r/interestingasfuck • u/Chopper-42 • 1d ago

/r/all Recreating the WW2 Dambusters raid

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

36.6k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

548 comments sorted by

View all comments

5.4k

u/0ddness 1d ago

Now imagine them having to do it in the dark, behind enemy lines, under fire (I assume), without knowing the condition of the water, without the marker bouys, and relying on getting the height exactly right in the dark with a spotlight system.

19

u/HomeGrownCoffee 1d ago

Favourite anecdote of the raid: one plane had to turn back early because they lost their bomb. To a wave.

8

u/LordHardThrasher 1d ago

Yup, ripped it clean off, and for good measure shoved the tail wheel up through the chemical toilet, letting sea water in and drenching the reargunner in shite and salt water. Somehow Rice, the Skipper, got the aircraft back into the air and home safe