Product Description

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1521710 in Books
• Published on: 1992-02
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• 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)

Customer Reviews

A first-class true-life epic of WWII British Aviation
I have read, and re-read this book many times over the last several years. Having studied 617 Squadron operations in general, and meeting some of the few survivors, I can't get enough of the inside story on this wonderful special-ops squadron. Also please read Enemy Coast Ahead, by Guy Gibson,who was the original Dambuster's leader. I find many of the ops after the dams raid to be even more interesting and harrowing !! This is a great read for general interest and true buffs alike.

Science, modern war, and how to destroy a dam.
What a great little story from WWII. I heard about this successful raid, and finally I stumbled upon this great little book describing the raid. The book starts by describing the thought process of Wallace who thought the dams would be a worthy target of British bombers. The floods would destroy factories and limit the output of water and energy in the industrial Ruhr area.
Wallace had to surmount bomber limitations, design a new type of bomb, and devise a method on how to deliver the bomb load against the side of the dam. These processes are all investigated and solved in the course of this book. The final bombing run is the high point of the book with the successful destruction of the dams. The loss in bomber crews plus the German civilian losses are also summarized. I wish the book could have focused more on the later aspects of the raid, rather than the science that went in solving how to destroy the dams. Otherwise a great read.

True-life high adventure. TARGET: From Rhur dams to Hitler!
I first read this story as a freshman in high school and couldn't put it down! I have re-read the book several times since then. The adventures of 617 Squadron have all of the elements of an Indiana Jones movie; from the most inovative, fantastic, and bizarre ideas (five-ton bouncing bombs to ten-ton, earthquake producing "Tall Boy" bombs) to shear, white-knuckle, edge-of-your-seat danger (low-level night flying over Nazi Germany). Check out Paul Brickhill's "The Great Escape" and "Reach for the Sky." You won't be disapointed