Lest We Forget... (1 Viewer)

[Harry Faversham.]

This is London. The Air Ministry has just issued the following communique. In the early hours of this morning, a force of Lancasters of Bomber Command, led by Wing Commander G.P. Gibson DSO DFC, attacked with mines the dams of the Moehne and Sorpe reservoirs. These control two-thirds of the water storage capacity of the Rurh Basin. Reconaissance later established that the Moehne Dam had been breached over a length of 100 yards, and that the power station below had been swept away by the resulting floods. The Eder Dam, which controls the headwaters of the Weser and Fulda Valleys, and operates several power stations, was also attacked and reported as breached. Photographs show the river below the dam in full flood. The attacks were pressed home at extremely low level with great determination and coolness in the face of fierce resistance. Eight of the Lancasters are missing.

 

[Rob]

Yep heres to the memory of those brave crews who carried out Operation Chastise this day in 1943.Although it perhaps didn't have the huge effect at first thought, it did have three major results.It caused huge damage to German food production in the area,this in turn damaged German morale,and it boosted British morale which had been low after years of bombing.

It also showed Stalin that Churchill was ready to attack where and whenever possible.One downside was that among the many hundreds of dead were prisoners of war from many nations.

The 40% loss rate of the aircraft and crew involved shows just what a difficult and dangerous raid it was.

Rob