HOME | DD

Description
This is Derwent Dam, in the Peak District... It was also the practice target for the Dambuster raids of 1943... Dr Barnes Wallace had designed the bouncing bomb, drawing on Nelson's technique of skimming cannon balls across the surface of water to penetrate ships hulls at the water line... The reservoir here was used as a practice run for the RAF bombers - apparently the reservoir and dam here were similar in size to the dams in the Ruhr valley that were the targets.

The plan was precise, and had little room for error - this is taken from here [link] ... "The crew had to release the bomb while flying at exactly 220 mph and at a height of exactly 60 feet above the water. If the Lancaster was forced into a tight turn at this height, one of its wing tips would barely be above the surface of the water. Precision flying at its best was needed just to get the bomb in motion. To add to the difficulties, the crew had to drop the bomb at exactly 425 yards from the dam wall. There could only be 25 yards either side of this figure – a tiny amount of seconds given the speed the Lancaster's would be flying at – and the fact that German guns would be targeting them. To add to the task, the attack was also scheduled to be carried out at night."

Apart from the history, this is an amazing structure - the water level is rarely as high as it is here - the noise of the water rushing over the edge was quite something...

Description
This is Derwent Dam, in the Peak District... It was also the practice target for the Dambuster raids of 1943... Dr Barnes Wallace had designed the bouncing bomb, drawing on Nelson's technique of skimming cannon balls across the surface of water to penetrate ships hulls at the water line... The reservoir here was used as a practice run for the RAF bombers - apparently the reservoir and dam here were similar in size to the dams in the Ruhr valley that were the targets.

The plan was precise, and had little room for error - this is taken from here [link] ... "The crew had to release the bomb while flying at exactly 220 mph and at a height of exactly 60 feet above the water. If the Lancaster was forced into a tight turn at this height, one of its wing tips would barely be above the surface of the water. Precision flying at its best was needed just to get the bomb in motion. To add to the difficulties, the crew had to drop the bomb at exactly 425 yards from the dam wall. There could only be 25 yards either side of this figure – a tiny amount of seconds given the speed the Lancaster's would be flying at – and the fact that German guns would be targeting them. To add to the task, the attack was also scheduled to be carried out at night."

Apart from the history, this is an amazing structure - the water level is rarely as high as it is here - the noise of the water rushing over the edge was quite something...