The Dambusters Raid: Operation Chastise

Operation Chastise, launched on the night of 16-17 May 1943, remains one of the most daring air raids in military history. Nineteen specially modified Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, attacked three dams in the Ruhr valley using Barnes Wallis's revolutionary bouncing bomb—a cylindrical mine that skipped across the water to strike the dam wall.

The aircraft flew at just 60 feet above the water at 240 mph, releasing their bombs with split-second timing. The Möhne and Eder dams were breached, unleashing catastrophic floods that destroyed factories, power stations, railways, and bridges. The Sorpe Dam was damaged but held.

The cost was heavy: eight of the 19 Lancasters were lost, and 53 of the 133 aircrew were killed. Three were captured. The raid was a propaganda triumph and a genuine blow to German war production, though controversy remains about the civilian casualties caused by the flooding, including many forced labourers held in camps downstream.