Dambusters Raid: The Most Audacious Bombing Raid of the Second World War

by John Sweetman

Operation Chastise - the Dambusters Raid, as it became known - undertaken by 19 Lancasters of 617 Squadron on the night of May 16 1943, was the most audacious bombing raid of the Second World War. For the loss of 11 aircraft, the Mohne and Eder dams in Germany's industrial heartland were breached, and a famous if controversial victory won. John Sweetman's book is the most comprehensive account of this legendary mission, from the development of Barnes Wallis' 'bouncing bomb' (in reality a revolving depth-charge) to every moment of the raid itself, under the charismatic command of Guy Gibson, VC.

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

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compared to the storyline of the highly successful commercial film released in 1955, this explicit book describes a layered and richly detailed story of Operation Chastise. It is an exhilarating book crammed with an exceptional level of technical detail that engineers and scientists will love. Mr Sweetman references collections of papers and other documents used, and usefully passes observation on other sources not thought helpful to researchers. Justifying caution he emphatically warns of the dangers of relying on any one single source.

This book is not the book of the 1955 film. However, it’s well worth seeing the film (trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0gzU...) before reading this book; if for no other reason than to prime the mind’s eye for travelling back seventy-odd years to the early 1940s.

I gazed at my own impractically large collection of glass marbles as I read of Barnes Wallis’ “bouncing bomb” (a revolving depth charge), and the spiritual highs and deep lows suffered by the scientist as he determinedly progressed through the necessary experimental phases, tinged with a frustration at the back of his mind that maybe such an concept couldn’t possibly work in reality, and that crews of young airmen would die unnecessarily, to no gain in the Allied war-effort. Yet even when poor visibility cancelled April field trials at Reculver, the mid-day sea remained so inviting as to persuade the technical team to strip and plunge naked into the water for a stress-relieving swim!

The plethora of technical problems were eventually solved or mitigated, and the detail of how that was done makes for very interesting reading. A particular strength of this book is the clarity of detail entered into. Extraordinary as it seemed at the time, I really felt that I was living through the raid; hardly daring to breathe as 617 Squadron, tasked to attack the Möhne, Eder, Sorpe, Ennepe, Lister and Diemel dams, took to the air, and the text on the page swiftly plunged me as if into a navigators ‘game’ of death or survival.

War is, of course, not a game; but continues to be a truly dreadful reality. This book left me very deeply moved, not only for the youth of the men who didn’t return on that night of May 16th 1943; but also for the deaths, injuries and suffering sustained by the German civilian population, and through the Royal Air Force’s considerably successful destruction of infrastructure, drawing attention to vulnerabilities in the Nazi Fatherland. A great strength of this book lies in the author’s thoughtful reflections and conclusions as to the short and longer-term significance to the Nazi war effort and the political and morale-raising ramifications of the significant destruction caused by the brave boys of 617 Squadron that unforgettable night.

32 pages of b/w photographs

[Graeme Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

One problem with my copy: it is 296 pages not 314. Reissued 2012. Good book for all that. BTW it was bought in Keswick market in the Lake District (UK). moral of this fact: don't ignore markets in small towns. You may find the odd gem.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been interested in World War II history for a while, but I’ll admit that I heard of the dam busters raid (or as I now know, Operation Chastise) mostly because it was one of the main inspirations for the Death Star trench run in Star Wars. I recently borrowed the film from the library and figured I should read this book first to learn about the real events.

The book definitely benefits from having been written decades later compared to the film and thus doesn’t have to censor certain details that were still classified in 1955. The author is able to provide all of the details, including the necessity of spinning the bombs to help them bounce properly, and the biographies at the back give long term overviews of what happened to many of the players.

The book ends up being a mix of the history of the technical problems and the training of the squadron, which makes sense since this was a case of technological innovation and heroic pilots coming together to do what we all love: blowing up the Nazis’ stuff. The story actually starts all the way back in the First World War with an overview of the origins of airplane bombing, which went from chucking grenades out of normal planes to having dedicated bombers. The way people even back then saw the potential for bombing to radically change war reminds me to an extent of the even greater changes caused by the atomic bomb in the Second World War.

From there, there’s a discussion of how the British recognized that the Ruhr Valley dams were a potential weak point but determined the bombing technology they had couldn’t actually destroy the dams. This gives Barnes Wallis a chance to invent the famous bouncing bomb, which gives a way for the explosion to happen right in contact with the dam for maximum effect without needing to worry about defenses against torpedoes. The book spends a fair bit of time explaining how Wallis came up with the idea and then tested it and managed to sell the RAF on the idea of actually using it.

Then things shift gears to discuss Guy Gibson and the other pilots of 617 squadron who were pulled together to train for a mysterious operation that turned out to be the attack on the dams. The actual raid is gone over in a fair bit of detail, describing the fate of each and every plane and how much damage was actually caused. It was sad to realize that half of the planes never made it back, but it felt a little hard to connect with the men who died when not all that much details was provided about them. Finally the book brings itself to a close by returning to Wallis’s earlier earthquake bomb concept and showing how it was used to destroy a major Nazi battleship.

Overall, the book is a quick but informative read. I do think it could’ve done with a glossary or otherwise a bit more time spent defining some of the terms, especially around the various medals and ranks that are mentioned. Maybe if I’d read other books from this publisher I’d know more, but it would be nice to be able to just jump into this one and know everything I need to. I’m also not sure if it was an issue with my download or the Kindle edition in general, but while it was clear there were supposed to be pictures throughout to illustrate things, there weren’t actually any. This wasn’t the end of the world for me since I had the film, but this does make me wary of getting more of these books digitally. I think I have at least one other book about the dam busters that goes into more detail, though for now this one gave me enough of an overview that I feel like I’ve got a good grasp on the subject.

[Rick Brindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that will tell you all you need to know about the dams raid. The planes, the men, the reasons behind the raid, it's all here. Very well researched an put together, as well as a cameo role for Bomber Harris' abrasive nature when it came to his crews, whom he valued more highly than one would have thought.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is hard to read because the text is tiny and it's written with one or two paragraphs per page. Sometimes two and a half. There are good photos and diagrams but they are not on glossy paper in my edition, so they are a bit blurry. I expect these decisions were made to save cost and make the book more accessible to readers; however they have the effect of making the book less readable.
A novel method of launching explosives at a heavily defended dam in German territory was developed. These days we would use drones or missiles, but during WW2, every bombing raid involved probable loss of lives.
Barnes Wallis was a civilian engineer who had already been developing plans for larger bombers. he started tackling the challenge of destroying dams which powered German (and Italian) industry. The plan was called Operation Chastise and the bombs were still not working three weeks away from planned date. Aerial photos - no satellites in those days - also were not 100% available or accurate, including doubts about whether a piece of land was an island or a spit.
After the raid, I like the item about press coverage, including cartoons, and the suggestion that any further leaflets dropped in the flooded Ruhr Valley should be folded into paper boats. Undoubtedly this is an excellent book for engineering and war studies.
I read a paperback. This is an unbiased review.

[David Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading. Comprehensive account of the devising, planning, training and execution of one of the most daring attacks of the Second World War. Drier than Paul Brickhill’s definitive Boys’ Own thriller, John Sweetman has the advantage of access to more official records and eye witness reports and covers the astonishing effort made to design, build, test (and test again) the Upkeep “store” and its unsuccessful smaller brother, Highball. The enterprise punched way above its weight in actual physical damage to the Third Reich in diverting German defensive efforts to cover other similar potential targets and by boosting morale at home as well as cementing Britain’s hitherto uncertain value to her allies, the USA and USSR, as a serious force in the goal of defeating the Axis.
In a minor point I was disappointed that the author failed to comment on the the collateral damage to the breeding prospects of the Mohnesee’s endangered Ring-Necked Whooper Swans which were known to be nesting on the shore of the lake in May 1943.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Dambusters Raid (and way more), this is a "definitive" history of the entire enterprise, not just the raid itself. It contains a lot of technical detail and heavily researched background information on how the operation came to be. It begins in the late 1930s, with the vague concept that German dams might be a good set of targets. It then goes through in great detail all of the iterations of that concept up to where Barnes Wallis began his tortuous development of "Upkeep" through experimentation and battling official ambivalence and some hostility. It gives some space to W/C Gibson's selection, and his formation of and training of 617 Sqn. for the raid. Then, the raid and finally its long-contested aftermath. This edition is Sweetman's 2012 update of his original 1982 edition. This one is for serious WW2 readers only.

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books that sits on the shelf until have *really* got time on your hands. I am glad I've read it now though. A vast amount of detail is martialled to fill the 300 closely-printed pages, encompassing science, engineering, miltary strategy and politics. It is interesting how hostile 'Bomber Harris' was to Barnes Wallis' plans, convinced they would never bear fruit. But afterwards he had to admit to how wrong he had been. There are lots of fascinating details (for instance the crewman whose plane crashed and was made a prisoner, got an admission from a German interrogator that the raid had done the damage of a thousand ordinary raids) buried amid the bulk of pedantically-arranged technical information, and you do keep turning the pages; though if ever I have found a book dull yet compelling at the same time, this is it.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely detailed narrative of the Dambusters raid. It covers the beginnings of the idea, development of the weapon and raid, to the actual raid and aftermath. I found it tough slugging, especially in the early chapters, I even put it aside for quite awhile before finishing it. It does cover this important raid in extreme detail, so the student of history would find this a good reference. I now have the Barris book on the raid, so it will be interesting to compare them.

[Ddraig · Rating 4 out of 5]

They came, they saw, they bombed. Some stuff got wet. Apparently more accurate than previous accounts, it's worth reading just for the description of how INSANELY DANGEROUS the raid was. The rest of it is pretty good, too.

[Russ Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

possibly a good book on the subject if you want to know in great detail what happened in the raid, what it meant then, and what it means now, as it has been updated several times since originally published, and all updates are included

[Jack Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is the seminal work on the Dambusters raid. Roughly following a before/during/after format, it is extensive and packed with interesting details.

Many of these did-you-knows go against popular myths of the raid. The famous ‘bouncing bomb’ is more accurately a ‘revolving depth charge’; British interest in attacking German dams can be traced back to 1937; and, the raid may not have gone ahead had it not been for last-minute involvement from Washington.

Sweetman does not bow to any controversy, quantifying the Dams raid as an overall success. For a book first published in 1982 it has stood the test of time, and is essential reading for anyone who has ever uttered the name ‘Gibson’, or ‘Wallis’.

[Susan Paxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any one of a number of people who are in the position to know have assured me that this is the definitive book on Operation Chastise. And I have to agree.

That said, those looking for adventure and excitement might want to look elsewhere - James Holland's very good recent book, for instance. In fact, many may find this book a bit dry. But when finished, you'll have a deep understanding of the topic that will serve you well in future reading and research.

Sweetman has made a deep, serious study, going well back into the 1930s when the Mohne and Sorpe dams in particular were identified as major targets in any future air war against Germany. However, at the time no workable method of attack could be discerned. That awaited an independent genius working outside the system, Barnes Wallis. Wallis, an experienced aeronautical engineer who was associate Chief Designer of Vickers, himself studied the target question and came to the conclusion, independently, that the Ruhr dams were an obvious target - not just in themselves, but as a force multiplier: the destruction of a dam by one aircraft could cause damage downstream equivalent to hundreds or thousands of bombers. Wallis began working on two weapons of different sizes, later to be codenamed Highball and Upkeep. Highball would be small enough that a twin-engined Mosquito could carry it, and Wallis intended it to be used against ships. The larger weapon, Upkeep, would be used against the dams and, Wallis hoped, other high-value targets. Upkeep was so large that only the Avro Lancaster could carry it.

Getting the powers that be to pay attention was not always easy, but finally Wallis was able to convince them - they were familiar of course with the pre-war reports that indicated that the Ruhr dams were good targets - that Upkeep should be built, Lancasters converted to carry it, and a squadron organized to deliver the weapon. Again, Sweetman's research clears away a lot of the ridiculous accretions that have collected around the formation of what would become 617 Squadron. It was far from the picked squadron it was later claimed to be; Guy Gibson suggested some of his cronies, but most of the crews that came in either volunteered in response to a circular from 5 Group or were, quite literally, assigned. Although the circular asked for experienced crews, at least one crew assigned to 617 had flown exactly 5 operational missions.

Sweetman does an able job pointing out that tinkering with one aspect of the operation continued almost until the day it was executed - the failed second wave attack on the Sorpe dam. The Sorpe was a major target, very much equal to the Mohne in value, but the failure of the attack has led to some trying to discount its importance and claim that second-rate crews were sent to attack it. Neither is true, but a method of attack was settled on very late and in the event only two Lancasters got through to bomb it and the Sorpe dam survived.

Hewing back to the primary sources, Sweetman describes the attacks ably and with vigor. Many will find this by far the most absorbing part of the book, but the surrounding material is more than necessary for a full understanding. Likely many will be surprised at the horrific cost of the operation; 617 broke two dams that night, but lost over 40% of the squadron doing it; 53 men dead, 3 POWs.

This 2002 Cassell Military Paperbacks edition has the advantage of Sweetman's ongoing research and response to issues raised since the original publication in 1982, and this is the edition to look for.

Highly recommended; indeed, the definitive book on the Dams raid.

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers Operation Chastise right from target selection before the commencement of hostilities, through the development of a suitable weapon to carry out the raid, the actual raid and the propaganda by both the allies and the axis powers in its immediate aftermath and historian’s view now upon the impact of the Dambusters upon the outcome of the second world war.

The first half of this book is very well written as a work of history covering every aspect of the development of the Upkeep weapon – along with Highball and Baseball that were designed to work on a smaller scale – and the planning of the raid on the dams of the Ruhr valley; the second half covers the actual raid and the aftermath. Although this is a very though book, the first half lacks any colour covering the character and idiosyncrasies of the protagonists. The style changes once Operation Chastise gets the go ahead and the writing ceases to be a distant academic study of history and becomes a much more sympathetic biography of the men of 617 Squadron that flew the raid.

The conclusions drawn do not overstate the impact of the raid that you may expect if your only knowledge of the Dambusters comes from the film of the same name. Much of the damage inflicted was repaired within weeks and was often dismissed by the Nazi leaders as just another raid. However, the destruction of the Mohne and Eder dams boosted the morale of the allies and the civilians of occupied Europe; but also showed the Nazis that the Luftwaffe was not the invincible force that the German people had been told it was by their leaders.

[James Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far too detailed, but highly informative recounting and analysis of the successfull bombing of 2 of 5 German dams (Mohne & Eder) attempted, using a unique technique of dropping a back-spinning bomb (the "Upkeep") weighing in excess of 9,000 lbs. which bounced across the water, skipping over torpedo nets, came to rest against the dam, sunk to 30 meters and detonated, shooting water 1,000 feet in the air and breaching the dam. Developed by Barnes Wallis, met with initial skepticism, carried out with incredible precision, required the innovative use of ground hugging flying of Lancaster bombers to avoid flak and night fighters, 11 out of 19 planes returned. The devastation of these breaches was considerable, played a vital role in diverting German resources and man power.

[Thomas Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The treatment opf the subject matter is very dry - there are interminable accounts of meetings, committee meetings and so on.

Having said that, if you actually want to understand how the Dambusters' Raid came about and what was involved in making it happen, then you could do a lot worse than read this book. It is extremely detailed and comprehensive and stands as a solid authority on the subject.

[Frank Pellecchia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitive book about the development and evolution of the secret "bouncing bomb" used in the bombing of the Mohne and Eder dams in Germany in 1943. Also includes details of the preparation and the raid itself.

Of the 19 Lancasters in the raids, only 8 returned.

[Neil]

Started 1st week in April 2010.
Started by reading Ch. 11. I'm searching through to extract the maths and physics to inject something interesting into my teaching but I'll probably end up reading it in drips and drabs.

[Erin]

Having been to the practice dam, I think I'd be quite interested in this!

[Jules Begg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obsessional attention to detail but less interpretation of meaning.

[Jan Farndale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed and riveting account of the most memorable operation of the Second World War, showing devastating results of the hard work put into it by the boffins behind the scenes.