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Aviation Art Prints  Countries UK Squadron Index  617 Squadron (Dambusters) |
[UP] - 617 Squadron (Dambusters) - Red Arrows - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight - 85 Squadron - 41 Squadron - 64 Squadron - More Squadrons |
No.617 Sqn
Country : UK
Founded : 23rd March 1943
Codes : , AJ, YZ, KC,
Apres mois, le deluge - After me, the flood
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| No.617 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Art |
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Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-A by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-A attacking the Mohne dam, successfully causing a small breach. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-A pilot Sqn Ldr H M Young. This aircraft was shot down over the Dutch coast on the return journey, with the loss of all crew. Crew of A for Apple : Pilot : Sqn Ldr H M Young Flight Engineer : Sgt D T Horsfall Navigator : Flt Sgt D W Roberts Wireless Operator : Sgt L W Nichols Bomb Aimer : Flg Off V S MacCausland Front Gunner : Sgt G A Yeo Rear Gunner : Sgt W Ibbotson. |
Attack on the Sorpe by Ivan Berryman. Of the five Lancasters that formed the Second Wave of Operation Chastise, just one aircraft made it to the target, the Sorpe Dam, on the night of 16th/17th May 1943. American pilot Joe McCarthy had been forced to switch to the reserve aircraft due to technical difficulties and subsequently took off slightly later than his less fortunate comrades, all of whom fell either to German flak or to mishaps on their perilous journey. Upon arrival, McCarthy found the view of the dam itself to be unobscured, although mist in the surrounding valleys made it difficult to gauge his approach. As this was not a masonry dam, a different tactic was employed to the Möhne and Eder which involved flying along the length of the dam and dropping the Upkeep bomb, unspun, directly onto it. Their task was made all the more difficult by the fact that their approach necessitated McCarthy bringing AJ-T low over the hilltop village of Langsheid whose Church spire occupied the very point at which the aircraft had to pass to get a good run upon the dam. Undaunted and with great skill, ED825(G) made its run and released the bomb onto the dam, unassisted by the spotlight altimeter device that had proved so useful at the Möhne and Eder as AJ-T had not been fitted with this aid. Nevertheless, the Upkeep struck the dam and exploded as planned, sadly with little effect. McCarthy and his brave crew returned safely to Scampton, their landing made slightly difficult by a tyre that had been damaged by light flak on the return journey. The Sorpe was attacked again in the small hours of the morning when Flight Sergeant Ken Brown's aircraft, AJ-F of the Third Wave arrived, once more striking the dam successfully, but again without breaching it. |
Operation Chastise by Tony Sargeant. No text for this item |
Target Y The Eder Dam Raid, The Ruhr Valley, 17th May 1943 by David Pentland. At 0154am, Pilot officer Les Knight in Avro Lancaster AJ-N transmitted the codeword Dinghy, the signal that the Eder Dam had been successfully breached. Although the target was undefended by flak, its location made it extremely difficult to hit. In fact, four of the five aircraft involved in the attack failed in their attempts and Knight's was the last available aircraft carrying the last available bomb! |
The Dambusters by Simon Smith. On the night of 16/17th May 1943,under a full moon, 19 specially modified Lancaster bombers from 617 Squadron carried out one of the most daring and effective air raids of the Second World War. Led by wing commander Guy Gibson the 19 aircraft took off and headed for Germany at extreme low level.. Their mission, code named Operation Chastise, was to destroy the Ruhr dams which supplied water and electricity to the industrial heart of Reich. Each aircraft carried the ingenious Upkeep mine, developed by the engineer Barnes Wallis. Shaped like a large oil drum, the bomb was spun prior to release at exactly 60ft above the water and 150 yards from the dam wall. This caused the weapon to bounce across water and on impact would also make it stay close to the wall of the dam as it sank. The bomb, technically a mine, was fitted with a hydrostatic fuse similar to a depth charge causing detonation at the required depth.The correct height above the water was achieved by aligning the beams of two spotlights to meet on the surface of the water. Delivering such a weapon on target at night at such low altitude and under enemy fire was thought by many to be impossible. The nineteen pilots,some as young as eighteen had been hand picked by Gibson only two months before and formed into 617 squadron whose first mission was to remain top secret and unknown to them up until the last moment. The Mohne Dam was attacked first and several attempts were made under heavy fire with one lancaster being shot down as it flew over the target.Guy Gibson then attempted to draw fire away from the attacking aircraft by switching on his navigation lights and flying to one side of Mick Martins aircraft ,the scene depicted in Simon Smiths painting.Just as another aircraft was about to go in,excited shouts came over the intercom - its gone! The main target achieved, Gibson led the remaining aircraft on to the Eder Dam deep amongst the mountains of the Eder valley. Here, although no flak defenses, the terrain made the approach extremely hazardous. Two bombs were released yet still the target remained unbreached leaving only one last aircraft ,that of Les Knights to attack. A steep descent from a thousand feet then a dive over a spit of land left very little time to line up and release the bomb.Worse still there was a huge mountain on the far side of the dam! Added to this Edward Johnson the bomb aimer recalled that the spinning bomb had an alarming gyroscopic effect on the handling of the aircraft,so it was with superb flying and teamwork that their bomb struck and finally destroyed the massive stonework of the Eder Dam. Gibsons leadership and bravery led to the award of the VC and many other decorations were bestowed upon the other crews.The squadron however paid a heavy price with 8 lancasters being lost. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-N by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-N pulling away after its successful breach of the Eder dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-N pilot Plt Off L J Knight. This aircraft was the third aircraft to make the tricky attack on the Eder dam. Despite the approach being made difficult by the terrain, AJ-N successfully breached the Eder dam with its bomb, and returned home safely. Crew of N for Nan : Pilot : Plt Off L J Knight Flight Engineer : Sgt R E Grayston Navigator : Flg Off H S Hobday Wireless Operator : Flt Sgt R G T Kellow Bomb Aimer : Flg Off E C Johnson Front Gunner : Sgt F E Sutherland Rear Gunner : Sgt H E O'Brien. |
Bomber Force by Nicolas Trudgian. The tension is electric; slowly they climb to circle the airfield while the entire squadron gets airborne. Below, the countryside reverberates with the sound of roaring Merlin engines. RAF Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron. |
Operation Chastise - The Night They Broke the Dams by Ivan Berryman. Guy Gibsons Lancaster having unsuccessfully dropped its bomb, draws enemy fire from the aircraft of Sqn Ldr Young as his bomb explodes spectacularly on the Mohne Dam during the audacious Dams Raids of 16th/17th May 1943. |
The Breach by Anthony Saunders. The Möhne Dam: 17 May 1943, 00.49 hrs. The journey had been eventful, flying low they had crossed the Dutch coast and headed inland, skimming along canals and the countryside at tree-top height and meeting heavy flak at various points along the route. Yet now the first two waves of Lancasters had reached the Möhne Dam and, as the enemy flak opened up, the six aircraft began to circle their target. First Gibson in AJ-G attacked, his bomb exploding successfully, 'Hoppy' Hopgood crashed after being hit by gunfire, and then 'Mick' Martin in Lancaster AJ-P made his bomb run, yet despite being hit twice, the dam still held. Next Gibson called in 'Dinghy' Young in AJ-A, he too scored a direct hit but it seemed the dam was still un-breached. Things were looking bad as David Maltby in AJ-J made his run into the target but the top of the wall was starting to crumble. Young's bouncing bomb had in fact cracked the dense granite wall and Maltby finished the job with a direct hit - the Möhne Dam was doomed. The second in Anthony Saunders' pair of Dambuster 70th Anniversary commemorative paintings, The Breach depicts the scene as Guy Gibson engages enemy flak positions whilst Lancaster AJ-J, with pilot David Maltby at the controls, banks steeply away after delivering the coup-de-grace. A huge explosion and towering pillar of water marks the breach where a vast torrent begins to flood the valley below. |
Now They Know We Are Here! by P E Holland. Guy Gibsons Lancaster over the breached Möhne Dam, 16/17th May 1943. |
Dambusters - Moment of Truth by Ivan Berryman. This was the moment when the massive Möhne dam was finally breached on the night of 16th-17th May 1943 during the top secret Operation Chastise. The specially-converted Lancaster B MkIII of Fl/Lt David Maltby ED906(G) AJ-J roars between the towers of the dam, having released the Upkeep bouncing bomb that would ultimately cause a cascade of water to flood into the valley below. Fl/Lt Harold Martin's identical aircraft, ED909(G) AJ-P can be seen off Maltby's port wing with all of its light ablaze, drawing enemy fire from the attacking bomber. |
Target Bearing 270 by Robert Taylor. At sunrise on 12 November, 1944, led by Wing Commander James Tait, Lancasters of 617 Squadron RAF prepare to make their bombing run on the German battleship Tirpitz, lying in the Norwegian fjord at Tromso. |
'O' Safe Home by Ivan Berryman. Bill Townsend's Lancaster O for Orange, returns safely on the morning of 17th May 1943 after the success of the daring raids on the dams of the Ruhr Valley. |
Bravest of the Brave by Ivan Berryman. The Lancaster B MkIII of Flt Lt J V Hopgood was the second aircraft to make an attempt at breaching the Möhne Dam on the night of 16/17th of May 1943. Already damaged by flak en route to their target, the embattled Lancaster ED925(G) (AJ-M) encountered intense flak and 20mm fire from the shore and from the towers of the dam itself. Flying Officer Gregory's front gun turret had taken the full force of the flak burst during the journey, killing him instantly, and Hopgood himself was almost certainly wounded in the same explosion. Nevertheless, they pressed home their attack but, just moments from the release of the Upkeep bomb, both of Hopgood's port engines took direct hits and burst into flames, and other rounds ripped through the starboard wing. Perhaps distracted by the sudden conflagration, Hopgood's aircraft released its bomb just seconds too late to be effective. The bomb bounced over the dam wall, landing on the power station below where it exploded with devastating results. With blazing fuel now engulfing the wing of his crippled aircraft, Hopgood climbed to about 500ft where the wing failed, sending ED925 into a dive from which it would never recover. By jumping clear, clutching their parachutes just moments before impact, two of her crew survived to become prisoners of war. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-G by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-G attacking the Mohne dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-G pilot Wing Cdr G P Gibson. The very first aircraft to attack the dams, AJ-G dropped its bomb short of the Mohne, but drew anti-aircraft fire away from the following Lancasters, before returning home safely Crew of G for George : Pilot : Wing Cdr G P Gibson Flight Engineer : Sgt J Pulford Navigator : Plt Off H T Taerum Wireless Operator : Flt Lt R E G Hutchison Bomb Aimer : Plt Off F M Spafford Front Gunner : Flt Sgt G A Deering Rear Gunner : Flt Lt R D Trevor-Roper. |
A Lincolnshire Sunset 1944 by Gerald Coulson. The Avro Lancaster was possibly the most versatile and successful bomber aircraft ever and certainly became the backbone of RAF Bomber Command during WWII. Being able to deliver a greater payload than any other aircraft of The War, the Lancaster was involved in nearly every night bombing raid on Europe and undertook some of the most famous bombing missions in History. Of all the crews of RAF Bomber Command 617 Squadron are perhaps the best known. Famed for their expertise in precision bombing they took part in some of the most daring raids of the War. Many of the crews such as Guy Gibson, Leonard Cheshire and Bill Reid became household names and their exploits are well documented. This superb painting by Gerald Coulson is a tribute to all those crews who flew with Bomber Command. Each print is personally signed by prominent crew who flew with 617 Squadron during WWII. Coulsons painting captures the moment perfectly. As the sun is setting in the early part of 1944 over their Lincolnshire airfield , groundcrews make final preparations to the Lancasters of 617 Squadron. Beneath the mighty aircraft crews ready themselves for a long , gruelling night operation over occupied Europe. |
The Eder Breaks by Ivan Berryman. The success of the attack on the Möhne dam on the night of 16th/17th May 1943 meant that the remaining three 617 Sqn Lancasters of the First Wave could turn their attention to the Eder, some twelve minutes flying time away. Wing Commander Guy Gibson first called in Flight Lieutenant D J Shannon, flying AJ-L (ED929G) to make the initial run, but he had great difficulty achieving the correct height and approach, so Gibson now ordered Squadron Leader H E Maudslay in AJ-Z (ED937G) to make his run. Again, the aircraft struggled to find the correct height and direction, so Shannon was again brought in, AJ-L finally releasing its Upkeep on the third attempt. The bomb bounced twice before exploding with no visible effect on the dam. Now Maudslay made another attempt, but released his bomb too late. The mine bounced off of the dam wall and exploded in mid air right behind AJ-Z, the Lancaster limping away, damaged, from the scene, only to be shot down on the way home with the loss of all crew. Finally, Pilot Officer Les Knight was called in for one final attempt. AJ-N (ED912G) released its Upkeep perfectly, the mine bouncing three times before striking the dam slightly to the south. In the ensuing explosion, the dam was seen to shake visibly before the masonry began to crumble and a massive breach appeared. With the Möhne and Eder dams both destroyed and the Sorpe demonstrated to be equally vulnerable, Operation Chastise had been a remarkable success and will stand forever as one of the most heroic and audacious attacks in the history of aerial warfare. |
Goner 78A - The Dambusters Raid by Tim Fisher. The fourth attack on the Mohne Dam led by Sqd Ldr H M Young, piloting AJ-A (ED877/G) In the background to his starboard side is Flt Lt H B Martin, flying AJ-P (ED909/G) who was drawing fire away from the attacking aircraft by flashing his identification lights and turning on the spotlight altitude indicators. Wing Cdr G P Gibsons aircraft is out of sight, engaging enemy fire at the far side of the dam wall. The bomb was observed to make three good bounces and exploded on contact exactly as Barnes Wallis had planned, generating a vast column of water. Although it was not obvious at that instant, this was the attack which succeeded in breaching the dam. However, it was not until the next attack by Flt D J H Maltby that it was realised that the dam was crumbling. The code word sent out by Young signified; Goner (bomb released) 7 (exploded in contact with the dam) 8 (no apparent breach) A (Mohne dam) Youngs aircraft was lost with all lives on its return to Scampton possibly around 02.58 near Castricum-ann-Zee, north of Ijmuiden. |
On Course for the Möhne Dam by Richard Taylor. Guy Gibson leads the first wave of 617 Squadron's Lancaster bombers towards the German border and on to the Mőhne dam. After crossing the coast a fraction off course, Gibson adjusts his compass heading slightly and, as the unmistakable thunder of 12 cylinder Merlin engines at full throttle shatters the night, follows the course of a large canal where the owner of an ancient windmill, hearing the noise, hurries outside to witness the event. Nobody expected it to be easy. Nothing that the men of the recently formed 617 Squadron had faced before had ever been easy but, as Wing Commander Guy Gibson stood in front of them on the afternoon of 16th May 1943, they soon realised that the mission facing them would be the hardest - and most dangerous - they had ever faced. Their task that night was to destroy the mighty dams of Germany. For weeks they had been honing their skills of low-level flying, but until that final briefing in the operations room, only Gibson and a few top brass knew the objective. Tonight all their training would be put to the test. To evade enemy radar they would have to fly all the way to the Ruhr at tree-top height, and they must do so in complete radio silence. Once at the target they must launch their radical bouncing bombs - designed by Barnes Wallis - from a height of 60ft at exactly 230 mph. But to get there would require exceptional navigational skills and courage of the highest order. The breathtaking skill and courage displayed by the crews of 617 Squadron on the moonlit night of 16th / 17th May 1943 created a legend that remains undiminished. |
GONER 58A - Mohne Dam, Germany, 17th May 1943 by David Pentland. Avro Lancaster AJ-P of Flt. Lt. Martin 617 Squadron releases the bomb that successfully breaches the Mohne dam. In the foreground the electrical substation is burning from a previous attack by Flt.Lt. Hopgood. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-M by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-M attacking the Mohne dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-M pilot Flt Lt J V Hopgood. The second aircraft to attack the target, the aircraft was hit by flak, and its bomb bounced over the dam. Caught in the blast from its own bomb, the aircraft crashed soon after passing over the dam, with just two of the crew surviving. Crew of M for Mother : Pilot : Flt Lt J V Hopgood Flight Engineer : Sgt C Brennan Navigator : Flg Off K Earnshaw Wireless Operator : Sgt J W Minchin Bomb Aimer : Sgt J W Fraser (survived) Front Gunner : Plt Off G H F G Gregory Rear Gunner : Plt Off A F Burcher (survived). |
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