Enemy Coast Ahead

by Guy Gibson

This book traces the development of Bomber Command from its early days into one of the most potent weapons of World War II. The author provides a frank, warts-and-all portrayal of the aircrews on and off duty and he describes air operations to explain the story of war in the air. The breaching of the massive Moehne and Eder dams with the "bouncing bomb" was one of the most daring and successful exploits of the war. This book tells the full story of this amazing feat.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Biography, War, Aviation, Military History

317 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC DSO* DFC* was the first CO of the Royal Air Force's 617 Squadron, which he led in the Dam Busters raid (Operation Chastise) in 1943, resulting in the destruction of two large dams in the Ruhr area. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, but lost his life later in the war. He had completed over 170 operations at the age of 24.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever seen the film, DAM BUSTERS, you know why Guy Gibson is famous. This book gives the details of that famous raid, but it also talks about his years with the R.A.F., leading up to May, 1943.

Training, flying, and drinking seemed to occupy most of the years up to the beginning of the war and even after it began. However, the drinking was saved for off-duty hours for the most part. Gibson and the other young fliers were well aware of the need to be sharp if they wanted to stay alive. As it was, men were lost even during the Phony War period.

Gibson talks about the rivalry between Bomber Command and Fighter Command, especially after the Battle of Britain, when so many heroics were attributed to the fighter force. Ironically, Gibson decided to serve with Fighter Command in a Beaufighter for a year, but eventually returned to the bombers just about the time the famous 4-engine Lancaster was introduced. It was this rugged plane that the 617 Squadron used to bomb the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe Dams in Operation Chastise. The descriptions of the attacks on the dams are straightforward, but 56 men were lost, 1/2 the force sent out.

The book ends with the raid so it does not mention that he was awarded the Victoria Cross, and taken off flying for a period of time so that he could do propaganda tours in the U.K. and U.S. Eventually, he demanded to fly again.

I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it. Since it was written in wartime, you're not going to find in depth analysis, but Gibson does lightly touch on some issues that will concern future generations such as saturation bombing. He does assert,

"We never thought we could win the war by bombing alone. We were out to destroy German industry, to cut their transport system, to stop them bulding U-boats and ships, and to make their channels unnavigable by mines. We were out to bomb them until they found themselves weak and punch-drunk from our blows, so that they would fall back before our invading armies. This in turn would save the lives of our own men--the young men of the Allies on whom the future of this world depends."

Sadly, he was not one of those young men. He was killed in a Mosquito in September of 1944.

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and very well written about the wartime experiences of probably the greatest bomber pilot to ever live. It is unique as it was written before the end of the war, and unfortunately Guy Gibson gave his life before wars end. The book covers his career in the Royal Air Force from the beginning of the war where he flew the obsolete Handley Page Hampden into battle through to the end including the famous Dambusters Raid. It is interesting to see where he had to change names and equipment for secrecies sake in the book. Highly recommended!!

[Mimi]

This book was SO much better than I expected it to be, but I'm not going to rate it - to be honest, I don't think that books like this should be rated. This isn't fiction, this isn't a fantasy story with cute characters, sarcastic lines and an epic quest to save the world, this is harsh reality. And I am in no position to rate someone's view of reality.

but on the book: it is realistic, it is detailed, it is well-written. you need to read it. that's it.

[Stefan Mitev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Бомбардировките на германски градове са нещо обичайно за Втората световна война. Само някои от тях придобиват легендарен статус, като операция Наказание (Chastise). При нея специално подбран екип от бомбардировачи разрушава стените на два язовира - Möhne и Eder в индустриалната област Рур. Щетите са огромни, не само като резултат от наводнението, но и поради използването на запасите от вода за военно производство. Екипите, участвали в прецизната бомбардировка (dambusters), стават герои във Великобритания.

Авторът на "Вражески бряг напред" Гай Гибсън е водач на специалната мисия и един от най-опитните пилоти в кралските военновъздушни сили през Втората световна война. Летецът не доживява края на войната. През 1944 г. самолетът му е свален след бомбардировка на Бремен. Смъртността при пилотите на бомбардировач е била една от най-високите по време на войната. Всяка мисия е потенциално последна.

[Susan Paxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book badly needs an annotated edition. It was a good thing when Crecy released this complete edition - as originally published censors cut out material that was still thought militarily sensitive and some of Gibson's opinions. But it still suffers badly from having too many hands in it and never having been gone over and edited by the author, who was killed in action shortly after writing the manuscript.

Gibson had an interesting RAF career, with a first tour of operations in Hampdens, a night fighter tour that he seems to have regarded as a great rest cure, then a tour as commander of 106 Squadron. Immediately upon leaving command of 106, he was tagged to command what would become 617 Squadron and train and prepare them for Operation Chastise, the Dams raid. Gibson was often a singularly unattractive character - some people, largely ex-public schoolboys like himself - loved him, but many despised him, and the reasons often seep through here. Just his description of his Dams raid crew is damning; he gets his front gunner's name wrong and suggests he's inexperienced and a bad gunner when in fact the man had done a full tour of operations and was quite a good gunner. His contempt for his NCO flight engineer - Gibson did not like NCOs - is brutal. His navigator - one of the best on the squadron - is called out, like his bomb aimer, mostly for having a colorful accent.

The book is very uneven, and the reader unfamiliar with the Dams raid will likely fall into erroneous beliefs about the operation if he or she takes this as gospel. Reading it closely, I was startled by the juxtaposition of bits that are obviously true and well-described, immediately followed by paragraphs of total bushwah. Likely had Gibson lived he would have fixed some of this.

Overall this is vital reading for anyone interested in the topic. But it needs to be read carefully and preferably with prior knowledge of the subject. And really what Enemy Coast Ahead needs most, as I said above, is an annotated edition.

[Nate Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read. Guy Gibson led a critical raid against three dams in the Ruhr Valley - his squadron is still known as the Dam Busters. This is an "uncensored" version of the memoir he published in 1946. At the time, the British government was still sensitive and redacted certain of the details.

The book offers a unique and often very entertaining view of the lessons already known about the RAF leading up to and at the start of WWII: The organization was unprepared for war and it showed in their training, planning and equipment. Whereas most works focus from a top-down, or strategic view, Gibson offers a view of the same issues from the tactical level, or bottom-up. Particularly entertaining is his recounting of multiple pilots (both British and German) mistaking Britain for France (or vice versa) and landing (or bombing!) the wrong airfield.

Gibson's style is very easy to read, entertaining, and at times very poignant. This book puts a human touch on a subject whose study has with the passage of time become very objective.

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This account of Guy Gibson's service during the Second World War written by the man himself is pretty gripping stuff. Starting off flying Hampdens in 83 Squadron of bomber command, switching to the Beaufighters of 29 Squadron of fighter command before finally transferring back to bomber command to fly the Lancaster with 106 and ultimately 617 Squadrons.
Gibson was influential in the formation of the pathfinder squadrons and the special X Squadron - that became 617 Squadron - and carried out probably the most famous individual sortie of the war earning the squadron its nickname; The Dambusters.
If you are looking for a definitive account of the attacks on the dams of the Ruhr valley, then this isn't it; the formation of 617 Squadron, the Upkeep 'bouncing bomb' and the actual attack on the dams only comprise the final three chapters. If you are looking for a firsthand account of life in the RAF during the Second World War including the inter-service rivalry and animosity (the RAF accidentally attacked Royal Navy vessels and vice versa, and the army were resentful of the lack of air support during the Dunkirk evacuation; a criticism not entirely justified) then you could do a lot worse than read this.

[Colin Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic

Written while war was still raging, Wing Commander Gibson left a lot unsaid, things which are now history: that scientist code-named Jeff was the genius Barnes Wallis, that the "mines" dropped were "bouncing bombs" designed to skip along the water, over anti-torpedo nets and roll down the dam walls to explode 100 feet under water. Because secrecy surrounded the technology used in the Dambusters raid three quarters of the book are dedicated to earlier phases of the War. Unfortunate, but given the time it was written understandable. It's too bad Gibson never followed up with a more full-time update.

[Douglas Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended by a friend, and I will be forever grateful. The story of Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson, VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar isn't just his story, but of the evolution of the RAF and Bomber Command from the last fleeting days of peace in 1939 through fumbling with inadequate aircraft and a bombing technique best described as "fly under the clouds until you see your target and hope you hit something" to a highly-effective, thoroughly modern force that had made night bombing into a science and an art form.

We follow Gibson from his early days flying the HP.52 Hampden in early raids against German forces and industrial targets, through his brief time as the pilot of the night-fighter variant of the Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, and back to bombers in the new Avro Lancaster. Throughout the book, we see both the strategic and personal effects of the war. Gibson is careful to note deaths, and how they occured if known. We see the crews celebrating, breaking regulations, dodging official sanctions, and how they dealt with the stress of upcoming missions.

As this is the Uncensored version, it contains Gibson's unfiltered opinions of of his commanders, Bomber Command, and the Government in general. Which is to be expected of an officer leading men in combat and seeing them die. There is always room for complaints! We meet the people he served with and knew, and he shows a great skill in describing people with a few broad strokes.

Near the end of the book there is a brilliant narrative that shows just how far the RAF had come in night bombing. Staring with AVM Harris picking the night's target, it follows the chain of events on all sides, including how the German response worked, how the Lancasters navigated, and how the use of diversionary streams of bombers diluted the Luftwaffe's night-fighter response. Finally, the role of Pathfinder planes, flying ahead of the main body and dropping coded flares to mark distance to the target and dropping a flaring marker bomb to indicate the exact center of the raid. Then the mainstream, flying straight and level despite flak, enemy fighters, and seeing bombers bursting into flame and crash to Earth as the bomb-aimer keeps calling for the pilot to stay on course until the call of "bomb away!" is heard. Then, the giant four-engine bombers claw for altitude and speed, maintaining group, as they exit occupied Europe.

It takes your breath away reading it.

The final chapters concern the Dambusters raid carried out on the night of 16/17 May 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command, commanded by Gibson. His writing about the utter secrecy surrounding the project, the cloak-and-dagger aspects of just learning even the basics of the mission, and training his hand-picked crews according to orders that made little sense is riveting. The actual raid is a story of heroism and loss. They accomplished their mission at a terrible cost.

Wing Commander Gibson died on 19 September 1944 when the Mosquito he was piloting - possibly against orders - crashed in the Netherlands after a failed raid. He never lived to see Germany brought low, not to see his predictions of peace through massive strategic bombing f0rce take form in nuclear weapons and MAD. But he left this chronicle of this singular aspect of WWII, and I learned a great deal.

My one complaint is I could have used a guide to the various rank and other contractions used in the book.

"For some men of great courage and adventure, inactivity was a slow death. Would a man like Gibson ever have adjusted back to peacetime life? One can imagine it would have been a somewhat empty existence after all he had been through. Facing death had become his drug. He had seen countless friends and comrades perish in the great crusade. Perhaps something in him even welcomed the inevitability he had always felt that before the war ended he would join them in their Bomber Command Valhalla. He had pushed his luck beyond all limits and he knew it. But that was the kind of man he was…a man of great courage, inspiration and leadership. A man born for war…but born to fall in war." - Barnes Wallis

[Mike Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Paul Brickhill's The Dambusters a few years ago and loved it, so I was a little dubious about reading Guy Gibson's own account: I thought it might be a self-glorification kind of thing, but I was so wrong. Gibson freely admits that he wrote this without notes or reference to a diary, so you can forgive any passages which might seem "tidied up" and it is a very easy but informative read.

Particularly revealing (to me) was the chapter entitled "The Shape of Things". In it Gibson takes us through a typical bombing raid - from getting out of bed in the morning right through to falling back into it at night/next morning. I found that fascinating and somewhat awe inspiring given that he did this along with many others in his early twenties when (at that age) I was still feeling sorry for myself because some girl or another thought I was a bit spotty. Add to this that Enemy Coast Ahead was written whilst the war was still raging and you have a riveting read.

I thoroughly recommend it.

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book, written at the height of the war just after the famous Dams raid and just before Gibson’s untimely death.

Gibson was a genuine hero, albeit a flawed one, a man who lived a full life very quickly. It’s astonishing from this distance of time to consider that he had risen to the rank of Wing Commander, won the DSO (and bar), DFC (and bar), the Victoria Cross, the Commander of the Legion of Merit, commanded the most famous WW2 RAF squadron and led its most famous raid all before the age of 26! That, sadly, was also the age at which he perished, in a Mosquito over Holland on a raid he should never have been on.

The thing that I loved about this book is it’s authenticity. It’s not the most professionally written biography but you know as you read it that Gibson wrote every word himself and he glosses over nothing. Some of the technical details of the Dams raid were omitted for obvious reasons (and were still not known when the famous film was made in 1955) but the book is fascinating none the less.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guy Gibson is best known as the leader of the famous 'Dam Busters' raid of 1943. This book is a memoir of his war up to and including that raid.

Because this was written before the war ended and much of the technology used was cloaked in secrecy, there's a certain amount of obfuscation and the dams raid itself only takes up about 20 percent of the book.

Nonetheless it's a fascinating account of the bomber war from the early days when targets were difficult to hit accurately, if at all, to the introduction of new systems and larger aircraft that turned Bomber Command into a formidable force. There's also a 'poacher turned gamekeeper' year spent flying night fighters in an attempt to stem the Nazi blitz.

Given the constraints of censorship this is in some ways a flawed book, but because it was written during the war it has an immediacy and an unrivalled view into the mood and attitudes of the time.

[Diana Buckingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent box about night time operations by England in WWII.

There are several good books about the Battle of Britain and the American B17 bombers, but these are about day time operations. This book shows what a different world exists when flying at night. Fascinating how the crews has to use flares and incinary bombs to make a visible track to the target. I can't imagine fighting for 5 years, have 60 plus missions and knowing that there was still long way ahead before the victory over the Third Reich would be secured. What brave valiant men.
I agree with the authors comment about keeping such a strong military as a deterrent. Unfortunately there always seems to be some that are looking to achieve some objective no matter the cost to others.
Well written book. Feel like you are riding along with those air crews.

[Roger Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone even remotely interested in the air war 1939-45, this book is a must read. It is written before the war ended by Guy Gibson, who was a squadron leader in both Bomber Command and Fighter Command and is best known for his heroic role as one of the famous dam busters of 1943. He gives a person view of the training and preparations for flying missions into Germany and does so in layman's language without a lot of difficult technical detail. He describes in detail the flights over Germany facing death on every mission from flak, fighters, searchlights and ground guns. You will imagine yourself in the cockpit on these daring raids. He then explains the amazing training that took place before the attack on the two dams in the Ruhr valley. Unfortunately, Gibson died in what was supposed to be one of his final missions in 1944.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brave bunch

The dam busters raid is legendary, and since my Dad was a USAAF bombardier in the Pacific and my wife’s uncle was an RCAF navigator assigned to RAF 627 Squadron in the Pathfinder force flying Lancs and Mosquitos, I thought I could learn a lot from this book.
I did, and it was quite illuminating.
This mission probably needed a leader like Gibson, but he was quite full of himself, and that may have led to his demise later in the war.
This book was written by him in 1944, a different time, but some of his judgment, like the naming of his beloved dog, is shocking to today’s sensibilities.
Still he earned his Victoria Cross. This story is worth the reading for history’s sake.

[William C Laverty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The True Story of the Raid on the Dams

The Real Story if the Dam Buster's
This book written by the man who lead the Lancaster bombers on the famous raid on the German dams describes in detail how Barnes Wallis (known in the book as Jeff because of wartime secrecy) came up with the proposal to attack the dams which made an important contribution to the German war effort. How ?Guy Gibson was chosen to form 617 squadron
from some of the most experienced crews in Bomber command and the difficulties that arose, how they were solved and finally to the raid itself which was a great success but at the cost of the lives of 54 air crew. The book was written during the war and Gibson's hatred of the Nazis is obvious.

[AnnaG · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very rare to get an eye witness account for WWII that covers events in the UK and Germany throughout the war, but Guy Gibson saw them all from his plane. This book has really made me see the war differently. It gives incredible insight into how training, technique and science were being honed to make the armies more lethal and effective. It shows how the rules of engagement developed from trying to avoid harming civilians in Kiel (even at the expense of missing military targets) to both sides actively targeting civilians in heavy industry or civilians more generally. Recommended to anyone wanting to understand more about what happened.

[Anthony Bracciante · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent account of what life was like for an RAF bomber pilot who later served as squadron leader of the 617th Squadron which led the "Dambusters" raid in May 1943 that aimed to cripple the war industry in the Ruhr valley. While not 100% accurate in describing the "Dambusters" mission this first person narrative is outstanding. The only drawback in this memoir is that several times he would introduce a topic and then hesitate to discuss it saying that he lacked the time to do so. Guy Gibson may have planned to write more and expand this book but did not get the chance as he perished while leading a raid as a Master Bomber in 1944

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Guy Gibson had survived the war, he could have had a career as a writer. This is an involving and poignant view into the world of a bomber pilot at the very "tip of the spear." The narrative smoothly moves from a standard "life in the RCAF" to a quietly ominous last few chapters focused on the raid that made him famous. A vid by the YouTube channel Hardthrasher argues that the raid was far more instrumental in Germany's defeat than has generally been credited. https://youtu.be/yhUgLxFl5Bk?si=fdEWd...

The 2003 Crécy Publishing edition promises the restoration of text previously censored by wartime censors, but exactly what has been restored is not indicated.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this view from the inside. I appreciated the frankness. It was amazing to hear about how tough the navigation and bomb sighting really was. We really take all of our electronics for granted today. The talk of drinking when back at base became more explained as Guy slowly became one of the only from his starting group that stayed alive. Incredibly stressful flying. I like history books about WWII, but most of them are analysis after-the-fact. This book takes you right into the war while it was happening.

[Graeme Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few things: my copy comes in at 436 pages. Goodreads entry is wrong. Next: I've read the Brickhill, Holland and Hastings books and seen the movie a gazillon times (not a million but feels like it). the book is good. Let emphasize that: GOOD NOT GREAT. Richard Todd in the movie makes him a lot nicer than what he is. Also ECA fills in GIbson's war before the Dambusters which is fascinating. BTW does anyone know if they got the person who knocked down Gibson's dog? IT seems to be a mystery of WW2

[Steve822 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must read book so we do not forget the sacrifices that that generation made. Although it was written during the war years, it appears an honest account with nothing held back, apart from technical matters. Gibson tells the reader that he and all airmen were scared by what they went though. The losses they suffered were appalling. There is a table at the start of the book referencing those pilots lost whilst he served with individual squadrons, sobering reading when he mentions a particular colleague in the text, you refer to the table and realise he subsequently died.

[Jennifer Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the Dambusters raid. Written by Guy Gibson during the war, a lot of it was redacted. For example, Barnes Wallace becomes Jeff. The bouncing bomb, a 'special bomb '.
Littered with examples of racism and misogyny. Phrases such as 'our boys', 'he was very white' meaning upstanding.
All the women were 'pretty young things' not sure where the ugly old women were.
Nevertheless, it did show the life of a bomber pilot. Traditionally, 10 air hours, Gibson did well to almost making it to the end of the war. Paticularly as he often flew after a night of drunken revelry.

[Charles Withington · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read and one remains totally amazed by the commitment of these fellows. They were an incredible generation and to think that only 25 years earlier there had been the "war to end wars" .
What a modest person Gibson is ... nothing gung ho in the least .. a self effacing factual account of events presented in a most readable book.
With his punishing schedule how he found time to write it in the first place is a miracle in itself.

[Geraint · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really interesting read having been written during WW2 by W/C Guy Gibson but it’s probably best in conjunction with something like Max Hastings’ Chastise, the most recent (I think) history & analysis of the dams raid. The juxtaposition of Gibson’s memory of recent events & later interviews with those who survived is enlightening. Every so often when reading I found myself having to stop & think about just how young these aircrews were & what they were going through most nights.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to criticize a book written by someone who flew over 180 combat missions. This is a unique record of the observations and experiences of a legendary bomber command pilot. He didn’t live to see the book published and devoted only a short section of the book to the raid for which he became most famous: the dam busters and 617 squadron.

It’s an honest and detailed record of his time in the RAF and for anyone interested in WWII or RAF history, it’s a must read.

[Joseph Langham · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Gibson was undoubtedly a flawed character, this still provides some fascinating accounts of the war, precisely as it was going on. It certainly goes some way to capturing both the transformation of Bomber Command throughout the war, as well as the experiences and mood of those who fought for it. I would be very interested to read the uncensored re-released edition, as this one dates to 1955.

[Robert M. Roth MD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening tale of a British bomber pilot

This is the story of a British bomber pilot from the immediate pre war period and culminates in the destruction of the Ruhr Valley damns. A very interesting book by one who was there. The book ends prior to D Day and we never learn the fate of the pilot. Well worth reading.

[andrew davey · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the off quite brilliant.even the most horrific moments are dealt with an economy of words and the stiffest upper lip,leaving the reader to form the picture of events in their own minds.
Makes you proud of this country's attitude and determination during its darkest days not to go under like the rest of europe.
Absolutely wizard!

[anthony lanigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent example of how factual books can be absolutely gripping

This book was exciting all of the way through. I found excitement on virtually every page and had to remind myself that it was actually a factual account of war.
I'd wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone