The Dam Busters

The Dam Busters

The Dam Busters may refer to: Operation Chastise, an attack by the RAF on German dams in World War II. No. 617 Squadron RAF, the Royal Air Force squadron who carried out Operation Chastise. The Dam Busters (book), a 1951 book by Paul Brickhill about Operation Chastise. The Dam Busters (film), a 1955 film about Operation Chastise. Dambusters March, the theme to the "Dambusters" film by British composer Eric Coates. The Dam Busters (video game), a 1984 video game loosely based on Operation Chastise. "Dambusters", a 2011 episode of Ice Pilots NWT Season 3 about recreating Operation Chastise. VFA-195, a United States Navy Strike Fighter Squadron. A name for people who work in dam removal. One of the 52 games in Action 52. Dambuster Studios, a game development company.

Genre: Drama, History, War
Production: Warner Bros. Pictures
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
APPROVED
Year:
1955
105
3,885 Views

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
[showing Gibson a model of the targets] Well, Gibson, there it is. That's your main target - the Moehne Dam.

Gibson:
So *that's* it. I thought it was going to be the "Tirpitz".

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
If you can blow a hole in this wall...

[points to model]

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
-you'll bring the Ruhr steel industry to a standstill; and do much other damage besides. I'm showing you the targets. But you'll be the only man in the squadron who knows, so keep it that way.

Gibson:
Very good, sir.

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
[indicates other models] And these are the models of the two other dams, the Eder and the Sorpe. But, the Moehne is the most important one.

Gibson:
I see, sir.

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
Come along and study these as often as you like. We're having regular reconnaissance to see what they're doing over there and what's the height of the water. The operation must be carried out when the lakes are full.

Gibson:
When's that likely to be, sir?

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
About the middle of May. You'll need a good moon as well. So, it looks like we're tied to a night between the 12th and the 17th. By the time the next full moon comes around the water level will have started to fall again, so it's our only chance this year. About five weeks from now. How's the training going?

Gibson:
Oh, pretty well sir. Except for the low flying.

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
Yes, I guessed you'd be in trouble over that.

Gibson:
It's fairly easy by day, but night flying over water at 150 feet is pretty near impossible.

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
You can't trust your altimeters?

Gibson:
No to the limits Mister Wallis wants. He insists on 150 feet. Not a foot below, or a foot above. I'd hoped we could get over it by practice. But, on still nights, when the water's smooth, there's a sort of no man's land between the dusk and the water.

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane:
Well, I've got the Farnborough experts on that. I hope they'll come along with an idea. By the way, Wallis is going to test the full-sized bomb at Reculver tomorrow. I'd like you to go down and watch. Take your bombing leader with you.

Gibson:
Right, sir.

Gibson:
Well, the sixpenny bombsight works and the spotlamps work. We've flown two thousand hours, and dropped a good many more than two thousand practice bombs. The specially converted aircraft start arriving tomorrow. So, from now until the word "go" I want you to practice flying them at your all-up proper weights. [indicates Young] You can work that out, Dinghy. Don't forget that some of the armour's been taken out. And don't exceed 63,000 pounds or otherwise we shan't get off. [looks around] Any problems?

Squadron Leader H.M. Young, DFC:
You want the front gunner to stay in his turret the whole time?

Gibson:
Oh yes, he'll have to deal with the flak guns.

Squadron Leader H.M. Young, DFC:
The trouble with that is his feet. [mimics with fingers] They dangle in front of the bomb-aimer's face. How about fixing up some stirrups to get his feet out of the way and make him more comfortable?

Gibson:
That's a good plan.

Squadron Leader H.E. Maudslay, DFC:
Have you any idea when we're going, sir?

Gibson:
Probably within a week. But, keep it under your hats! You won't have to put up with being called "the armchair squadron" much longer

Squadron Leader H.E. Maudslay, DFC:
Two months without an operation is getting us stalejake now.

Flight Lt. J.V. Hopgood, DFC:
There was damn near a riot yesterday when somebody in 57 Squadron started it again

Flight Lt. H.B. Martin, DSO, DFC, AFC:
Our fellows would feel better if they blew off steam

Gibson:
[grins] Alright, the next time somebody starts being funny, have a riot. [assembled pilots laugh] Alright, that's all. [pilots get up to leave]


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