The Dam Busters Page #7

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We've had a bit of luck.

We've found a way of fixing our height

with spotlamps.

I'll have them altered for 60 feet

and have a crack at it tomorrow.

You will?

That's... that's splendid.

If it's too dangerous,

you mustn't hesitate to let me know.

Oh, we'll do it all right.

Down... down...

Down...

Steady...

Up a bit.

Up a bit more.

Steady.

Steady... steady...

Hold it now.

Hold it, hold it.

This is bloodily dangerous!

"Sir, as a poultry farmer doing his best

in the food crisis

"l wish to protest

against the stupid young men

"who indulge in idiotic joy riding

at all hours of the night.

"It may be good fun for them..."

"...it may be good fun for them,

but I would point out that

"every time they come over our poultry

houses, my hens lay premature eggs

"that drop off the perches

and mess up the floor.

"This means a serious loss to both me

and the country."

Sir!

You've picked up something here.

You were right about that tree,

we did take the top off.

I know where it came from.

I suppose we'd better send it back.

- Well, it's now or never, Mutt.

- Don't you worry, it's

going to be all right.

You'd better get a move on.

It's a good half hour's drive to Reculver.

Take a longer run in

to be certain of that altitude.

I'll watch it.

- Well, good luck.

- You pray for me, I'll pray for you.

If he doesn't hurry up,

it'll be dark.

The poor chap is probably hoping

it will be dark.

The time I wasted on this damn thing

is driving me crazy.

It will all be over soon

one way or another.

Sorry to keep you all waiting. There are

so many last minute things to attend to.

Go ahead.

You'd better get a move on.

Hello, Gibson.

We've had an awful day

I never thought we'd do it.

These observer fellows... I felt like a man

being driven out for execution.

Don't say another word

till you've looked over there and wished.

- What?

- New moon.

Oh!

- Have you wished?

- Oh, yes! And you?

Yep. That's our moon.

It's going to be a lucky one.

I hope so. Oh, I do hope so.

Well, we're all right on altitude

if we can fly at 60 feet in the dark.

May dear boy, can you do that?

That's absolutely splendid!

Yes, we've been at it all week.

- Here they come.

- Good luck.

Oh, my dear God!

- Well, I must say, that was wonderful.

- I'm immensely relieved.

- Do you smoke, Wallis?

- No, thanks.

I'll get through to the factories tonight

and give them the green light.

Any final instructions for them?

No, they can go ahead on the same

specifications they were given last week.

Well, Mr Wallis, it must be a wonderful

feeling to achieve a thing like this...

to conceive something absolutely unheard of

and carry it through with flying colours.

How on Earth did you ever get the idea?

Well... To be quite honest,

it isn't really my idea at all. l...

I got it from Nelson.

Nelson, you say?

Yes, he discovered

that under certain conditions

he could get more destructive results

from his cannon balls

by making them ricochet off the sea

before hitting the enemy ships.

Usually he pitched them about two thirds

of the way between his guns and the target.

But there is some evidence to suggest

that during the Battle of the Nile

he dismissed the French flagship

with a yorker.

Wing Commander Gibson, sir.

- Good evening, Gibson.

- Good evening, sir.

I've been looking at the reconnaissance

photographs that came in today.

It looks as if the water will be

at the level we need in a week's time.

The moon's full next Tuesday,

so we're pretty close to deadline.

We're all right on low flying, but there's

still the matter of the special bombsight.

Yes, I've had the backroom boys

busy on that.

You're going to laugh when you see this.

It looks like a coat hanger from a bazaar.

Do you see the idea? Your bomb aimer

keeps his eye to this peephole.

When these two nails are in

direct alignment with the towers,

then you'll be exactly 600 yards

from the wall... and away goes your bomb.

Do you think it's too simple?

No, sir. I'm all in favour of things

being simple, but, Good Lord...

There it is. Try it out on the towers

at the Derwent Water dam.

Bomb gone.

Bomb gone.

Bomb gone!

Well, the sixpenny bombsight works

and the spotlamps work.

We've flown 2,000 hours and dropped more

than 2,000 practice bombs.

The specially converted aircraft

start arriving tomorrow.

So from now until the

word go, practise

flying them at you're

proper all-up weights.

You can work that out, Dinghy.

Don't forget that

some of the armour's been taken out.

And don't exceed 63,000lbs,

otherwise we shan't get off.

- Any problems?

- Does the front gunner stay in his turret?

Yes, he'll have to deal with the flak guns.

The trouble is that his feet dangle

in front of the bomb-aimer's face.

How about fixing up

stirrups to get his feet

out of the way and make

him more comfortable?

- That's a good plan.

- Have you any idea when we're going, sir?

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.

Two months without an operation -

it's getting a stale joke now.

There was nearly a riot when a fellow

from 57th Squadron started it again.

Our fellows would feel better

if they blew off steam.

All right, the next time anyone

start's being funny, have a riot.

All right, that's all.

- Have you seen the squadron orders?

- Yes. Same old stuff.

It's good to have

an evening off for once.

Yes, 16 ops last month,

7 in the first two weeks in May.

What are you fellows going to do

when you've worn those armchairs out?

It's a joke, you know.

Can't you take it?

We're getting a little tired of it.

Come on chaps.

Come in.

The Group Captain's asking for you, sir.

He's waiting outside.

- Steady!

- Let go!

- Thank you, sir.

- Saved my life.

- Hello, Guy.

- What's going on?

One of the boys from 57th Squadron

shot his mouth off once too often.

I've just had word from Group.

Weather reports are good.

If it holds like this,

you'll do the job tomorrow night.

Good. What about the bombs?

Theyre arriving now.

I'm glad we're going.

There's no harm telling your flight

commanders, but keep it to yourselves.

Right.

I'll break up that show in there

and get the boys to bed.

Fine.

- I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight.

- Goodnight.

- Would you sit there, sir, please?

- Yes.

Be seated gentlemen, please.

For the past six weeks

you've been wondering

why this squadron

has been formed...

Commander Gibson, carry on.

Well, the training's over.

For obvious reasons,

you've had to work without knowing

your target or even your weapon.

You've had to put up with a good deal

from other people

who think you've been having a soft time.

But tonight, you're going

to have the chance

to hit the enemy harder

and more destructively

than any small force

has ever done before.

You're going to attack

the great dams of Western Germany.

Here are your targets.

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