But, because only two of the dams had been breached, the impact was less severe than planned. The devastation and widespread flooding inflicted by the raid killed 1,300 civilians, left thousands homeless, damaged 50 bridges, and briefly halted production in the Ruhr. Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest medal for valor, and 33 other members of the squadron were also decorated. The cost was high, but the raid gave a major boost to Allied morale. The squadron’s remaining bomb damaged the Sorpe dam but failed to cause a breach.Įight bombers were lost in the operation, and 54 crewmen lost their lives. After several abortive runs, two more bombers laid their ordnance accurately and breached the dam with spectacular results. One of the Lancasters dropped its bomb too late, which exploded on the parapet and took the plane with it. The Eder dam was well hidden in a valley and difficult to approach. But the fifth bomber’s run did the trick.Īs the Lancasters climbed away, Gibson reported, the top of the dam simply “rolled over and the water, looking like stirred porridge in the moonlight,” cascaded into the valley below. The second plane was hit by flak and crashed, but the third and fourth made successful runs. Gibson dropped the first bomb on the Mohne dam and scored a direct hit. The remaining Lancasters flew on in moonlight through increasing enemy flak and small-arms fire to the Ruhr dams. Another bomber went down when its pilot was blinded by searchlights. Two planes were shot down by German antiaircraft fire, and two had to return to base, one with flak damage and the other after hitting the sea. That night, 18 Lancasters took off from Scampton, formed up, and thundered at low level across the North Sea and the Dutch coast. “The Most Precise Bombing Attack Ever Delivered”Īll was made ready for the mission by Sunday, May 16, 1943, and the weather was excellent. The big, robust Lancaster was the only aircraft suited for the unique operation. The weapon was so cumbersome that the Lancaster had to be modified to hold it, protruding below the bomb bay. Widespread flooding and damage would result.Īfter several failures, the “bouncing bomb” had been successfully tested off the southern coast of England. Wallis, an engineering genius who had invented the geodetic aircraft design, the bombs were to be dropped from a height of only 60 feet, skip across the surface of the water, roll down the faces of the dams, and explode underwater. In this photo a group of former POWs walk toward the Lancaster that will carry them home to Britain.ĭeveloped by Dr. The Lancaster played a significant role in the repatriation of British prisoners of war after World War II ended. The untried weapons chosen for the operation were spherical, five-foot-long bombs (actually mines) that contained five tons of Torpex high explosive. Since before the start of World War II, Air Ministry planners believed that the destruction of the dams, which stored water vital for production, would cripple Nazi Germany’s economy. The targets, kept secret during the squadron’s training, were the Mohne, Eder, and Sorpe dams in Germany’s Ruhr Valley. All I can tell you is that you will have to practice low flying all day and night until you know how to do it with your eyes shut.” Some say it may even cut short the duration of the war…. Gibson, characterized as an officer who “exerted his authority without apparent effort,“ told the crews, “You’re here to do a special job, you’re here as a crack squadron, you’re here to carry out a raid on Germany, which, I am told, will have startling results. It was destined to gain a unique niche in the history of military aviation.Īt the sprawling Scampton Airfield near the city of Lincoln in northeastern England that spring, Gibson oversaw the intense preparation of 700 handpicked pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and gunners for a daring and unprecedented operation-a low-level precision raid by four-engine Avro Lancaster heavy bombers. Gibson of Royal Air Force Bomber Command was handed the most challenging assignment of his six-year career in the spring of 1943.Īfter winning the Distinguished Service Order with bar and the Distinguished Flying Cross by the age of 24, the chunky, modest son of an Indian Forest Service official took command of a unit newly formed for “special duties,” No.
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