LetLetLet ~ Warplanes
Let Let Let - Warplanes => Combat Warplanes => Topic started by: mfg495 on May 18, 2013, 12:01:01 PM
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Marking the 70th anniversary of the Dambuster's Raid.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/matzos/Odds/Dambusters-2_zpsed800b97.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/matzos/media/Odds/Dambusters-2_zpsed800b97.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/matzos/Odds/Dambusters-1_zps5f806519.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/matzos/media/Odds/Dambusters-1_zps5f806519.jpg.html)
Eight of the original 19 Lancaster bombers were damaged or shot down, some of these were before they got to their targets, and of the 133 aircrew, 53 were killed and three captured.
We must not also forget the number of people that were killed on the ground, almost 1,300 people that died, 749 were Ukrainian prisoners of war based in a camp just below the Eder dam.
Many saw the raid as a failure. The attacks failed to breach the Sorpe dam; and the disruption to the German war production was minimal, also the water supply in the Ruhr valley was back to original levels six weeks later. However, the raid was a major boost to British morale at the time in 1943, with the War Office releasing the aerial images of the raid to the British press. This was the first time that the public had seen any form of reconnaissance imagery.
The 617 Squadron remains in service and current they fly the Tornado GR4.
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Thank you for this nice topic mate :) And we should not forget heroes in battle against evil!
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... and great pics mate! :-flo
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Thanks for the thread and photos! When I was in elementary school I wrote a book report on 617 Squadron and this raid.
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Assume 'Dumbasters' is meant ironically????
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No, it's down to my fingers not typing what my brain is tell them to do and also not checking before I posted! :-red :-red
Updated, :-flo