The Dams Raid May 1943

	General and timeline.
	This page:aircraft, teamwork, training, the raid and the men.
	The plan and the actual, results, bibliography, exhibition.

THE AIRCRAFT

The only aircraft capable of carrying the final version of the new weapon was the Avro Lancaster, and even this needed several modifications. The main modifications were :-

1. Remove mid-upper turret to save weight and reduce drag
2. Remove bomb bay doors - UPKEEP was too large to fit into the bomb bay
3. Cut away fuselage to accommodate UPKEEP
4. Install hydraulic motor to spin UPKEEP
5. Install two Aldis Lights used to determine correct height.
6. Install VHF radio sets
7. Install stirrups for front gunner to keep his feet away from bomb aimer
8. Install second altimeter on windscreen so that pilot did not have to look down at instrument panel - an early version of the now common head-up display principle

TEAMWORK

All bomber operations called for strong co-operation between the crew-members, but this raid had an even greater than usual requirement for teamwork.

During the final approach special responsibilities were:-

Pilot -direction
Navigator -height
Flight Engineer -speed
Bomb Aimer -distance
Wireless Operator -spinning the weapon
Front and rear gunners -defence

A further consideration was that most bomber crews had very little experience of low level flying, and certainly not at the extremely low levels required on this operation.

Intensive training was required.

TRAINING

The aircrews had to practise flying, and navigating, at low level and over water. Initially they used standard, unmodified, Lancasters borrowed from other Squadrons.

One of the locations used for the training flights was the Eyebrook Reservoir in Rutland. The most well known training ground was the Derwent valley, near Sheffield.

THE RAID

15 May. Order from Bomber Command - "Operation Chastise. Execute at first suitable opportunity."

Final list of Dams to be attacked :

15 May.

16 May.

The raid was a lot more complicated than simply 19 aircraft taking off, flying to their targets, dropping their weapons and then returning

THE MEN

There were 19 aircraft, each with a crew of 7 - a total of 133 men. They came from many countries:

© Peter Rix, Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust

	General and timeline.
	This page:aircraft, teamwork, training, the raid and the men.
	The plan and the actual, results, bibliography, exhibition.