The Dam Busters Page #9

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My goodness! It's big, isn't it?

Can we really break that?

How many guns do you think there are,

Trevor?

I say there's about ten guns.

Some in the field

and some in the towers.

We've seem to upset them a bit.

P for Popsy, are you there?

OK, leader.

Hello, M-Mother. Are you there?

I'm here, leader.

- Here, leader.

- Here, leader.

- Here, leader.

- Here, leader.

Here, leader.

Hello, all cooler aircraft.

I'm going into attack.

Stand by to come in to your order

when I tell.

Hello, M for Mother.

Stand by to take over if anything happens.

OK, leader.

Good luck.

Check height.

Speed control, Pulford.

Gunners ready.

Coming up, Spam.

- 220.

- This is fine, I can see everything.

- Down a little.

- 230.

- 230.

- Steady.

Down a little.

- 235.

Stand by to pull me under the seat

if I get hit.

- Steady...

- 240.

Steady...

- Hold her steady.

- 235.

- Hold that.

- 240.

- 235.

- That's fine.

- 235.

- Bomb, gone!

Good shot! Nice work!

- Nice work, Skipper.

- Bang on, Skipper.

It's gone, we've done it.

We haven't. It's still there.

Hello, M for Mother.

Are you there?

Standing by, leader.

Hang on a minute,

until the water comes down.

Hutch, send back codeword "Goner".

Goner...

from G-George.

That's all.

I'd hoped one bomb might do it.

Hello, M-Mother.

It's your turn, you can go in now.

- Good luck.

- OK, leader. Attacking!

Stand by to go in.

If he doesn't drop his bomb now

it'll be too late.

He's dropped it. There it goes.

Oh, they've got him!

It's from right over the top.

Hello, P for Popsy.

- Are you there?

- OK, leader.

You can go right in.

I'll fly across the dam

to draw the flak off you.

OK, thanks, leader.

Stand by, everyone.

We're going in.

- 230.

- Down a bit.

- 235.

- Down a bit.

- Steady... Up a bit.

- 230.

It's all yours, Bob.

- 235.

- Steady.

- Hold her...

- 230.

- Hold her, steady.

- 235.

- Hold her.

- 235.

- That's fine.

- 235.

Bomb gone!

The wing is hit!

Starboard out was empty, thank God.

- Bomb's gone, leader.

- OK, Popsy.

Let me know

when you're out of the flak.

All OK Behind.

Goner from P-Popsy.

That's all.

Hello, A-Apple. Are you ready?

OK, leader.

Let me know when you're in position

and I'll draw the flak for you.

P-Popsy, are you hit?

Starboard wing, but we're all right,

we can make it.

A-Apple is going to attack.

Come in on his starboard side

and help me draw the flak.

OK, leader.

A-Apple making bombing run.

Goner...

from A-Apple.

That's all.

Hello, J-Johnny.

Are you ready?

OK, leader.

All right, go ahead.

We'll come in with you.

- Are you there, Dave?

- Ready, leader.

OK. Stand by to attack.

It's gone! Look!

My God;

- Are you there, Dave?

- Ready, leader.

It's all right. Skip it!

All right, boys.

Nice work! You've had your look.

P-Popsy and J-Johnny,

set course for home.

The rest of you come along with me.

It's N*gger! It's gone!

- You've done it, Wallis.

- Well done, well done!

Congratulations!

I reckon you should be able

to see it by now.

No sign of it.

Do you recognise anything, Spam?

Plenty of water...

No dam yet.

Wait... there it is!

All right, Dave.

You go in first.

There doesn't seem to

be any flaks, but it's

not going to be easy

with all these hills.

- Can you see the castle?

- I've got it, leader.

That's your way in.

Take your time. We've only got three bombs.

OK, leader. Going in now.

Down... down...

Down... down... down...

- We're too high.

- Down...

We're too high, Skipper.

We won't make it.

Steady... hold it there.

It's too late, Skipper.

It's too late.

Sorry, leader.

Made a mess of that.

- I'll try again.

- All right, Dave.

You hang around for a bit.

- Hello, Z-Zebra. Are you there?

- Here, leader. I've got the target.

All right, you can go in now.

There's no flak, but watch those hills.

Take your time

and mind the mountain on the other side.

- OK, leader. I'm going in.

- Good luck.

He's left it too late.

Hello, Z-Zebra.

Are you all right?

I think so, leader.

Stand by.

Goner Z-Zebra.

That leaves two more.

Cocoa, sir?

- Sir?

- No.

Are you in touch

with the reserve formation?

All except Burpee, sir.

He hasn't answered for some time.

Goner, L-Leather.

OK, Dave.

Bang on but you didn't break it.

Hello, N for Nuts.

Are you ready to make your attack?

- Ready, leader.

Come in down

and dive for the point, Les.

Get off the air, Dave. You've got

the last bomb, Les, so take your time.

Good luck.

Down... down...

Steady... hold it...

A little bit more...

That's fine, steady...

Steady... bomb gone!

It's Dinghy! They've done it!

They've got the Eder dam as well!

Wallis, when you first came to me with this

I didn't believe a word you said.

Now, you can sell me a pink elephant!

All right boys, home.

They know we're here now

so keep your eyes open.

'This is London.

'The Air Ministry have just

issued the following communiqu.

'ln early hours of this morning,

a force of Lancasters of Bomber Command

'led by Wing Commander G. P. Gibson,

D.S.O., D.F.C.

'attacked with mines the dams

of the Mhne and Sorpe reservoirs.

'These controlled two-thirds of the water

storage capacity of the Ruhr basin.

'Reconnaissance later established

that the Mhne dam

'had been breached over a length

of 100 yards

'and that the power station below had

been swept away by the resulting floods.

'The Eder dam, which controls the

head-waters of the Weser and Fulda valleys

'and operates several power stations,

was also attacked and reported as breached.

'Photographs show the river below the dam

in full flood.

'The attacks were pressed home

from a very low level

'with great determination and coolness

in the face of fierce resistance.

'Eight of the Lancasters are missing.'

Is it true?

All those fellows lost?

Only two aircrafts went down

in the attacks.

That was Hopgood's over the Mhne

and Maudslay's over the Eder.

Astell got it soon after crossing the coast

and Dinghy Young was shot down

over the sea on his way home.

The rest we don't know about.

They've been calling them since midnight

but they haven't answered.

The flak was bad,

worse than I expected.

56 men... If I'd known it was going

to be like this, I'd never have started it.

You mustn't think that way.

If these fellows had known they wouldn't be

coming back they'd have gone just the same.

There isn't a single one of them

that would have dropped out.

I knew them all,

I know that's true.

Look, you've had a worse night

than any of us

Why don't you go and find a doctor

and ask for one of his sleeping pills?

Aren't you going

to turn in, Gibby?

No, I... I have to write

some letters first.

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