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Sometimes we look at the immediate results of our work and think that we really haven’t accomplished all that much. But, over time, we start to see the larger impact that our efforts have. War is one of the great breeding grounds for such operations and I think Operation Chastise (better known as the “Dambuster” missions) is just such an example.
The rationale for the attack was understandable. The target dams, all located on the Eder River in Germany, supplied large amounts of electricity to Ruhr Valley industries and helped maintain the canal system, an important part of the German war effort’s transportation system. Furthermore, the fertile farmland below the dams helped to fill the stomachs of the soldiers.
Technically speaking, the operation was intriguing…destroying dams with bombs was a real challenge. Large MOAB-style bombs were rejected (mostly because aircraft capable of dropping them were still being modified) in favor of “bouncing bombs”. They were bombs in a heavy drum hooked to a motor in the airplane. The motor spun the bomb backwards prior to release (at ~500 RPM’s). When released (on the lake-side of the dam), the backspin would skip the bomb across the water (and over German torpedo nets) and into the dam. At that point, the backspin would cause the bomb to “climb down” the dam and then explode, thus starting the breach that the power of the water would finish. So, pretty cool.
The plan’s execution was at least modestly successful. Nineteen aircraft of the No. 617 Squadron, all Arvo Lancasters, took off and, in the early morning hours of May 17, 1943, began their attacks. They successfully breached both the Mohne (shown above) and Eder dams. The Sorpe dam (an earthen dam and therefore more resistant to the bombs) was hit twice and likely damaged, but not breached. The Ennepe dam was also hit but not destroyed.
But the initial results didn’t look all that great. The attacks did flood a bunch of farmland and caused a hit to the morale of many Germans. It also succeeded in killing a couple thousand people, but most of the deaths were non-combatants and slave laborers. And because there were no follow-up missions, the damage to Ruhr industry was minor and, just a month later, full electrical output had been restored. And the British attackers suffered about 40% combat losses, with only 11 of the 19 aircraft returning.
The long-term effects, however, were the ones that mattered. First, it pulled more German troops back into Germany and out of places like Italy and France, which was critical to upcoming operations there. It also had a tremendous negative effect on German food supplies. And finally, it helped to fortify the idea that specialty bombs had a place in the war, which led to giant bombs used in Germany with such devastating results.
Recommended Reading: The Dambusters
