The Dambusters Raid - Animated

Operation Chastise, 16th-17th May 1943 - 19 Avro Lancasters take off from RAF Scampton to smash the great hydro-electric dams of the Ruhr using an innovative new weapon. They would become known as The Dambusters.
Dam Busters: The True Story of the Inventors and Airmen Who Led the Devastating Raid to Smash the German Dams in 1943 - James Holland: amzn.to/2VsAXJs (US)
/ theoperationsroom
/ the_ops_room
Music: www.purple-planet.com
Maps: maps-for-free.com/
All images are public domain.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Hello Ladies and Gents. Your positive comments really are appreciated. I create these videos in my spare time around a full time day job. Each one takes around 60-70 man hours of effort to produce, even longer on complex videos like Schweinfurt-Regensburg and the Battle of Midway. My goal is to reach 100k subscribers by the end of 2020. If you enjoy The Operations Room, it would be awesome if you could please subscribe!

[@jmartin9785]

The Operations Room : What a great video! Had me on the edge of my seat! I was aware of the dam busters, but never in such detail! Your voice in the narration is also perfect for this! Thanks, I’m heading for the subscribe button!🌈🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@cenlasmiths]

Brilliant videos. Well done, Sir. I'm happy to subscribe.

[@charliemorris2338]

My hats off to you for the lump in my throat as for my father was in WWII and would never talk about what he saw but i know it messed him up pretty bad.

[@HARDRODE]

Good channel ... Best , like a Briefing. Thank you . really , well done.

[@nelsonstone4777]

“

[@Simon_de_Cornouailles]

The average age of RAF aircrew at the time is estimated to have been 21. Wing Commander Gibson was a grand old man of 24 when he led this raid. Astonishing.

[@HAMlLTON]

Almost 26, haven’t done shit with my life. Thanks

[@jtgd]

@akjohnny a time without necessity

[@brutusvonmanhammer]

@@HAMlLTON if you spend a little time each day just remembering what lads like Gibson did for us, then yours will be a life well spent

[@cj5312]

@@brutusvonmanhammer I agree. Brave men like this cannot be forgotten. Bless them.

[@DrDirtNips]

They literally gave all their years up to stop a madman. So young.

[@Supergeologist]

One of the less recognised effects of this raid is that thousands of workers and many tons of materials were specifically diverted from the atlantic wall defences in northern France to repair the damage. So in a way this raid contributed to the success of D Day.

[@DaveSCameron]

Nein

[@packersfanforlife7903]

Mental! Amazing the affect this had.

[@Andy-ub3ub]

@@DaveSCameron there was more than 9

[@stephen4036]

Day d is SO overrated.. lol. Amazing when england isreal and america control western propaganda. Wonder why they get all the credit and other countries sacrifice means nothing. If you were to believe Hollywood's you think the war started when america entered which they only did for selfish reasons, nit to help humanity lmao. More Russians and Chinese died tha anyone and america and england shamelessly killed as many civilians or more than Japan and Germany. Let that all sink in.

[@patricknorton5788]

Yes, and also the thousands of captive laborers who died as a result of the flood. And also German civilians. Very sad, but it was a war for survival on all sides, and even some of the Germans said "this is what our Fuhrer has given us".

[@owo5869]

This channel is real gold.

[@seancrowe3353]

Yes, do you have a Patreon account?

[@MrX-tm8fy]

@@seancrowe3353 Yes, it's in the video description 😉

[@xblackdog]

It reminds me of the history channel, back when they still had Mail Call, and WWII in color.

[@keithplacko6806]

Agreed!!

[@alaeriia01]

Long time no see, OwO.

[@mbrenner3629]

These raids were the basis for George Lucas to write the attack on the Death Star in Star Wars, he was a huge fan of the movie The Dam Busters

[@g.k.1669]

Too funny. When I started watching this video I was reminded of the Star Wars movie.

[@bezahltersystemtroll5055]

Star Wars = WWII in space + Eastern mysticism

[@anthonyrobinson7715]

Good to know!

[@owo5869]

Bezahlter Systemtroll This is the formula for great movie at that time. But i see Tarantino movie as the same though.

[@spacebeam6480]

633 Squadron was also inspiration.

[@petehall889]

My father, Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Hall, DFC & Bar, a twenty-three year-old flying Lancs on his second tour of operations with 61 Sqn from R.A.F. Syerston at the time, sent a letter to his parents on the 22nd May 1943, five days after the raid. He says and I quote: "what do you think of the effort on the German Dams? Pretty colossal wasn't it? I knew a good many of the chaps who did it - old Gibson was one of the Wing Commanders here before he left for that special job. He already has a DSO and Bar and DFC and Bar, so I don't know what they'll give him for this show. It certainly has caused a sensation, and must be a shocking headache for old Hitler, and for the occupants of the Ruhr, who already have enough worry with the bombing..." Dad was lucky and survived the war, never losing either an aircraft or crew member, despite lots of holes in his aeroplane from flak and night-fighters. More than fifty-five and a half thousand Bomber Command aircrew were not so fortunate and gave their lives. We should remember them and all those on both sides who suffered during this terrible conflict...

[@hoatattis7283]

pete Hall : Well said and we should honour them

[@suzannechapman4302]

Thanks Pete for telling us this wonderful piece of history. We are indepted to their heroicism and selfless sacrifice.

[@wattage2007]

Great to hear the words of the bomber boys live on. Thank you.

[@petehall889]

@@suzannechapman4302 Thank you for your kind comment, Suzanne. Married in 1941, Mum was always so relieved and grateful when Dad returned safely from a raid. Most people don't realise that, although there was conscription to the RAF, all members of aircrew were volunteers. Brave men indeed.

[@suzannechapman4302]

@@petehall889 Your very welcome, Pete. l wonder what people like your dad and mum would think about what is going on, not just in this country, but the world in general. For me, it feels an insult to their memory and the sacrifices their generation made. Terribly sad! Very best wishes and again, thank you.

[@Oscarspoem]

When you said ...’53 did not come home!’ It really was, as the video, done with class and expressed with such humility. There is brave, yet it’s well above that.

[@elennapointer701]

There were three survivors from the crashed Lancasters: Pilot Officer Tony Burcher (rear gunner) and Flight Sergeant John Fraser (bomb aimer) managed to escape from Hopgood's Lancaster in the seconds before it crashed. Sergeant John Minchin (wireless operator) also escaped Hopgood's aircraft but, severely wounded, it's believed he was unable to operate his parachute in time, and didn't survive the bailout. The most miraculous escape of the night was that of Flight Sergeant Fred Tees, rear gunner in Pilot Officer Warner Ottley's Lancaster. Ottley was shot down at treetop height, which meant there was no time for anyone to get out. The explosion of fuel and Upkeep mine blew the Lancaster to pieces, one of which was the tail section where Tees was stationed. He was found in the wreckage the next day, badly burned but alive, and spent the rest of the war, like Burcher and Fraser, as a POW.

[@Oscarspoem]

@@elennapointer701 Hi. Thanks. Fascinates me all this stuff and I often wonder why video's like this are not shown in school. I also love clever women haha

[@RedRocket4000]

@@elennapointer701 Will thank the German Doctors for his care.

[@pb7491]

This was about "duty" - but like you said, the bravery involved is astonishing.

[@reynaldoflores4522]

Of 19 planes, only 11 returned home.

[@B61Mod12]

2:21 The mine mounted underneath his aircraft clips THE SEA!!!! ????? holy F that is low flying!

[@patrickinottawa27]

My uncle Chester Bruce Gowrie was the wireless operator. I would have loved to of asked him about that. Unfortunately, they were all killed Dec 20, 1943 during an aborted raid on an arms factory in Liege, and all buried together in Gosselies Communal cemetery In Holland. The spotlights they were using to judge altitude failed or were mis-calibrated. Frankly, 60 feet over water at night, all you have to do is cough, sneeze or fart and your in the water.

[@jackl5642]

The RAF have a history of extreme low altitude attacks. In American "red flag" training exercises a RAF Vulcan bomber reportedly flew so low to the ground it cut power lines with its tai fin. The height of the power lines in question was found to be just 39 ft. when they were repaired!

[@s208richard8]

During the early Red Flag exercises, the Buccaneers climbed from 10 feet to 20 feet to avoid leaving dust trails across the desert! Check out some of the interviews on YT.

[@MarsFKA]

@@patrickinottawa27 At the time Rice lost his bomb he was still over the North Sea and being shot at. He flew lower, to avoid the incoming fire, and hit the water. He wasn't using his spotlights.

[@patrickinottawa27]

​@@MarsFKA May I ask where you got that version. I'd like to learn as much as I can, but finding a good source of information, as so many stories have been told is next to impossible.

[@wadedixon6780]

I don’t think anyone today could comprehend what these young men experienced. Navigating bomber aircraft at tree top level in the dark? Incredible! Rip to those brave souls that didn’t make it home.

[@markshere1022]

133 people took off that night. 53 killed and 3 made POWs. 32 would die later in the war, Gibson being the last. Only 48 survived the war. That was a survival rate of 36%. The youngest was 18.

[@richardmarshall4322]

Gibson's crew died later attacking the Dortmund Ems Canal. Lanc crashed still carrying the 12000 pounder. As quoted in Brickhill's 'Dambusters', he wrote 'night became day' as the 12000 pounder went off. Bob Hay, Gibsons bombing leader is buried in Corsica, killed by flack if i remember on an earlier mission. Gibson was to die returning as Master Bomber from Reydt in a Mossie. I visited Gibsons grave in Holland many years ago. Buried with his Navigator Sqd Ldr Warwick. Also visited the 3 dams and Hopgoods Crash site, marked with a memorial, its about 2 miles from the Mohne. I served in the RAF from 84 to 93. Life long interest in the air war, Bomber Comnand in particular. Recomended reads. Brickhill's Dambusters and Gibsons Enemy Coast Ahead.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

The RAF Bomber Command had an abysmal loss record, losing over half the Lancasters as 65,000+ airmen !!! Totally unacceptable !!!

[@eze8970]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 What did you expect it to do? Long range missions, primitive equipment, bad weather, new recruits & enemy defences getting more effective all the time. Even in peacetime, just after the war, the RAF lost around 5000 killed in training a year.

[@MarsFKA]

@@eze8970 Finnigan is just having another jab at the British. Years of posting on KZbin show how much he hates Britain. Notice that he doesn't say anything about the tens of thousands of American airmen who died in the European Theatre of Operations. I guess those losses were "acceptable".

[@eze8970]

@@MarsFKA Or any other losses from any other country, service, or civilians. Hope he loses his bias, as it won't help him in the long run, will just eat him up.

[@intertr0ns]

Having visited both the Möhne & Eder dams it left me in wonder and absolute awe as to how the crews got their big bombers down into the valley's in the first place, & at night & under fire. So very brave & skilful.

[@twizzle103]

What a leader Gibson was. He drew fire after fire for his men (as well as Martin), only to then lead the second attack as well on the Eder Dam.

[@SpeccyMan]

And he did all that whilst mourning the loss of his beloved dog.

[@itsmeagain1018]

@@SpeccyMan name the dog ........i dare you........the name has been removed from the original film and the plaque where the dog is buried...so silly erasing history...i mean real history.

[@wierdalien1]

@@itsmeagain1018 oh fuck off.

[@GabrielKish]

Talk about brave. Exposing himself to fire to protect his mates... I'd say it's like something out of a movie except the whole raid is like something out of a movie. WWII had many "unbelievable but true" battles in it. The greatest generation is no lie.

[@RedRocket4000]

@@GabrielKish Oh yes. Audi Murphy's real feats were so unbelievable that when they asked him to play himself in a movie of him in the war he had them remove the best of them on account no one would believe he did that. Plus at end of one of his greatest firing a 50 cal off a burning Tank Destroyer while calling in artillery strikes as he walks away from the TD it explodes not harming him a moment that you think should only be in fiction.

[@artistjoh]

I was born in 1955, the same year that The Dam Busters film came out. So I grew up with the story of the raid. Most people thought Guy Gibson was the hero, but as a nerd who loved science, Barnes Wallis was my hero. A film well worth watching, filmed in real Lancaster bombers that were modified to look exactly like the Dam Buster Lancasters. It is a pity that so many young people these days are unaware of this incredible story of a real life genius engineer combined with the amazing courage of Guy Gibson and his crews.

[@gooble69]

I was born in 1970 and to me growing up WW2 seemed like ancient history. It's only recently that I really appreciate that all this was going on only 25 years before my time. My grandfather fought in the Battle of Crete, and my father later served in the Air Force. It freaks me out now that some of those old timers when I was a kid actually fought in this war.

[@artistjoh]

gooble69 Yes, none of us who weren’t there can know if we would have the courage to face what those men faced with such courage. The natural instinct is to duck for cover if you see someone shooting at you. I think many of us could be forced into facing it with bravery, but the way Guy Gibson and his fellow Dambusters voluntarily flew their aircraft into intense anti-aircraft fire on a mission that would be dangerous even without the enemy fire is a cut above what ordinary men can do. Of course the Dambusters became famous, but the majority of remarkable bravery goes relatively unnoticed. I am reminded of Australian Canberra bomber pilots in the Vietnam war. American aircraft and training was for higher altitude bombing, but in Vietnam there was a lot of low cloud. The Australian’s however had adapted to low level high accuracy bombing so they were employed as battlefield close support, flying in just above tree placing bombs on gun and mortar emplacements within a 20 meter accuracy. They would release the bombs and then climb in an attempt to outrun the fragmentation envelope from their own bombs. Many Canberras would return to base full of holes and injury to crew from their own bombs, yet each aircraft flew two crews on 12 hour shifts with 8 sorties a day/night 24/7 and every time they flew they knew they might not come back. Some didn’t. I have huge respect for men who can endure that day after day, flying directly into gunfire, but doing it because there were thousands of soldiers on the ground whose lives might be saved by their actions. All who serve need to be appreciated for what they are prepared to do for the rest of us. My grandfather was a machine gunner at Ypres in the First World War. A shrapnel bomb went off directly above him. I have seen newspaper reports of him continuing to operate the gun for quite some time before he lost consciousness. He had a metal plate in his head, and a steel pin down his leg but it was considerably shorter than the other leg when I knew him as a child. He died in 1963. I cannot imagine such horrific wounds yet he kept on firing at the Germans, despite a hole in his skull, and an almost completely severed leg. These people did incredible things.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

It is a shame that so many that died down stream from the flood were prisoners, innocent people, little toward stopping the war !!!

[@mattwordsworth9825]

The RAF has a history with having fearless pilots and crews.

[@Frankie2012channel]

True, but that's a viewpoint of the winner in history. If one were to mention the fearlessness of the Japanese Pilots, including those who volunteered for Kamikaze missions, their own fearlessness would be chalked up to 'fanaticism'. It's all heroism if it's your side, fanaticism if it's the enemy's side. But it's all the same. Young men who showed bravery in the face of death.

[@mattwordsworth9825]

@@Frankie2012channel the difference is one was fighting for the right side and one was fighting for the wrong side. Unlike WWI where there was no clear wrong or right side WWII clearly had wrong and right sides

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@Frankie2012channel Those kamikaze pilots were crazy. Flying so careless like that they'd have a good chance of getting themselves killed. 😉

[@johnreed3638]

These men were very brave and so their history should never be forgotten.

[@mrchippy1709]

Astoundingly brave men. RIP all WW2 veterans, we remember your sacrifice.

[@gsmith4679]

The courage of these men is stunning. Flying and maneuvering in a tight valley, at night at low altitude is an amazing display of airmanship.

[@gsmith4679]

Alan Lane Very true.

[@gsmith4679]

I should add that my comments regarding courage of the crew encompass the actions of the gunners, navigator bombardiers etc. Did not mean to suggest only the pilots were courageous.

[@concise707]

And, in the case of the Moehne, while under intense fire AND showing lights....

[@richardmarshall4322]

Quite. I have visited all 3 dams and the Eder is the most impresive as a target. Steep hills all around and when you look at the run in and exit route behind the dam it looks increadibly difficult. Definately the most difficult to attack. Thank goodness it was undefended. The skill required to get a large aircraft like a Lanc down to 60ft at 240 mph then hold straight and level to get the mine off properly with only moonlight and 1000ft hills looming up is staggering. If you get the chance visit the Dam, well worth it. The repair on both Eder and Mohne still visible. Mohne Dam an increadible structure. Looks impossible to knock down. The brilliance of Wallis.

[@maxjohn6012]

I've seen several full-length documentaries about these raids, but you managed to be more informative in 10 minutes than any of them managed to be in 45-60 minutes! Thanks for making these videos.

[@chronoserpent]

"They are there to do a job, and won't leave until it's done." This sent chills down my spine. I've read about this raid before but you really explained it well. The aircrews' bravery is astounding. I can't imagine what it must have been like to successfully complete the attack only to be shot down crossing the coast, minutes from home. Thank you for including the photos of the men at the end to put it all in context.

[@34Realist]

They killed only civilians, not very brave

[@josepablolunasanchez1283]

"It's a hit" "Negative. It impacted on the surface" Star Wars episode IV

[@alexrusset8614]

My thoughts exactly.

[@TheSlamburger]

Interestingly, this raid was the inspiration for the trench run.

[@QualityPen]

Use the force

[@jeppykid]

Close family friend was involved in raid. F/Lt. John Fraser, in Hopgood’s plane when it went down. Captured and sent to Stalag Luft 3 POW camp. Survived war.

[@gazza2933]

I bet he has a story to tell!

[@billb207]

Cool, and nice story. My grandmother's cousin was Melvin Young, second-in-command. He was killed on the return flight.

[@jeppykid]

Brad Williams yes, he was a penguin, one of the guys who had to release the dirt on the grounds from the tunnels through their pants!

[@paulchandler9646]

Did he know Steve McQueen.?

[@hoatattis7283]

@Brad Williams No Americans were in the Great Escape in fact very very few Americans attempted to escape in ETO

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

Let's not forget how old these men were - barely older than 20 years old. Incredible bravery.

[@simongleaden2864]

Gibson was only 24 at the time and a wing commander (Lt.Col. USAAF equivalent).

[@dickmonkey-king1271]

At 20 I didn't even have the courage to say I'd ordered a Pepsi not a Tango.

[@bdbdluk954]

ive heard of this mission, but my god i had no idea the the mission was that dangerous. god bless the boys, when you think about the sacrafices you do and how hard it is, take a second to think about the selfless sacrifice of these men.

[@rb1179]

Pretty amazing how they figured out the proper altitude at which to drop the bouncing bomb; there were two spotlights on each aircraft, one at the nose, the other at the tail. Both were angled toward the center of the aircraft and turned on. When the beams met and formed a single bright white dot on the water surface, they knew there were at the right altitude. The bomb sight was even easier and just as clever. A simple wooden contraption with two vertical pieces on a horizontal piece. When those lined up with towers on the dam, they knew they were at the right distance to drop. Pretty amazing effort for mixed results.

[@Hubidubi18]

well what this story misses out are that they killed more then 1.5k PoW with that mission.

[@bobtaylor170]

@AcidBot66 , yes, and of course, we all know the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe didn't do that kind of damage. Peaceniks, basically.

[@bobtaylor170]

@AcidBot66 , I've been in the middle of a battlefield. I've seen women and children killed or screaming in wounded agony. You don't have to tell me how awful it is. My point is that Germany started it, and we know the atrocities they committed when they could and when they felt like doing so. I'm simply objecting to your ludicrous blaming of the Allies as though they had started the whole thing. Maybe you're a pacifist instead of just some assh*le troll. If so, I expect that if you're ever confronted with such evil, you'll be consistent and let yourself be killed. Others have always believed they had a right and duty to fight back to protect innocent life. If you want to blame anyone, blame the German war criminals who were the aggressors.

[@maxmullen6337]

AcidBot66 AcidBot66. I remember the war. I was only a child but even in lucky Britain (we suffered much less than most other European countries) life was quite tough. First of all we had appeased Hitler for years, allowing him to invade country after country, including reneging on the solemn promise not to invade Czechoslovakia further. We then warned that no more concessions could be made. However Hitler continued and he invaded Poland. We really had no option but to declare war. After the experience of First World War no one was in any doubt that casualties would be high, but this time many would be civilian casualties, including of course children. After five years of war about 300,000 British service people were dead plus about 60,000 civilians were dead. And still a thousand British civilians were being killed every month (plus service men and woman of course). Not a lot by European standards but miserable just the same. People wanted the war ended. Who is to say that the British people (and other allied nations) were not justified in insisting the war be ended by any means. If you had been around then, would you really have been willing to die or see your children die in order to protect the people who had brought this human tragedy upon you? We won’t mention that by the middle of the war the extent of crimes against humanity committed by Germany and Japan were off the scale. Millions murdered - not killed in battle. Simply murdered. Mass murder for the sake of mass murder!!

[@phineascampbell3103]

I love learning about all the individual little details of things that were implemented during the war. That they put torpedo nets in front of the dams. The hoods on vehicle lights. Different types of technology. Changes to routine life. So many features that aren't instantly obvious. I love learning about them all.

[@AndrewGivens]

Great comment. Life growing up on the 'Home Front' for my grandparents was so very different to what I experienced four decades later. We can always look at the period of the first year of lockdown to get a feel of how much war affects everyday life.

[@MALITH666]

Jeremy Clarkson should have made a "Greatest Raid of them all Pt.2" about this.

[@MarsFKA]

Jeremy Clarkson would do very well to keep his over-inflated opinion of himself completely away from the Dam Busters.

[@InFamousAlex209]

The time stamp at the top really puts the stress of the mission into perspective. Absolutely amazing touch.

[@AndrewGivens]

"Four Avro Lancaster heavy bombers of 617 Squadron roar down the runway at RAF Scampton and leap into the air." Evocative words to start his video. I've long felt that the motif which opens the Dambusters March was meant to sound like four Merlins starting up, one by one, before the aircraft rolls down the runway and takes off, but now I can also hear it four *aircraft* "roaring down the runway" before "leaping into the air". Thank you for this new take.

[@ronrichmond9916]

I guess I've been reading about Operation Chastise for over 50 years - read the Brickhill book, saw the movie several times, bought the computer program, and read just about everything else about it that ever came my way....but nothing has ever tied it all together so clearly and so succinctly as your video here. It's really good. Thank you.

[@Hamchunk1968]

Same here, started with the Brickhill book. Saw the movie. Recently got a copy of Operation Chastise by Max Hastings. That was a good read.

[@concise707]

The Brickhill book and the film derived from it are, unfortunately, full of errors. Probably, the best treatise on the raid is by John Sweetman 'The Dambusters Raid'.

[@keithlillis7962]

Incredible bravery under fire and airman-ship - May they never be forgotten.

[@trevbunn7407]

It was really helpful to have the raid presented in such a concise overview. I have been reading about these guys on and off for over 60 years so this work of yours refreshed it all. Thank you!

[@carlberg6918]

Guy Gibson lived at Aberdeen place in St Johns wood i pass it most days. There is a blue plaque Guy, God bless you and all of the pilots and crews . So many owe so much to so few.THANK YOU

[@justandy333]

The thing I never realised about the whole raid was just how much time the bombers spend loitering around the target area. I thought it was a quick in and out dash. Not spend 20 minutes hanging around queuing up escentially. Those airmen must of had nerves of steel. I can't even begin to articulate how much respect I have for those brave airmen and indeed all of the forces that gave us our freedom we enjoy today. Thankyou.

[@stanley8869]

I agree. I also didn't realise how long planes spent circling targets and doing practice/failed bombing runs. Where were the night fighters? The Lancasters would have been sitting ducks. The video also shows mistakes in allocating planes to targets when only one plane attacked the Sorpe Dam. The video shows well the dangers of low-level flying. It is a tragedy that two highly-experienced crews perished by hitting power-lines. Imagine flying at night over enemy territory at an altitude where you hit power lines. One point I would have added is about one of the bombs that cleared the Mohne Dam and remained unexploded. I read a source that the Nazis found the bomb and tried to copy its design to use against British dams. As a result the British fortified their own dam defences. Once again I am shaken by how dangerous flying bombers was, not to mention the horrendous conditions on the ground faced by civilians.

[@justandy333]

@@stanley8869 - you are correct, 1 of the 'upkeep' bombs bounced over the Mohne dam and into the power houses below but did not detonate and was later recovered by the Nazis.

[@greghaug5336]

@@justandy333 it was Barlow's crashed plane that yielded the Upkeep to the Nazis, not Hopgood's at the Moehne.

[@justandy333]

@@greghaug5336 - hmm, I got some re-researching to do, I swear I read that in James Hollands book. watch this space ;)

[@MarsFKA]

@@justandy333 Greg is correct that Barlow's upkeep was recovered intact by the Germans. The bombs had a self-destruct that was activated when they were released, so that if the hydrostatic pistols failed to set them off, the self-destruct would after ninety seconds. Barlow's bomb did not activate its self-destruct when the aircraft crashed. All the other bombs carried by aircraft that crashed on their way to their targets detonated. Hopgood's bomb cleared the parapet of the dam and landed on the powerhouse, which was blown to bits when the self-destruct activated.

[@bushpilot223]

The spin wasn't just to help them skip--i believe it also helped the mine butt up against the dam once it went underwater, instead of bouncing off.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

That's correct. Wall hugged the dam on the way down

[@TorontoJediMaster]

I believe that the backspin's main role to assist with the skipping. Discovering that it helped keep the mine against the dam wall was a bonus Wallis discovered during testing.

[@FernandoPartridge]

Wasn't it originally intended as an anti shipping weapon on a smaller scale??

[@deborahponnaiya4867]

@@TorontoJediMaster There's the video of the prototype bomb trials somewhere on KZbin, in case you've not seen it yet

[@deborahponnaiya4867]

@@FernandoPartridge It was developed by Barnes Wallis to breach the dams in the Ruhr.

[@wattage2007]

Brings tears to my eyes thinking of those young mens' incomprehensible courage.

[@bjornwenzel2683]

wattage2007 Brings tears in my eyes thinking about all those innocent civilians and prisoners of war, that drowned by the water masses released from the broken dams.

[@wattage2007]

Björn Wenzel No it doesn’t, you don’t actually give a fuck about them, be honest. I take it you’re from one of those countries which remained neutral or collaborated with the Nazis? That would explain your views.

[@vidright]

wattage2007 „Interesting“ comment. Obviously in your opinion only the „right“ civilian victims are real victims.

[@wattage2007]

vidright It was an all out war, cretin. Are you another Nazi sympathiser?

[@vidright]

wattage2007 When i‘m reading your cynical comments, i can find more nazi-ideology than probably a lot of people in germany between 1933 and 1945 ever had.

[@nigeljames6017]

Thanks for this video. On a slightly different tangent to others who had relatives involved in this raid, my Father was a mechanical engineer who helped design and install the bomb bay doors on the aircraft. He worked closely with Barnes Wallis.

[@davidross4036]

Read accounts of this operation but didn’t realize until now what it truly involved. They deserve to be remembered in full. Thank you!

[@K1lostream]

David Ross - If you've read accounts, you should have a fuller picture already than this video gives. There was an awful lot more involved that this video didn't cover or barely mentioned - things like the development of the bomb, and how exactly they measured they were flying at sixty feet to deploy the bomb. This video is good to give the outline to someone who knows nothing, but its far from the whole story.

[@davidross4036]

@@K1lostream I’ll keep researching this. Thanks!

[@paulchandler9646]

My grandfather was a crew cheif at Scampton and worked on Gibson's Lancaster before the mission.

[@keithlillis7962]

There is a very good British film of the raid called The Dam Busters, made in 1955 and well worth a watch. I have read that after the raid, the survivors were given a month off duty and spent their time visiting other RAF bases, where they were greeted as the heroes they undoubtedly were. The Barnes Wallace Earthquake bomb was used later in the war to seek the Turpitz

[@natewatl9423]

Thank you very much indeed for this very informative video. I had seen many treatments of the development of the bomb itself, and the development of the aiming lights that made Precision more possible. However I never knew that so many planes had made so many passes, including dummy passes, nor of Gibson's courageous runs to draw fire. For that matter, the detail about the necessity of the bomb skipping over the torpedo nets, if included in other accounts, had escaped my attention. Keep up the good work.

[@TherealSBlair]

Great work. If I may add, in order to stay at the required 60 ft altitude two spot lights were installed on each aircraft. Angled toward each other to make their beams intersect with each other on the surface when the aircraft was at the required height. Simple but clever way to solve the problem. Cheers. Just discovered your channel and enjoying what I'm seeing.

[@doogle2822]

Not sure if it was Gibson at the theatre but as the act changed two spotlights centred on the stage for a singer to stand and do a song. As he watched the lights come down and move into position he knew he had solved the problem they were having with the right height to let go the bomb.

[@MarsFKA]

@@doogle2822 Gibson getting the idea at the theatre in the movie was a bit of artistic licence. In fact, the technical experts worked it out and presented the idea to the mission planners. The aircrews were not excited about the idea of flying up to a heavily defended target, at sixty feet, over water, at night, with bright lights on the aircraft, but they realised that there was no better way of achieving the required low level.

[@hoatattis7283]

@@MarsFKA But they did it and did it again and again

[@hoatattis7283]

@ Oh Yes

[@s208richard8]

To release the bombs at the required distance, they used a simple piece of wood, Y-shaped with 2 nails on the ends to align with the towers on the dam.

[@tomjustis7237]

This is the first of your videos I've watched and I immediately subscribed. I never would have believed an account of any historical event could be so riveting using nothing more than maps and dialogue. Superb job!!!

[@aka99]

same here

[@tigerstalons5118]

This isn’t the first I’ve seen but I subbed immediately too when I found the channel!

[@cropathfinder]

One of the best display's of professionalism and dedication towards the mission above all.

[@tdamtoft]

A forensic analysis and still with empathy and emotion, bloody brilliant!

[@davidsewellclarke4997]

I've been there as a kid , My late Father was at Bielefeld with the Rhine Army. Impressive what those young pilots did in difficult situations.

[@cymru507]

A most succinct description of this historic raid. I went to school with a daughter of one of Les Knight's crewmen and for me, the story of the raid has been one of the most compelling of WWII. Well done. As for the next offering, perhaps the first 1000-bomber raid on Cologne could be done. The logistics of assembling such a fleet of aircraft are worth exploring. As a matter of interest, my father was a navigator on a Wellington on that raid.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

I will absolutely be doing one of Cologne, Hamburg or Dresden in the future. I'm going to do the American Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission next. A smaller "toe in the water" raid before I have a go at the big RAF ones!

[@TheOldGord]

I lived across the street from the Kellows. We obviously went to school together.

[@brycepatties]

I really love how you talk about a lot of air missions. It seems like, on a lot of military history channels, air actions get overlooked compared to land and naval actions.

[@farrelljohnson]

What amazes me the most is that this was pulled off at night. How was there enough navigation marks around the dams? Massive respect to the pilots! Great video! Love this channel.

[@spitfiremark1a768]

At night against heavy fire using a high altitude bomber being used as a torpedo bomber. Using a wood or string bombsight. The altimeters did not work below 100 feet. The fact that 2 dams were breached was a miracle in itself.

[@Mikannika]

I live not far from these dams... The landscape, the dams and the lakes are gorgeous. I can really recommend a visit. I visit them myself several times a year...

[@chrisleeb]

Talk about bravery.... My nerves were shot the entire video. If those men can only see what the world they fought and died for has become. So sad. I miss the old days terribly

[@wattage2007]

In some ways it's a relief they're no longer around. They're in a better place than the world as it is now.

[@jellynonotthatone8924]

you can miss the old days all day, or, while not forgetting the past, make the present even greater! :)

[@steve5825]

These are the definition of heroes....not bloody footballers! What skill to find their targets in the dark and what bravery to press home their attacks when they were essentially sitting ducks.

[@_cubedude_2505]

I actually got to visit their practice dam a couple of years ago, unknown to me at the time what the dam had been used for. Looking back at it its cool to see how much history there was at this insignificant dam in the middle of nowhere.

[@neuro.weaver]

I learned more WWII history from this brilliant channel than the entire "History" channel.

[@rayo1883]

Fantastic series. This type of visual presentation makes everything much clearer.

[@vcv6560]

Tremendous! Your illustrated course plot of the flight gave me new appreciation of Gibson's forces; just how difficult and uniquely each had to be attacked.

[@Mostrom]

A well presented way of showing what happened on that famous night...it highlighted how dangerous it was flying at low level with power lines and especially flak being a major problem

[@wifiwifi9986]

Thank you for your efforts in producing these! I live in Saskatoon and during World War II it was home to a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) base operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). On 16 September, 1940, the airfield became home to No. 4 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), one of dozens of military air training facilities created under the BCATP. 4 SFTS flew Avro Anson and Cessna Crane twin-engine trainers until 30 March 1945, when 4 SFTS was disbanded. One of the many pilots to be trained at the airfield was Les Munro, later to fly on the famous Dambusters Raid.

[@belchnasty]

Along with Mark Felton these are excellent productions! Thanks for researching and posting

[@simonlloyd7557]

100% these lads put professional braodcasters to shame.

[@ForeverDoubting]

Bomber crews, I feel are one of those unsung heroes often forgotten. What those brave men went through is more then a match for the more commonly known hardships. It's not a contest of course, I just feel it's one of the areas of the war often overlooked. Kind of like merchant seamen and their tribulations during the U-boat attacks. Thanks for bringing this to life. Your tone, your cadence and the writing are succinct, to the point, yet very touching.

[@organickevinlondon]

60 feet, at night, over enemy territory, in a Lancaster, to bounce a rotating bomb off the surface of a lake into a dam, with NO margin for error, that's AMAZING.

[@Volcano-Man]

Many years ago I had the honour to meet Mick Martin and Dave Shannon. They both admitted that Chastise was rather scary, but rejected being called 'Heroes,' telling people 'We were at war, a war we had to win. Yes there were many heroes, and I am proud to say I actually new several heroes; but me a hero?, No!, I had a job to do - and was determined to do it to the best of my - and my crews ability. Sadly many of my brothers failed to return.'

[@lancewhite1477]

A couple of years ago I helped recover a broken endplate from one of the dummy upkeep weapons used at the Reculver tests to the local museum.

[@petetong9725]

Had no idea the mission was so dangerous and 42% of the men would not make it back.. Hats off to true brave heroes....

[@JoshMariana]

Just found your channel and am loving it! Thanks for bringing these important historical events to us in such a concise and enjoyable manner!!

[@ozboomer_au]

Great video... and very informative and interesting storytelling. My uncle was a radio/navigator on one of the Lancaster bombers.. but I never knew any details of his squadron, missions, etc... but I always wore his lambswool vest when I was little in the 1960s. Always fascinated by this aspect of the war. Tahnks so much for the video.

[@AussieVet]

Wow thanks man this was a wayyyyy busier engagement than I first thought!

[@qball1of1]

And they hung around there circling circling..I always thought it was a line it up and gfto of there..obviously not. As I mentioned above not to have had any night fighter interference was just incredible.

[@MrAMYJACK]

In my older years I seek out things that reminds me from years ago. I want to tell you why. I'm sitting here comfortable having a beer and hear the cockatoos doing their thing because People like these People gave me the opportunity to do so. Here we have ANZAC Day and the numbers of young people attending makes me feel good that things are in good hands. To those who fought for me to sit and have a beer My Thoughts and Tears are with All Of You.

[@herseem]

The most enlightened I've ever been about this raid in such a consensed presentation. Really brings home the risks and the horror of it all as well as the engenuity and the courage and bravery. Your presentations are the tops, which is why I subscribed after the first one I watched.

[@teamtoobs]

A most excellent video! Informative with no over-dramatics, gives us a very clear view of developments, never seen before. Thank you!

[@dbaider9467]

I've seen the movie, read the books but in 10 minutes you encapsulated the losses to flak much better. We stand, and fly, on the shoulders of giants.

[@TheAlEX184]

Just found your channel after reading that there’s gonna be a midway movie this year and refreshing my memory about the pacific theater ^_^ you got my subscription ;P

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Midway could be an interesting subject for a future video, especially if there's a new movie this year..

[@jimcrawford5039]

Midway looks like CGI gone mad. Check out the 1976 movie, it is excellent.

[@vanteal]

An absolutely fantastic channel! Can't get enough of it! Wish there were more videos! Though, I can only imagine how much time and research goes into just a single episode..Will def keep an eye out for future videos.

[@MrEDET]

Awesome video. Such a clear explanation of this astonishing mission. Thank you.

[@sam8742]

watching this with google maps puts this into perspective

[@lockeloeckchen]

My Grandfather was 3 years old on this days. His Sister carry him with a barrow on a Hill, to save him from the water of the Eder dam.

[@petergreenwald9639]

I hope they lived peacefully after this terrible war.

[@biscuitninja]

617!! Thank you!! Love Barnes Wallace stories! The way they go the height right was super innovative.

[@DrDirtNips]

Every one of your videos could be made into a full length movie i would watch over and over. So much information.

[@doctorbritain9632]

The sheer bravery of the aircrew is very humbling.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

During the research for this video, i was astounded by Gibson's actions. Its miraculous he survived the raid.

[@davidmarshall1259]

@James Henderson ahaaaa,, my favourite troll, i was wondering when you'd show up.

[@gmarshall1026]

To everyone that was involved in this mission you are all legends

[@Rtu776]

Your channel has finally put it all together clearly what happened and when that fateful night. Many thanks for another job well done.

[@peternash5495]

Glad that Anderson gets a mention. As he was an NCO pilot (Gibson thought NCO Aircrew weren't worth anything), he was accused of not trying hard enough and promptly posted away.

[@Bulwarkz]

Absolute pro level channel. Amazingly accurate work. Job well done to The Operations Room team!

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Just me :). Thanks!

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

the backspin wasnt so much to aid in skippage, but to ensure it wouldnt roll forward and climb up and over the dam after contact. with the backspin it would bounce back, sink then detonate causing maximum damage by the second, hydraulic concussion effect after the initial blast. which is how a near miss with a depth charge or bomb, can still sink a ship.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Charlotte, it was actually a combination of wall hugging after contact as you say, skippage, and aerodynamic stability in flight, much like the spin imparted on bullets

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

you bet.......

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

with the correct rotation of the sphere, it would literally climb down the dam, keeping constant pressure on it...."wall-hugging"...is a perfect analogy.

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

do you ever marvel at how many tanks main guns are smooth-bore but still zap-accurate?

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

to my knowledge yes, they did...they also tried to build a german version of the mosquito too, but the R.A.F. bombed the plant that made the epoxy so it failed...but the TA-154 was bad-ass.

[@LittaDNB]

Superb video. Really well done. Music was spot on, set the atmosphere perfectly. Great narration. Animation was more than we could ever ask for in a free to watch KZbin video. Thanks for the great content.

[@heathbarnhart1092]

These are some of the best produced videos I've seen on YT. This reminds me of shows on History Channel back in the 90s.

[@richardgamblin1078]

Have seen and read several different accounts of this mission. This was a very interesting and different version ,well done.

[@billrich9722]

I'll admit it; I'm a sucker for this kind of heroism. I'm not talking about the idea of skipping bombs at a wall. I'm talking about the bombers overflying ahead of their companions to draw fire. It's beautiful.

[@mvhsm]

And not just flying overhead once but multiple times! The courage and commitment they had is beyond admirable.

[@Bramon83]

God bless these men, on both sides.

[@sam_p792]

A very modern but excellent way to remember them. Love this channel.

[@davidmarshall1259]

truly superb story telling. i loved every minute of this, just like i did the film.

[@Forestowo]

Just great material. Thank you :)

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Thank you for watching

[@bradz9413]

This channel and its content makes me salivate. I could not dream up content done better than this.

[@charlestaylor3027]

The signal sending the Dambusters out is in the display cabinet at NATS Prestwick

[@camilogarrido6899]

Great video. I'm glad I found this channel. Amazing production!

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Appreciate it

[@chrisbullock3504]

These guys were truly the maddest of all lads

[@alanbobbymcguire5099]

The raid having taken place on the sixteenth of May. My birthday. Gives me nothing but pure pride to be born on these British isles in the early sixties What an achievement.

[@adventussaxonum448]

Pretty sure that I read about an old chap (Aussie, I think) whose family were clearing his house after he'd died, when they came across the citation for his medal. They never realised he was a Dambuster.... he'd never told them.

[@JungleYT]

My heart goes out to those brave pilots... Especially the ones who didn't make it Home.

[@EazZiB]

Undeniable bravery from these special men

[@redactedagentdataexpunged9431]

Yesterday, George "Johnny" Johnson, the last surviving member of 617 Squadron on that night in 1943, died at the age 101

[@Sludgepump]

This is fantastic! Nice job... very clear and really interesting. What unbelievably brave pilots and crew. All in, all the way... wow!