617 Squadron - The Dambusters
- Thread starter Foxyboy43
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Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Indeed so and Barnes Wallis took the guilt of that terrible cost to his own grave. I think that the major benefit was showing that it could be done and provided a major shock to the Nazis whilst providing a significant morale boost to the British.
Whether it was worth such an utterly dreadful price can only be for history to decide….
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
My mother danced with Guy Gibson as later, when flying Mosquito aircraft, he was based at Coningsby and/or Woodhall Spa and at that time my mother still in her early twenties was a teacher at Coningsby School. The Woodhall Spa Officers' Mess was what was then and returned to be the Petwood Hotel there.
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enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
It was perhaps wasted lives as the RAF then never re-visited it to bomb, with conventional bombs, to disrupt the re-building work that was then needed after 617 Squadron's bravery and sacrifice.
There's a lot of discussion on the impact, I think the current feeling is the diversion of labour to repair the dams make the Normandy defences weaker so made the landings "easier".
The 1950s film has one of the the most understanded endings, with Wallis inviting Gibson for a drink, "I have some letters to write" was the answer.
The 1950s film has one of the the most understanded endings, with Wallis inviting Gibson for a drink, "I have some letters to write" was the answer.
Albert Speer made comment about the impact of the dams being taken out so he clearly viewed it as significant, but what I’ve never managed to understand was why the allies never conventionally re-bombed the dams during their repair phase to permanently remove their utility.
FN
FN
Accurate 1
Well-Known Member
A friend of mine has built a rc scale model B25 Mitchell approximately 7ft wingspan with twin ic motors , absolutely beautiful. Must get pics or video and upload them
A1
A1
Bavarianbrit
Well-Known Member
There was a guy in Birmingham who built a Lancaster model with 4x Honda 50 engines, he flew it from Dover to Cologne I was once told, in bad taste though.
They didn't need to. The intention was to disrupt the German manufacturing industry so as to prevent them producing replacement equipment and weapons.
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Chastise was very expensive in RAF lives as it was, to repeat the raid would have been a big mistake as anti aircraft defences were increased exponentially.
8x57
Distinguished Member
Besides the propaganda benefits I understand that the main benefit was that it diverted and tied up German forces to anti aircraft duties protecting similar sites.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
This is often never mentioned in accounts of the war. I've always held that the war in Europe was enabled to be won (as against not lost) by the British Merchant Navy, the US Army Airforce and the Red Army. For the US Army Airforce by forcing the Luftwaffe to fight in daylight and killing its pilots did much to achieve aerial superiority by the time of D-Day and the Soviet offensives. And the anti-aircraft cost was one million men deployed there rather than on the front lines and nearly forty thousand heavy and light AA guns which production capacity could elsewise have been used to make tank guns and anti-tank guns and field artillery. British and, much, American bombing had an effect beyond that of the buildings and factories it destroyed.
A few years ago i was lucky enough to visit 617 squadron (the Dambusters) when they were based at Lossiemouth flying Tornadoes
In the crewroom there is a HOLTS (car manual) for a Lancaster
Also the 617 squadron motto is "Apres Moi Le Deluge" (after me, the flood)
Cheers
Bruce
In the crewroom there is a HOLTS (car manual) for a Lancaster
Also the 617 squadron motto is "Apres Moi Le Deluge" (after me, the flood)
Cheers
Bruce
One for the older members. Much of the footage will be familiar but seeing it in colour is really something else.
Tragically 53 young men died in this famous raid; the Roll of Honour at the end makes for very sobering reading.
Lest we forget….
The sort of thing that should be shown in schools tbh
Thanks for sharing - an amazing true story that is so very typically 'British' and shows great triumph over adversity. It almost certainly did wonders for the allies moral, as well as diverting huge war resources that Germany could ill afford to repair the dams and other damage caused. I believe that significant further resources in terms of guns and crews were then involved in protecting the dams against any additional raids.
Terribly sad that along with all the incredibly brave airmen that died there were so many civilian casualties, particularly the poor slave labourers. We should never forget them.
Terribly sad that along with all the incredibly brave airmen that died there were so many civilian casualties, particularly the poor slave labourers. We should never forget them.
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