The Dambuster Heroes

x1 on the bravery bit. It was practically a suicide mission. Why do you mention it? 

Sniper it's the 70th anniversary of the mission  

Thanks Steve, 

Someone was supposed to be remaking the film a few years back but the project seems to have been shelved while someone makes an obscene amount of money bastardising The Hobbit. I hope the film gets made. The original is still a great film in my opinion. 

Remarkable stunt, but the flood killed more than thousand people most of which were russian prisoners and forced labourers. And the main goal, obstruction of the german arms industry, wasn't achieved.

Not so sure that the main aim was destruction of the Nazi arms industry - although damaging the Ruhr Valley bits of it was.

The UK has its backs to the wall, and this amazing feat ( OK, chaps, lets blow up a dam...) was a huge boost to morale at a time when we really needed it. It also showed the US  and USSR that we could strike, and it showed the Nazis the same thing - which resulted in large amounts of anti aircraft weaponry being pulled away from Stalingrad and the USSR is general.

Technically, it was amazing.  But a 40% loss rate on a  single mission was a major upset to Barnes Wallis.

" Flight Sergeant George Chalmers, radio operator on "O for Orange", looked out through the astrodome and was astonished to see that his pilot was flying towards the target along a forest's firebreak, below treetop level"

Bugger that.

" It was practically a suicide mission"

Well possibly, but like most ops, most of them didn't actually know the plan or where they were going until a few hours beforehand. Not much chance of opting out by then...

What I've not seen thoroughly explained is why they use the Lancaster at all. That's a bloody big target at low level, with a lot of crew on board. The long range Mosquitos by then had a range of 2 - 2,500 miles without bombs. OK a bit heavy with those bombs and the fuel on board but the Lancaster is hardly light on its feet is it? I wonder if it was the traditionalists in the R.A.F. at the time, "...big planes for big jobs..."

The last of the German troops had surrendered at Stalingrad by 2 February, ie 3 1/2 months before the dam raids. 

The Lancaster was lightened for the raids, with much of the armor and guns removed.  The 'bouncing bomb' weighed around 9,000 lbs, the Mosquito could only carry 4,000lb.

I think they're still arguing over what to call the dog. 

Great BBC World Service programme on this in the early hours this morning.  Interviews from the 60's with some of the (then) surviving crew.  Real stiff upper lip stuff.  Going to watch the movie now this afternoon. G

PS They revealed that the dog was in fact run over and killed the night before the raid but that this was kept from the crew for fear of the news affecting morale.

You made me laugh Komet. Apparently it will be called 'Digger' as the 'n' word is taboo in the USA.  I guess Blackie was outlawed too.  

Surely the film dialogue could be adjusted quite simply so that the dog might be addressed something along the lines of,

"Come on,old  boy!" or "Come on, little man!"

The name would not much matter then. I used to know a black spaniel, called a name that would be impossible nowadays - rhymed with dog and began with a "w" - problematic to say the least. 

Times move on, but that does not mean that more modern heightened sensibilities cannot be accommodated when retelling a historic story in film.

More serious would be the accents of the actors playing the parts than the name of a dos belong to one of them.

Farmer

I've visited Scampton many times on business - the "Dog" is buried adjacent to the hangar.

Lancs and Mossies practicing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JqBiMgC2Wg

I just found this on Youtube 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35qsu9HsYos

That's a film Sniper, I don't believe a word, must be a conspiracy. Where are the footnotes? 

Its taboo throughout the civilised world.

Small piece of editing heroism from Adam I note. Thanks.