Dambusters in depth: The history of 617 Squadron

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters famous raid, in the May 2013 issue of FlyPast, Andrew Thomas examined the heritage of 617 Squadron – arguably the most famous RAF unit of them all

“An audacious RAF bombing raid into the industrial heartland of Germany last night has wrecked three dams serving the Ruhr valley. The aircraft of Bomber Command were led by Wg Cdr G P Gibson. Reconnaissance flights showed floodwaters sweeping through the Ruhr valley, damaging factories, houses and power stations. The power station at the Möhne Dam has been swept away, rivers are in full flood, and railway and road bridges have disappeared.”

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