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Dambusters Raid Research

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Dambusters Raid Research

Read the briefing and use evidence from the page to answer the questions. The raid took place during the Second World War. Remember that military actions can have different consequences for different people.

Operation Chastise: the briefing

On the night of 16–17 May 1943, the Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out Operation Chastise, later popularly called the Dambusters Raid. Nineteen Lancaster bombers from the newly formed No. 617 Squadron took off from bases in England. Their target was a group of dams in Germany’s Ruhr region, an area important for industry and water supply. The bombers travelled east from England towards Germany. The raid was led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson. The unusual weapon was called Upkeep. Designed by engineer Barnes Wallis, it was a cylindrical mine intended to skip across the water, pass over a dam’s torpedo nets and sink beside the wall. It would then explode underwater. Crews had to fly very low and release it at a carefully judged distance and speed. Spotlights and a simple measuring device helped them judge their height and distance in darkness. The Möhne and Eder dams were breached; the Sorpe dam was damaged but not breached. Floodwater damaged homes, farms, roads and factories. People living downstream, including forced labourers, were among those killed. The raid caused disruption, but German workers repaired the dams within months. Eight of the nineteen aircraft were lost and 53 aircrew were killed. The operation became famous in Britain, but historians also consider its limited long-term effect and its human cost.

Investigate the mission

Use the briefing as your evidence.

1.What was Operation Chastise, and when did it take place?

2.According to the briefing, in which part of Germany were the target dams, and in which direction did the bombers travel from England?

3.Which squadron carried out the raid, and who led it?

4.Choose the best description of how the Upkeep weapon was intended to work.

It skipped over the water, passed the dam’s nets and exploded underwater beside the dam.
It floated downstream and exploded when it reached a bridge.
It was dropped from high above and burst in the air over the dam.
It landed on the dam and rolled down the front without exploding.

5.Why did the crews need to fly low and carefully judge their release distance and speed?

6.Which two dams were breached, and what happened to the Sorpe dam?

7.True or false: All nineteen aircraft returned safely to England.

TrueFalse

8.The briefing says the dams were repaired within months. What does this suggest about the raid’s long-term effect on German industry?

9.Name one group of people besides RAF aircrew who suffered because of the flooding. What does this remind us to consider when studying a military operation?

10.Write a short museum caption explaining why the raid became famous and giving one reason historians might judge its success differently.