Dam heroes
THE BRAVE MEN BEHIND DARING WWII RAID
IT is one of the most stirring stories of World War Two – and now a new TV series is revealing the secrets behind the daring Dambusters raid in 1943.
The Channel 5 three- part documentary, presented by historian Dan Snow, reveals all about how brave Allied airmen struck at the heart of the Nazi war machine.
Operation Chastise, which took place on the night of May 16- 17, saw the use of revolutionary bouncing bombs to destroy vital dams in Germany.
Here JAMES MOORE reveals some of the key numbers in it…
1… The only surviving Dambuster is bomb aimer George “Johnny” Johnson, now 99.
3… The number of targets. By destroying the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams, the plan was to breach the reservoirs and flood Germany’s Ruhr valley, destroying the nation’s industrial, weapons- making heartland.
8… weeks. How long Wing Commander Guy Gibson was given to put together and train a team of crack air crews for the incredibly dangerous mission. They practised dropping bombs at UK locations such as the Derwent Reservoir.
9.28… pm. The time the first of the Lancaster bombers took off from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire towards their targets. They flew at 100ft to avoid detection.
19… Lancasters were used in the raid. Eight were lost, some were shot down, others crashed. The last of the 11 remaining aircraft arrived back the next morning at 6.06am.
21… Average age of the aircrew who took part.
34… of the survivors were decorated, with Gibson awarded the Victoria Cross. He was shot down and killed in 1944, aged 26.
60… feet, the height at which the bombers had to release the pioneering bouncing bombs developed by inventor Barnes Wallis, to ensure they would skim the water, avoid torpedo nets and hit the dams.
133… Number of aircrew who took part in the raid, with 53 of them killed – a casualty rate of about 40%. Some survivors became prisoners of war.
617… Name of the famous Squadron that was specially formed to carry out the raid. It was recently reformed with Britain’s new F35 Lightning II planes.
1955… Year the classic Dam Busters movie was released starring Richard Todd as Gibson and Michael Redgrave as Wallis. Famous for its rousing theme music by composer Eric Coates, it was famously spoofed in a Carling Black Label TV ad too.
9000… lb. Size of the depth charge- style bouncing bombs, known as Upkeep. They had to be dropped spinning backwards at 500rpm, while the plane was flying at 240mph, exactly 1,275ft from the target.
20,000… Number of workers that had to be diverted by the Germans to repair the Möhne and Eder dams that were successfully breached. The Sorpe dam was also damaged.
330million… tons of water was unleashed over 50 miles, destroying scores of factories, roads, bridges and railways and ruining 3,000 acres of farmland. Some 1,600 people were killed.
5.6billion… pounds, the estimated German repair bill in today’s money. War production didn’t get back to normal for months with Nazi arms minister Albert Speer admitting the raid was a “disaster”. It helped boost British wartime morale too.
The Dambusters starts tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.