Last of the dambuster crew has died in NZ aged 96 was still still flying right up until Jan this year seen a few interviews with him over the last few years very down to earth and total legend

Heard an interview with him on the radio this morning.

RIP

What happened when the dam actually bust ? What did it flood ?

You hear a lot about the bouncing bomb, but I don’t recall much about the actual affect of the raid.

Strange synchronicity – just went for a walk by Regents Canal and saw a house with a sign outside saying it had been the home of Guy Gibson. That book was really a part of my boyhood!

Trimix – Member
What happened when the dam actually bust ? What did it flood ?

You hear a lot about the bouncing bomb, but I don’t recall much about the actual affect of the raid.

The Möhne and Edersee Dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley; the Sorpe dam sustained only minor damage. Two hydroelectric power stations were destroyed and several more were damaged. Factories and mines were also either damaged or destroyed.

The name Dambusters sells the squadron short. They undertook all manner of especially difficult/dangerous/precision raids.

Trimix – Member

You hear a lot about the bouncing bomb, but I don’t recall much about the actual affect of the raid.

Complicated, this. Lots of disruption, not as much as was hoped. I think the wiki entry’s actually pretty good.

Its interesting how history is viewed.

From Wiki:
In total, therefore, 53 of the 133 aircrew who participated in the attack were killed, a casualty rate of almost 40 percent.

Initial German casualty estimates from the floods when the dams broke were 1,294 killed, which included 749 French, Belgian, Dutch and Ukrainian prisoners of war and labourers.
Later estimates put the death toll in the Möhne Valley at about 1,600, including people who drowned in the flood wave downstream from the dam.

Interestingly:
In 1977, Article 56 of the Protocol I amendment to the Geneva Conventions, outlawed attacks on dams “if such attack may cause the release of dangerous forces from the works or installations and consequent severe losses among the civilian population”

We don’t seem able to decide what to do when we wage war. Seems in some instances you can kill civilians, then later you cant and now for example we just call it collateral damage – kind of makes it easier to deal with I suppose.

Interestingly:
In 1977, Article 56 of the Protocol I amendment to the Geneva Conventions, outlawed attacks on dams “if such attack may cause the release of dangerous forces from the works or installations and consequent severe losses among the civilian population”

Yes it is interesting because it shows how the 1943 bombing raid was perfectly legal.