicative of the successful attack on the dams in May 1943. Motto: Aprés moi, le déluge - 'After me, the flood'. Key Dates 1943 - Formed at RAF Scampton.

1943 - Carried out Operation Chastise against four Dams in the Ruhr using Barnes Wallis' "bouncing bomb". 2003 - Flew the RAFs first operational mission using the Storm Shadow stand off weapon as part of Operation Telic in Iraq. Current Aircraft and Location: Current Location: RAF Lossiemouth Battle Honours: Fortress Europe 1943-1945*, The Dams*, Biscay Ports 1944*, France and Germany 1944-1945*, Normandy 1944*, Tirpitz*, Channel and North Sea 1944-1945*, German Ports 1945*, Gulf 1991, Iraq 2003*. (Honours marked with an asterisk, may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard) History of 617 Squadron: Perhaps the most famous RAF squadron currently flying, 617 Squadron was formed at Scampton on 21 March 1943 specifically to undertake one operation - Operation Chastise - the breaching of dams vital to the German war effort.

The Squadron's Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, was given free reign to comb other Lancaster squadrons for the crews he thought could best undertake the mission. For weeks, not even Gibson was told of the unit's task, only that low-level flying over water was essential, and training was undertaken in around the dams and reservoirs of Derbyshire. Chastise called for the breaching of three enormous dams in the Ruhr - the heart of German industrial production - by dropping a specially designed mine at exactly 60 feet (18.29m) and a speed 220 mph (354 km/h). Nineteen specially modified Lancaster carried out the attack during the night of 16/17 May 1943, successfully breaching the Mohne and Eder dams, but failing with attacks on two others, the Sorpe and Schwelme. Wing Commander Gibson repeatedly flew over the Mohne and Eder dams to draw fire away from the attacking aircraft and was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry. Thirty-two other members of the Squadron were also decorated but a total of eight aircraft and their crews were lost during the night.

The unit was retained to carry out highly specialised attacks, many of which employed the 12,000lb (5,448kg) 'Tallboy' and 22,000lb (9,988kg) 'Grand Slam' bombs. The Squadron received Lincolns in September 1946 and Canberras six years later with which the Squadron took part in Operation Firedog in Malaya before disbanding on 15 December 1955. On 1 May 1958, No 617 reformed at Scampton equipped with Vulcans, a type that remained on strength until 31 December 1981 when the unit disbanded. The following year, the Squadron reformed with Tornado GR1s at Marham, initially in the strike role, but latterly in the maritime strike mission based at Lossiemouth. Number 617 continued to fly the Tornado GR1 until it was replaced by the updated GR4 and it was with these that the squadron carried out the first attacks with the RAF's stand-off weapon - Storm Shadow - during Operation Telic in April 2003.

Treefrog Treasures - RAF 617 Squadron - The Dambusters 70th Anniversary Commemorative Set, 1943 Home → W. Britain → Limited Editions → RAF 617 Squadron - The Dambusters 70th Anniversary Commemorative Set, 1943 RAF 617 Squadron - The Dambusters 70th Anniversary Commemorative Set, 1943 Regular Price: $350.00 This set includes: Guy Gibson, Crew, Lancaster Fuselage and Display Base. Limited Edition of 750 sets. On the evening of 16th May 1943, nineteen Lancaster bombers and their crews departed Royal Air Force (RAF) Station Scampton in Lincolnshire, England for Nazi Germany. Not only did they attempt to fly deep into enemy territory on one of the most audacious raids of the Second A ‘Dambusters’. The story of the Dambusters is very much in the spirit of ‘Best of British Daring Do,’ combining the finest attributes of courageous war-fighting men with both exceptional and innovative skills as Lancaster bomber crews.

The attack against the German Dams brought together the best of thinking in strategy, ingenuity, design brilliance and, in particular, both gallantry and determination. Our new limited edition set based on the famous photograph of Guy Gibson and his crew about to board their Lancaster, commemorates the 70th Anniversary of this momentous raid.Due to the oversized nature of this item's shipping box, International Orders will be charged Actual Shipping costs. Please contact us if you need additional information. RAF-lincolnshire.info :: 617 Squadron Tornado GR1 , GR4 617 Sqn, the Dambusters, is most famous for its 16 May 1943 raid on the strategically important Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams above the industrial heartlands of Germany's Ruhr valley. The Sqn had been created on 15 May 1943 with this specific task in mind. 8 of the 19 modified Lancaster bombers did not make it back. You can read about Operation CHASTISE on the BBC local history website and the RAF website. There is also an online Lancaster bomber tour of the East Kirkby "Just Jane".

617 formed at Scampton in Mar 1943 as "X Sqn", commanded by Guy Gibson. In Jul 1943 617 Sqn was involved in the so-called 'shuttle raids' attacking targets in Italy before landing in Africa to make a second attack on the return flight to England. After moving to RAF Woodhall Spa in Jan 1944 the Sqn specialised in self-designation of targets, removing the need for a pathfinder force. They empolyed the new skill against targets requiring high precision to avoid collateral damage, such as armaments factories in France. The spring of 1944 saw the introduction of the Tallboy 12 000 lb bomb which was succesfully employed by 617 against the Saumer rail tunnel and the heavily protected U-boat pens in France. Later the Sqn was also given the lead with another Barnes Wallis project, the 10 ton Grand Slam earthquake bomb. The first employment of the new bomb resulted in the destruction of the Bielefed railway viaduct which had survived all previous attacks. From Sep to Nov 1944 the Sqn joined the battle to sink the Tirpitz.

On 12 Nov 1944 Tirpitz was finally sunk by a combined force of IX and 617 Sqns. After VE-day (May 1945) the Sqn was assigned to the Tiger Force, the RAF contribution to the strategic bombing of Japan, and moved to RAF Waddington for training. Japan surrendered and the war ended before the Sqn was due to deploy. In 1947 the Sqn went on a goodwill tour of Canada and the USA. Robert (Bob) Hornby of Lancashire has spent 7 years researching and writing the history of 617 Sqn's 1947 goodwill mission of which he was a member. Based on AIR27/2526/27 Documentation and oral history from surviving members he has produced a 125 page history which is lodged at 617 Squadron Air Crew Associations Historical Section, at the COMOX Air Force Museum, Lazo BC, and the Nanton Lancaster Museum in Nanton Alberta. Further details about the project and the book can be found on the 617 Sqn Goodwill Tour website :: click here .

617 Sqn disbanded in Dec 1956 to reform as a Vulcan squadron, having just returned from a 6 month detachment in Malaya. After reforming as a Vulcan nuclear bomber sqn in 1958 617 Sqn was equipped with the B2 variant from 1960, the first equipped with the Avro Blue Steel Mk1 missile. Today the Sqn operates the Tornado GR4. Read more about 617 Sqn history in the recommended reading list :: booklist . The Petwood Hall Hotel was requisitioned to be the Sqn Officers' Mess in 1943, the website has a history section with a photo gallery. A full listing of museums and memorials to 617 Sqn is on the memorials page. 617 Squadron Lancaster III ED934 P/O. Byers Memorial to the 'Dam Buster' at Woodhall Spa Burial details: P/O. Vernon William Byers. Runnymede Memorial Panel 175. Son of Frank and Ruby J. Byers of Codette, Saskatchewan, Canada. Sgt. F/O. Alastair James Taylor.

Runnymede Memorial Panel 166. Also on the Roll of Honour for Old Haltonians Apprentices. Further information: Son of Stephen and Sarah Ann Taylor and elder brother of Charles Taylor (who served in 100, 625 and 576 Squadrons during the war) of Alves, Morayshire, Scotland. Sergeant Taylor joined the RAF as an apprentice at RAF Halton on 17.1.1939. 9 FTS - 5.10.1940 - 4STT - 14.8.1942 - Awarded Flight Engineers badge - 21.10.1942 - No 1654 Conversion Unit, Wigsley - 01.01.1943 - 02.02.1943. Joined 467 Squadron Bottesford on 03.02.1943. Flew as Flight Engineer with P/O. Byers and his crew before being posted to 617 Squadron, Scampton on 28.3.1943.

Death presumed on 16th May 1943 P/O. James Herbert Warner. Runnymede Memorial Panel 130. No further details as yet. Sgt. Arthur Neville Whitaker. Runnymede Memorial Panel 134. No further details as yet. Sgt. John Wilkinson. Runnymede Memorial Panel 169. Son of Thomas Wilfred and Ethel of Antrobus, Cheshire, England. Sgt. Charles McAllister Jarvie. Runnymede Memorial Panel 154. Further information: Son of Charles and Nellie (nee Clark) Jarvie and younger much loved only brother of Helen Jarvie of Glasgow, Scotland. Joined the RAF in 1940. Trained at Padgate - 11.07.1940.

No 6 RC - 13.08.1940 - No 1 E and WS - 30.08.1940 - Ullsworth - 14.10.40 - Ouston - 15.05.1941 - Acklington - 29.05.1941 - No 14 ITW - 30.07.1942 - No 4 AGS - 06.09.1942 - No 49 CU - 31.10.1942 - No 1661 C.U. - 467 Squadron - 09.11.1942. Sergeant Jarvie flew with the Vine crew till the 9th March 1943 joining the Byers crew on approximately the 10th March 1943. He and the rest of the crew were posted to 617 Squadron on 28.03.1943 Fl/Sgt. James McDowell. Harlington General Cemetery, Netherlands Plot E.Row 4.

Grave 11. No further information, but from Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada. Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. With special thanks to the following relatives: Lorna Baines and the family of Sergeant Jarvie, Alastair Taylor and the family of Sergeant Taylor, Also thanks to History-Dambuster.Org.UK Acknowledgements: Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols.

1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives and Fred Paradie - Paradie Archive (both on this site), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world. Click any image to enlarge it Do you have more information or corrections to this story? Use our AddInfo facility Readers Interested In Further Reading: Dambusters Dambusters I feel a blow has been struck at Germany from which she cannot recover for several years.

-- Barnes Wallis It is unfair to single out any squadron of Bomber Command for special attention, as all performed magnificently during WWII, all suffered very heavy losses. Dambusters, 617 Squadron, is though probably the best known of all the Bomber Command squadrons, because of its daring bombing raid in Germany where it destroyed dams in the Ruhr Valley using the revolutionary bouncing bomb invented by Barnes Wallis. A mission immortalised in the 1950s film The Dam Busters co-starring Richard Todd (as Guy Gibson) and Sir Michael Redgrave (as Barnes Wallis). The damage wrought when Hurricane Katrina hit new Orleans in August 2005 gives some idea of the damage caused in the Ruhr Valley by breaching the dams. Destroying the Ruhr Valley dams would not only wreak havoc with the release of water, damage that would require a large number of bombing raids, it would also deny the Germans hydroelectric power, deny water to their extensive canal network, and deny water to war production. It would have been a relatively simple operation to have dropped torpedoes, only this was not possible as the Germans had hung anti-torpedo netting to protect the dams.

A bomb also had the added advantage of being able to carry a heavier explosive payload. Barnes Wallis tried some experiments on a scale model dam. He found that a 10-ton bomb dropped near the wall of the dam would leave the dam unscathed, and even that would need a specially designed aircraft to carry the bomb. At least a 30-ton bomb would be needed and an aircraft to carry such a bomb would not be possible. The problem was the water was cushioning the impact of the bomb, leaving the dam without a scratch. Wallis then had the brilliant idea of dropping a bomb against the wall of the dam. The water would then have the effect of deflecting the explosion into the wall of the dam. A much smaller bomb would now be required, as Wallis demonstrated on his scale models. A bomb that could be carried by an existing, possibly with modifications, Avro Lancaster . Now all what was left was how to place the bomb adjacent to the dam. Wallis then had his second brainwave, a 'bouncing bomb'.

Bouncing cannonballs had been used by the Navy in the 19th century, and it was from here he had got his original idea, and had already carried out some experimental work for the Navy. A bouncing bomb would require precision bombing, too short, and the bomb would fall short, too near, and it would bounce over the dam. The next problem was to convince the committee of Whitehall mandarins that this crazy idea would work. [It is disputed that Wallis had to convince Whitehall that his idea would work] Based at RAF Scampton, a few miles north of Lincoln, 617 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson , was specially formed to handle the Dambusters raid. All the crews were hand-picked for the squadron. A specially modified Lancaster was needed for the raids. The bomb was slung below the plane. On approach to the target, the bomb spun up to 500rpm. This backwards spin caused the bomb to bounce, on hitting the wall of the dam, the backwards spin would pull it down the wall of the dam into the base of the dam. A hydrostatic fuse was set for 30ft, and failing that, a delayed detonation.

Details of the bouncing bomb and its release mechanism were kept secret until 1974. After the raids the Germans managed to recover one of the bouncing bombs that had not exploded. They carried out their own work using the bombs, but had to abandon their trials as the bombs had a nasty habit of catching up with and destroying the release aircraft. The bombs had to be dropped from an exact height of 60ft. Barometric altimeters were not sufficiently accurate. Spotlights were aimed at an angle at the ground. When the two spots on the water merged into one, the aircraft would be at an exact height of 60ft. 617 Squadron practised their bombing raids on Derwent Water. Such was the delicacy of the operation that not even the crews knew what their final target would be. A rumour was spread that it would be the German battleship Tirpitz, holed up in a Norwegian fjord. Ironic, in that later in the war, Tirpitz was bombed by 617 Squadron. The Lancasters used in the raid, had their armour removed to reduce the weight.

The attack, code name Operation Chastise, on the night of the 17th of May 1943, was in three waves. The aircraft crossed into occupied Europe at two locations, flying low-level all the way. Guy Gibson led the first wave, which was to attack the Moehne, and after that, if aircraft were left with any bombs, to attack the Eder. The entire mission was a suicide mission. Gibson had the element of surprise. After that the Germans knew what to expect. The aircraft had to line up to have any success of accurate delivery of their payloads, which turned them into sitting ducks for the Germans to aim at. Gibson was not successful, and then tried to draw the flak away from the other aircraft. The second aircraft was hit by flak, then caught in the blast from its own bomb and destroyed. The third aircraft was successful. Two more successful runs, and the dam was breached. Gibson then led the formation on to the Eder. The first aircraft had six unsuccessful runs, then took a break. The bomb from the second aircraft hit the top of the dam and the blast destroyed the aircraft.

The first aircraft then made a successful run and with a hit by a third aircraft, the dam was breached. The second wave successfully attacked the Sorpe dam, but the dam was not breached. The third wave was a reserve wave, and they were now directed to the Sorpe, but were not successful in breaching the dam. They were directed to subsidiary targets. Of the 133 aircrew 53 were killed and three bailed out to be made POWs. Of the surviving aircrew thirty-three were decorated at Buckingham Palace on 22 June, with Wing Commander Gibson awarded the Victoria Cross. In total there was one VC, five DSOs, ten DFCs and four bars, twelve DFMs and two CGMs. Gibson embarked on a public relations tour of America. On his return to operational duty he was killed on a mission in 1944. Around 330 million tons of water poured into the western Ruhr region. Mines were flooded, houses, factories, roads, railways and bridges destroyed as the flood waters spread for around 50 miles (80 km) from the source.

Estimates show that before 15 May 1943 water production on the Ruhr was 1 million tonnes, which dropped to a quarter of that level after the raid. In terms of deaths: 1,294 people were killed, 749 of them Ukrainian POWs from a camp just below the Eder Dam. The impact, if any, of Operation Chastise on the German war effort was short-lived, and it did not have the military impact that military planners had anticipated. By 27 June, little over a month after the raid, full water output was restored, thanks to an emergency pumping scheme inaugurated only the previous year, and the electricity grid was again producing power at full capacity. The raid proved to be costly in lives (more than half the lives lost belonging to allied POWs). In the long term, it proved to be little more than a minor inconvenience to the Ruhr's industrial output. A beneficial side effect was that 27,000 men were withdrawn from Atlantic Wall defences to rebuild the dams and 10,000 men were allocated to protect Germany's other dams in expectation of further raids, although no further dam raids took place.

Where the raid did have an impact, was that the pictures of the broken dams proved to be a huge morale boost to the Allies, especially to the British, suffering under German bombing. It also told the Germans, the British could strike at the heart of their war machine. Maybe even more important, it showed the Americans and the Russians, what the British were capable of. After the Dambusters raid, no similar raid was mounted as it had proved to be too expensive in both men and aircraft lost. Barnes Wallis and 617 Squadron continued to work together. Tallboy and Grand Slam ground-penetrating 'earthquake' bombs were two very heavy bombs, developed by Barnes Wallis and delivered by 617 Squadron. One noticeable mission was the sinking of the German battleship the Tirpitz, sister ship of the Bismark. 617 Squadron continue to be pioneers in bombing raids. Now flying Tornadoes, 617 Squadron was the first RAF squadron to fire the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise-missile during the 2003 illegal Invasion of Iraq.

617 Squadron was originally based at RAF Scampton, then RAF Coningsby, then RAF Woodhall Spa, now at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. Not far from Woodhall Spa is Thorpe Camp and the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. Both sites have exhibitions on the Dambusters Raid and the sinking of the Tirpitz. Thorpe Camp , near Tattershall Thorpe, looks not much from the outside, just a handful of huts, is all that remains of RAF Woohall Spa. It was here that 617 Squadron were based as a specialist unit delivering heavy bombs. Thorpe Camp has it has a number of interesting exhibits, including the Dambusters raid and the sinking of the Tirpitz. Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre , at what was once RAF East Kirkby, was established by the Panton Brothers, Fred and Harold Panton, as a memorial to their elder brother Pilot Officer Christopher Panton, who along with 55,000 other aircrew of Bomber Command lost their lives during WWII.

The Centre has both a Spitfire and a Lancaster from WWII and a large number of interesting exhibits, including the Dambusters raid and the sinking of the Tirpitz, making it probably the most important aviation heritage centre in the country. In the centre of Woodhall Spa is a very impressive memorial to the Dambuster Squadron. Also at Woodhall Spa, Petwood Hotel, requisitioned during the latter half of WWII as the Officers Mess for 617 Squadron. The Squadron Bar has memorabilia from the period. In the grounds can be found one of the practice bouncing bombs. The Petwood Hotel now has a more peaceful role, being a favourite spot to hold wedding receptions. The Blue Bell Inn, a very old roadside inn at Tattershall Thorpe, serves excellent food and a good choice of real ales. Apart from being an interesting old inn and serving excellent food, another reason for visiting the Blue Bell Inn, is that on the ceiling of the old bar are signatures of members of 617 Squadron.

RAF Coningsby, now home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, is still an active RAF base To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Dambusters raid, a Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew around the country visiting all the sites associated with the Dambusters. At Brooklands, as part of the anniversary, model airplane enthusiasts were invited to bring along their model Lancasters and mount raids on a model dam. RAF Scampton, for a while mothballed, is now home to the world famous Red Arrows. The 1950s film The Dam Busters co-starring Richard Todd (as Guy Gibson) and Sir Michael Redgrave (as Barnes Wallis), the film which imortalised the Dambusters on the silver screen, was based on two books, The Dam Busters Enemy Coast Ahead by Guy Gibson. Richard Todd, who plays the part of Guy Gibson in the film, took part in the airborne assault on Pegasus Bridge on D-Day. Talking to a pilot and navigator of one of the three Lancasters used in the film, it is surprising the steps taken to ensure accuracy.

One of the major departures from reality was the bouncing bomb and its release mechanism, as at the time both were still Top Secret. The Upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire, the practice area for the real raids, took the part of the Ruhr Valley, the scene where the Dutch coast is crossed was filmed between Boston and Kings Lynn, and other coastal scenes near Skegness. The airfield used was RAF Hemswell, a few miles north of Scampton. Hemswell was operational during the war, but not when the filming took place. The Dam Busters was to influence later films. The attack on the Death Star in the the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is similar in many respects to the strategy of Operation Chastise � rebel pilots have to fly through a trench while evading enemy fire and drop a single special weapon at a precise distance from the target in order to destroy the entire base with a single explosion, if one run fails another run must be made by another pilot. The scenes from Star Wars are very similar to those in The Dam Busters with a near identical dialogue.

In an example of political correctness gone mad, the scenes in The Dam Busters with Guy Gibson's dog Nigger had to be cut when the film was shown on ITV in case the use of the word 'nigger' should cause offence. The Wall , both the album and the film, by Pink Floyd , contains extracts from The Dam Busters where Guy Gibson's dog Nigger is run down and killed by a car before the planes take off. A bad omen if ever there was one.

Question: At which RAF base in Lincolnshire were 617 Squadron 'The Dambusters' based in 1943?
Answer: SCAMPTON