Dambusters

[Posse]

Really men anyone watched it tonight how mad is that bouncing bomb !!!

[Vista]

Mad it may have been but it was damned (No pun intended) effective

 

My Uncle flew Lancasters (amongst others) during WW2. He died last year aged 91 and over the years told me a lot of stories about things like flying SOE operatives into occupied Europe. He was awarded a DFC and at one stage went on a fund raising tour of the USA, meeting President Roosevelt (also amongst others) in the process. By god he was a cantankerous old fellow though and all those bombing raids had left him deaf as a post, but determined not to acknowledge it!

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/squadron-leader-max-riddell.19164857

[mk2 mike]

I've watched a few things about them the last few days., about time there was something decent on TV. I've got a book about 617 squadron but seeing the actual footage makes it even more amazing. Brave lads.

[Vista]

A bit more recent but if you get a chance, watch the program or read the book about the Black Buck raids on the Falkland Islands in 1982. A series of raids by antiquated 1950s Vulcan bombers from half way across the globe. The raids, at almost 6,800 nautical miles and 16 hours for the return journey, were the longest-ranged bombing raids in history at that time ( only surpassed in the Gulf war of 1991 by B52's flying from the continental United States but using forward-positioned tankers)

[emu]

A bit more recent but if you get a chance, watch the program or read the book about the Black Buck raids on the Falkland Islands in 1982. A series of raids by antiquated 1950s Vulcan bombers from half way across the globe. The raids, at almost 6,800 nautical miles and 16 hours for the return journey, were the longest-ranged bombing raids in history at that time ( only surpassed in the Gulf war of 1991 by B52's flying from the continental United States but using forward-positioned tankers)

I watched a documentary about those raids a few weeks back. The logistics involved where just overwhelming. Tankers refueling tankers to refuel the vulcan. I couldnt keep track of who was getting fuel from who!?

[Twinkle]

Read Vulcan 607, brilliant book and a very handy diagram of who refuelled who! Really shows the scale of the mission to get one bomber over the Falklands.

Haynes also do a manual for the Vulcan too!

[l j shaw]

Not to take anything away from the Falklands raid, but the history books show ....they missed the runway, dummy craters where placed on the runway to mislead photographs taken after. The airfield remained active

[Vista]

Not to take anything away from the Falklands raid, but the history books show ....they missed the runway, dummy craters where placed on the runway to mislead photographs taken after. The airfield remained active

No they didn't. The bombs straddled the runway and whilst they were not all on target and the runway remained open to smaller aircraft and transport planes, crucially it was not able to operate fast jets for the duration of the conflict. Even if this was only because they feared losing those jets to another Vulcan raid, the strategic effect was critical as it forced the Argentine combat jets to fly from the mainland thus massively limiting their time over the task force. To have had those combat jets based at Stanley airfield would almost certainly have lost us the war as the ships of the task force would have been sitting ducks.

[5tox]

I love ww2 documentaries, watched that thing the other day where they re-created the bouncing bomb.

 

After several of the lancasters had released their bombs (inefectively) one of them turned around to fly side by side with the one which actually broke the dam to draw fire away from it

 

That gave me goosebumps, ya know that feeling where your proud to be british

[l j shaw]

During the Falklands War of 1982, Argentine forces occupied the airport. The Argentine Air Force were unable to place their most advanced fighter jets at the base given the relatively short runway,

 

This has been taken from the web, this is the main reason ....that's why along with many other reasons the Royal engineers had to extend the runway....it was to short to take fast modern jets at that time, The Harrier jump jet has so many advantages ....It didn't need a run way

 

No they didn't. The bombs straddled the runway and whilst they were not all on target and the runway remained open to smaller aircraft and transport planes, crucially it was not able to operate fast jets for the duration of the conflict. Even if this was only because they feared losing those jets to another Vulcan raid, the strategic effect was critical as it forced the Argentine combat jets to fly from the mainland thus massively limiting their time over the task force. To have had those combat jets based at Stanley airfield would almost certainly have lost us the war as the ships of the task force would have been sitting ducks.

[Fiesta Steve]

I watched a documentary about those raids a few weeks back. The logistics involved where just overwhelming. Tankers refueling tankers to refuel the vulcan. I couldnt keep track of who was getting fuel from who!?

 

I watched that too, I thought it was an excellent programme. My uncle fought in the Falklands so I find it all very interesting.

[popeye]

Visited the Möhne Dam around 16 years ago while working in Germany... massive dam, standing at the base it took 6 photo's to get it all in.......  all those working in the factory's when it was bombed,never stood a chance...