Whilst 617 Squadron’s most famous raid was the destruction of Ruhr Valley dams, the unit went on to carry out specialist attacks until the end of the war in Europe. Today, the Squadron remains at the cutting edge of technology with the introduction of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft in 2018. Nigel Price relates what 617 Squadron did after the Dams Raid.
Attacking a target many believed to be indestructible, deep behind enemy lines, using an untried revolutionary weapon and under the glare of a full moon, sounds like an impossible mission. But the men of the RAF’s 617 Sqn, led by Wg Cdr Guy Gibson, did just that and struck a blow to the heart of the Nazi regime. While the damage inflicted on that fateful night hurt the enemy’s ability to wage war, the negative effect on German morale was even more considerable, and the raid’s success greatly lifted the spirits of Allied forces around the world.
Initially labelled Squadron ‘X’, 617 Sqn was formed at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, on 21 March 1943. Guy Gibson was given free rein to select crews from other squadrons who he thought could best undertake a special low-level mission – although even Gibson himself was not told of the specific targets for some weeks.
