Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2883786 in Books
• Published on: 1992-02
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 376 pages

Review
The operations of Squadron 617 fill in another detail of World War II and the history of military air techniques. From Barnes Wallis, who, from the beginning of the war, dreamed of an "earthquake bomb" and concentrated on blowing up enemy dams, to the various Wing Commanders who worked with him, "Talking Bomb" and many another expert, to the pilots, it was close team work all the way through. The long road before Wallis' experiments were accepted, the training, at night, in low level flying and accurace in target practice, the tightening days that led to the first raid against the Moehne Dam in Germany - and its results, all paved the way for further improvements for missions to come, to blow up U Boat pens, tunnels, bridges, the secret weapon sites and finally the Tirpitz. Brickhill follows the men and the machines in concentrated detail, is open in his admiration for their exploits and gives the reader a vivid sense of the effectiveness of this small group. For that air minded audience. (Kirkus Reviews)

Synopsis
The true story of a specially selected Royal Air Force squadron details its epic feat of destroying two vital dams in Nazi Germany.

From the Publisher
A classic of World War Two
The Dam Busters tells the story of how the crews of 617 Squadron Bomber Command used their flying skills, their tremendous courage and Barnes Wallis' highly accurate bombs to deal devastating blows to Nazi Germany.

'The best wartime story of the RAF' Douglas Bader

'In all the history of arms there is no finer epic' Daily Express

Customer Reviews

It wasn't all bouncing bombs..........
This is the story of the formation and operations of 617 squadron, from it's first, very famous dam busting mission, through to the end of the war. Many people believe that the dam busting mission was all there was to this squadron, but they went on to perform some remarkable feats of airmanship and precision bombing. The development and use of Barnes Wallis' other great bombs, the Tallboy and the ten ton Grand Slam, are described in some detail. Dropping one bomb from 18,000 feet and hitting the target is a little bit old hat with today's laser guided smart bombs, but these guys were doing it without any of todays technology.

Dam Busting and Tear Jerking
This is the story of the formation and operations of 617 squadron, from it's first, very famous dam busting mission, through to the end of the war. I recently watched Band of Brothers and realized that our British boys were as brave...I also recently visited the River Kwai and you sense how brave our soldiers were in the face of adversity. Read Dam Busters and you will now what I am writing about.

The story of the most daring airborne mission of World War 2
This is the story of the most daring airborne mission of World War 2. It accurately captures the birth of the idea to bomb the dams supplying water to the industrial heartland of Germany: the Ruhr. The objective: to cause maximum disruption to production in aid of the German war effort. The execution: ultra-low flying over heavily-defended enemy territory at night.The characters:Barnes Wallis-the leading British scientist of his generation, Squadron Leader Guy Gibson-the most accomplished British bomber pilot of the war and the Men from the Ministry who almost prevent the idea taking flight and Prime Minister Winston Churchill who ensures it does! Learn of the trials and tribulations of developing a bomb to do the job, pulling together a new squadron to deliver it and as the story builds to a climax, above all the dedication, skill, daring and bravery of 617 Squadron's pilot's and aircrew. Tension and drama from start to finish.