Page 15 - GM Wing 2020 Yearbook

Operation Chastise

On a pleasant clear evening in May 1943 617 Sqn took off from RAF Scampton to
undertake one of the most ambitious air raids of the war against the industrial
heartland of Hitlers Germany – The Ruhr Valley. The main targets with the Mohne
and the Sorpe Dams with the Eder Dam as a secondary target.

The “Dambusters raid” and the legend of 617 was born that night and the details
of this mission are now a integral part of the Royal Air Forces history.

The raid was undertaken using a revolutionary type of ordnance. Dr Barnes Wallis
created the “bouncing bomb” a device that skimmed across the water before
sinking and detonating under the water causing catastrophic damage to their
targets. The image on the left shows testing of the weapon from an Avro
Lancaster. Whilst the bomb trials were undertaken at Reculver and the explosive
testing just off the coast of Broadstairs in Kent, the low level flying training was
under taken around Derwent Water. The inventor of the bouncing bomb Dr
Barnes Wallis (seen on the right here) had some major technical issues to
overcome but through his engineering skill and his absolute faith and commitment
to the value of the Operation eventually proved to be decisive. Detailed below is
one of Barnes Wallis diagrams, detailing how the weapon would work against the
german dams. It provides a fascinating insight into the thought process of the man
who devised the weapon.