Danny and Family visisting
One bright weekend morning, we packed into the car and set out for the Möhnesee. This was almost a pilgrimage for every RAF family in RAF(G). It was around 100 miles from the Clutch stations, a gentle two-hour drive across the country in full summer bloom.
Apart from the historical aspect, it was a popular picnic spot for the locals: they had turned out in full force. The lake looked about half full; around the lakeside the place rang with the happy laughter of children, the sun blazed down, the snack stalls on the river banks were doing roaring trade.
From the riverside below the Dam I looked across its face. The colour change in the concrete clearly marked the repaired centre section; even more impressive was the huge gouge carved out of the river bed by the force of water that May night eighteen years before when the Dam had been breached by Gibson and his merry men.
On the top of the dam, we looked out up the lake along the line of the bombing run. In the bright sunlight it was not easy to visualise the scene that night, the brimming lake shining under the full moon, the skies full of the roar of the Lancasters as they thundered round the valley before turning in and going down to fifty feet above the water for the one attempt that each aircraft could make.
We strolled across to the mid-point of the Dam, the exact aiming-point. Looking up at the two flanking towers, you could see what perfect gun platforms they must have made for the defending flak gunners to draw an almost head on bead on the Lancasters as they came in S&L towards them. With this in mind, dubbleyew eight's Post #4107 p.206 is of enormous relevance. If the old Ukranian's story was true, it may well have minimised 617's losses, which were bad enough in all conscience (8 of 17 Lancasters and 53 dead from 119 of the finest bomber crews in Britain ).
The question of the efficacy of the raid has been hotly debated ever since; a whole host of revisionist historians having concluded that it was simply another case of "C'ést magnifique, mais ce n'ést pas la guerre". I'm in no way qualified to express an opinion on this, but may still offer one. We were told that you need a ton of water to make a ton of steel, and that Krupp and the other steelmakers of the Ruhr were dependent on the Möhne water for this.
I can find little information on the actual effect on German steel production from this cause alone, most commentators giving more weight to the loss of hydro-electric power and the diversion of construction plant and labour from other urgent tasks as being the main fruits of the operation. But the loss of this water must have been very serious for the German war economy.
And from the point of view of the ordinary Briton, this spectacular raid was an enormous morale-booster, coming as it did together with the good news of final victory in North Africa. The previous November, Churchill had said of that campaign: "It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning". Victory in Europe would be two years ahead yet, but we were "on our way". The British bulldog had his tail well up (I know that's not a good metaphor, but never mind).
The excited cries of the children playing were growing fainter as the afternoon wore on, and it would soon be Mary's bedtime. We drove gently back home to GK in the warm evening sunshine: it had been a memorable day's outing.
(This may interest any who have just finished watching the "Dambusters" tonight - Chan.5).
Goodnight, everyone,
Danny42C..
We shall remember them.