The RAF’s most famous bomber squadron, 617, was formed on March 21, 1943, at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, under the command of Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Its first operation – the daring low-level raid on the Ruhr dams – cemented the Dambusters’ place in the nation’s history. Post-war, it re-rolled for jet warfare, converting to Canberras in 1952 and continuing to operate them until disbandment in 1955.
On May 1, 1958, the Dambusters re-formed at Scampton with Vulcan B.1s, and the following year was presented with its standard by the Queen Mother. The squadron re-equipped with the Vulcan B.2s in early 1962 and became the first to be armed with the then state-of-the-art Blue Steel stand-off bombs. It continued in the strategic bombing role until the last Blue Steel sortie in December 1970.
With a maximum speed of around 625mph and a cruising speed of 607mph at 50,000ft, the Vulcan B.1 was a challenging target for attacking fighters of 1950s vintage. However, this situation soon changed, particularly the delta jet’s vulnerability to improved surface-to-air missiles. Hence the introduction of the Vulcan B.2 with its numerous electronic countermeasures and stand-off bombing capability. More effective Soviet defences also forced t…
