Dambusters and the Lancaster
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Warpaint Anniversary Special
Author: Desmond Brennan
Publisher: Guideline Publications
ISBN: 978-1739219031
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 62
The Second World War saw both high production innovation as well as unique one-off concepts, both of which changed how wars were fought. One of the best examples of both of these was the Avro Lancaster, a plane that became one of the RAF’s top strategic bombers and also became part of one of the most iconic raids of the war: the dambusting missions. This special anniversary edition from Warpaint departs from their usual coverage of an aircraft type and focuses on those Dambuster Lancasters.
The book breaks the story down into chronological chapters, starting with the overall concept and introducing Barnes Wallis, the inventor of the special bouncing bomb that destroyed the dams. After introducing the inventor, the book then moves into the development of the weapon. The unique design of the weapon was unorthodox, but testing proved its worth and after small scale experiments the work began to enlarge its capabilities to be effective against larger targets.
Those targets are the next section of the book, which details the specific dams that Bomber Command decided needed to be taken out. Three dams were chosen for their importance, and this section outlines those dams, as well as the defenses that surrounded them. Bomber Command itself is the next subject, along with Air Chief Marshall Arthur Harris. Filling in the back story of the Command and Harris helps paint a more thorough picture of the dam raids, but to complete that image we need to know about the plane and pilots.
Which, of course, is the next two sections: the Lancaster and 617 Squadron & Wing Commander Guy Gibson. The story of the Lancaster is a well-known one, but this section gives a good high-level overview of the airframe and powerplants, plus the modifications needed to adapt the bomb to the airframe. Following closely behind the Lancaster is 617 Squadron, the squadron made famous by these daring raids. Wing Commander Gibson was instrumental in getting the unit up to speed in how to deliver the weapon and in planning the raid itself.
The rest of the book is dedicated to the raid itself, and the after effects of the strikes. To say that these were daring is an understatement, and it’s not surprising these raids have formed the subject of more than one movie. The skills of the crew coupled with the extensive training resulted in successful breaching of the Möhne and Eder dams and damaging the Sorpe dam. The after effects were strong from a propaganda effect but material effect on the war was far less understood. The dams were back up and running less than a year later, although not at full strength, and the casualties on both sides were high.
The story of the Dambusters has been told many times, both in print and on the silver screen. This book provides a great overview of the entire program, from beginning to end, that is fully complemented with photographs and color illustrations of the aircraft involved. If you’re interested in an easy read on this subject, this is an excellent title to pick up.