This year marks the seventieth anniversary of the extraordinary Dams Raid, which took place on May 16th, 1943. Despite numerous setbacks and against huge odds, this daring operation turned out to be one of the most successful and game-changing bombing raids of all time. In honour of the occasion, James Holland writes:“It is now seventy years since the attack on the German Dams, surely the most famous air raid ever mounted by the RAF, and with some justification too. The Dams Raid is truly an incredible story: an amazing weapon, and one hundred and thirty-three men and nineteen Lancasters heading out at tree-top height, at night, over enemy territory and dropping their bouncing bombs to smash the German Dams. It is a fabulous tale of daring, ingenuity and raw courage." Read more on the blog.
Dam Busters: The Race to Smash the Dams, 1943 by James Holland is out now in paperback.