Book description
The night of May 16th, 1943. Nineteen specially adapted Lancaster
bombers take off from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, each with a huge
9,000lb cylindrical bomb strapped underneath it. Their mission: to
destroy three dams deep within the German heartland, which provide the
lifeblood to the industries supplying the Third Reich's war machine.
From the outset it was an almost impossible task, a suicide mission:
to fly low and at night in formationover many miles of enemy-occupied
territory at the very limit of the Lancasters' capacity, and drop a
new weapon that had never been tried operationally before from a
precise height of just sixty feet from the water at some of the most
heavily defended targets in Germany.
More than that, the entire operation had to be put together in less
than ten weeks. When visionary aviation engineer Barnes Wallis's
concept of the bouncing bomb was green lighted, he hadn't even drawn
up his plans for the weapon that was to smash the dams. What followed
was an incredible race against time, which, despite numerous setbacks
and against huge odds, became one of the most successful and
game-changing bombing raids of all time.
James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied
history at Durham University. A member of the British Commission for
Military History and the Guild of Battlefield Guides, he also
regularly contributes reviews and articles in national newspapers and
magazines and appears on national radio. His books include Fortress
Malta, Italy's Sorrow, The Battle of Britain and his
fictional WW2 series featuring Sergeant Jack Tanner. He has also made
acclaimed television programmes on the Battle of Britain and the
Dambusters raid for BBC.
His many interviews with veterans of the Second World War are
available at the Imperial War Museum and are also archived on www.
secondworldwarforum. com.
