Danny42C wrote:
Is there anybody ex-RAFG who didn' t go for a look at the Moehne Dam while out there ?
Well, in 1983 I was on 'EX BOLD GAUNTLET' at Gutersloh, on detachment from Suphpholk's phinest AD station. On precisely the 40th anniversary of the Dams Raid, I was flying one of HM's mighty Phantoms (not very well) and, for once, happened to be in the right place at the right time!
So we flew past the castle by the Eder, down to 250 ft, across the dam, then climbed out. Seemed like fun, so did it again. Then another jet joined us, so we did a pairs flypast... I recall that there were people waving (I think) from the castle. Then home for tea at Gutersloh.
Mentioned it to the SNavO when we were chatting later and he went rather white. He dug out something called 'Manuel de vol a basse altitude' (not something we air defenders had bothered with before) and pointed out that we weren't supposed to use the dams as a turning point or overfly them at low level.
Strengsten Verboten, we were told!!
"Good job we didn't tell him about saying hello to the Moehne Dam on the way home, then!" I remarked to my nav after the SNavO has left...
But no-one ever complained!