Dambusters bouncing bomb tested jump to media player archive footage of the bouncing bomb used in the 1943 dambusters raid being tested. From a recent documentary building the bouncing bomb on the quest channel in the uk. As part of the allies bombing campaign against germany during the war, the dambusters wa an elite lancaster bomber unit and the raid was led by wing commander guy gibson vc. Before being released from specially modified aircraft, the bombs were held by vshaped arms in the plane and rotated to the speed of 500 rpm by a hydraulic motor and belt drive. Unique is a pretty overworked adjective these days, but here is something that i am confident is exactly that. The bouncing bomb wallis was still faced with the problem of placing his hypothetical explosive charge against the wet face of the dam. However the science behind the bomb was not so well preserved and many of the vital working calculations of aircraft designer barnes wallis. Peter jackson has been giving interviews to mark the end of the process of making the hobbit trilogy, which combined with the lord of the rings make up a series of six films that have taken his company almost fifteen years to complete. Mar 31, 2017 a world war two bouncing bomb which was trailed prior to the dambusters raid has been discovered on a beach in kent.
The idea was to see if the bomb could still be built and used. The following text is taken from my recently published book, the complete dambusters, published by history press in 2018. Produced by windfall films and omni film productions for channel 4 in association with. A bouncing bomb is a bomb designed to bounce to a target across water in a calculated manner to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets, and to allow both the bombs speed on arrival at the target and the timing of its detonation to be predetermined, in a similar fashion to a regular naval depth charge. Cambridge engineer dr hugh hunt, attempts to solve the scientific puzzle of exactly how wallis did it. How much impact the dambusters raid had is still debated but what cannot be denied is the. Dambusters building the bouncing bomb 1 of 2 youtube. Cambridge university said a channel 4 documentary about the experiment dambusters.
It is the end section of a test bouncing bomb which was trailed prior to the dambusters raid in world war two. The dam busters full movie hd drama, war 1955 richard todd, michael redgrave, ursula jeans. Dambusters raid recreated to reveal mystery of the. Dambusters bouncing bomb discovered washed up on a beach in kent. Feb 26, 20 tods bit operating a 7m long nitrogen cannon that he made, shooting bouncing bombs across a lake. But the science behind the bouncing bomb is highly complex, and many of barnes wallis vital working calculations have been lost. It is an upkeep, which is a larger type than the complete one we have on display, with plenty of information, at the seaside museum. Compiled and written by charles foster, nephew of dambuster pilot david maltby, and author of the new book the complete dambusters, published by the history press. Wallace september 1887 30 october designer and scientist who developed the vickers wellington bomber and the bouncing bomb used in the dambusters raid. Building the bouncing bomb will be shown on monday, may 2 at 8pm on channel 4 the lancaster bomber aircraft, pictured, was used in the raf raid and eight of the aircraft were lost. The dam busters is a 1955 british epic war film starring richard todd and michael redgrave. The dambusters, barnes wallis and the bouncing bomb. He spends hours and hours shooting golf balls up and down, complains the supervisor of an. A world war two bouncing bomb which was trailed prior to the dambusters raid has been discovered on a beach in kent.
The use of bouncing to describe the operation chastise bomb is loose. Dambusters complete last mission 30 jan 2014 the sight was designed by wing cdr c l dann and was used by bomb aimer pilot officer john fort on. Originally known as operation chastise, and later immortalised in the 1955 film, the dam busters, the raid sent lancaster bombers from raf. He is best known for inventing the bouncing bomb used by the royal air force in operation chastise the dambusters raid to attack the. Building the bouncing bomb c4 had all that, but it also had hugh hunt, a cambridge professor of engineering with a plan to recreate. The dambusters story of the bouncing bombs highballs. He was asked to film a plane dropping a revolutionary bouncing bomb in a reservoir in the uk. The footage in this sky news feature was taken by my father thf kimberley dfcdeceased category. Posts about bouncing bomb written by belfastchildis. This demonstrated that a bomb of sufficient size could be.
The famous bouncing bomb used in the second world war has gone down in history, and a 1950s film carried the dambusters into british legend. This explains why on some of the videos the bombs were bouncing substantially higher than. Engaging, informative, and compulsive viewing, dambusters recounts the fascinating story of one mans drive to recreate the spectacular bouncing bomb by blowing up a footwide dam while demonstrating its complexity and true destructive force in real time. The physics of bouncing by definition requires a level of elasticity which as the object hits a solid, a fluid or a powder results in a permanent or nonpermanent change in the objects form elasticity. Apr 21, 2011 2 of 2 cambridge engineer dr hugh hunt tries to recreate barnes walliss famous second world war bouncing bomb to blow up a specially constructed dam in canada. Gibson vc, dso and bar, dfc and bar guy penrose gibson was born on 12 august 1918 in simla, india, where his father alexander james a. A man of vision who had to use that vision to help win a war. Dambusters declassified documentary full 1 hour version. The one and only dambusters blog, bouncing across the choppy waters of the internet since 2008. The project was led by dr hugh hunt, from the department of engineering, university of cambridge, and will be the subject of a channel 4 documentary dambusters.
These revealed that the drumshaped bomb codenamed upkeep needed to be dropped from a height of 60 feet 18m, and at a ground speed of 232mph. He is best known for inventing the bouncing bomb used by the royal air force in operation chastise the dambusters raid to attack the dams of the ruhr valley during world war ii. The station headquarters building still stands on what is now an industrial. Building the bouncing bomb also interested to know how the wartime bomb was spun. Sir barnes neville wallis cbe frs rdi fraes 26 september 1887 30 october 1979, was an english scientist, engineer and inventor. May 03, 2011 cambridge university said a channel 4 documentary about the experiment dambusters. In 1939, visionary aircraft designer barnes wallis designed a very special bomb that would bounce across water and destroy german dams. The inventor of the first such bomb was the british engineer barnes wallis, whose upkeep. The 617 squadron, formed only two months earlier, had successfully destroyed two dams mohne and eder, and damaged a third sorpe using the ingenius invention of barnes wallis a four tonne bouncing bomb. The dambusters story of the bouncing bombs highballs and. Dambusters building the bouncing bomb 2 of 2 youtube. The dambusters story of the bouncing bombs highballs and upkeeps dropping a bouncing bomb. This explains why on some of the videos the bombs were bouncing substantially higher than the aircraft that had dropped them. Tods bit operating a 7m long nitrogen cannon that he made, shooting bouncing bombs across a lake.
Operation chastise was an attack on german dams carried out on 1617 may 1943 by royal air force no. Guy gibsons black labrador will now be called digger in the peter jackson produced remake of the world war ii drama. Harris clearly specified that an entirely new squadron must be formed for the job and that it was meant to be led by wing commander guy gibson, currently the commander officer of 106 squadron flying lancasters at syreston who had reached the end of his. Seventy years ago, in the early hours of the 17 may 1943, 8 lancaster bombers flew back to raf scampton and into the history books as part of the daring dambusters raid. The first fullscale trials were at chesil beach in january 1943. Jan szczesiak is the pilot standing in the front the crew is. The feat is the culmination of a twoyear attempt by engineers to understand how the bombing raids were carried out. Building the bouncing bomb c4 had all that, but it also had hugh hunt, a cambridge professor of engineering with a plan to recreate the 1943 attack on the mohne dam, on a smaller. The raid in 1943 was a success and a 1950s feature film carried the dambusters story into british legend. Aug 07, 2015 the film begins with aviation engineer barnes wallis michael redgrave developing a bouncing bomb. The incredible story of the dambusters raid imperial war. Barnes wallis april 1942 paper spherical bomb surface torpedo described a method of attack in which a weapon would be bounced across water until it struck its target, then sinking to. Four giant 16 scale rc avro lancasters heritage flight display lma model aircraft east kirkby 2015 duration. However, the dimensions and weight of the fullsize upkeep were such that it.
Initial testing of the concept included blowing up a plaster model dam at the building research establishment, watford in may 1942 and then the breaching of the disused nantygro dam in wales in july 1942. Its residual spin would then drive the bomb down the wall of the dam before exploding at its base. The backspin gives the bomb a considerable rotational energy when the bomb hits the water, part of this rotational energy is converted to kinetic energy in the upward bounce. If the raid did not have a long term impact, it did have enormous propaganda value for the allies. Apr 21, 2011 1 of 2 cambridge engineer dr hugh hunt tries to recreate barnes walliss famous second world war bouncing bomb and blow up a specially constructed dam in c. Barnes wallis who developed the unique bouncing bomb that was used on the raid. The bomb would spin backwards across the surface of the water before reaching the dam. In this documentary, cambridge engineer, dr hugh hunt, attempts to recreate barnes wallis famous second world war bouncing bomb, and. A bouncing bomb is a bomb designed to bounce to a target across water in a calculated manner to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets, and to allow both the bomb s speed on arrival at the target and the timing of its detonation to be predetermined, in a similar fashion to a regular naval depth charge. It has been known since the dawn of artillery that cannon balls could be ricocheted off the surface of the sea and this technique had been used for years to extend the range of black powder guns. The may 1943 raid is one of the most memorable british war victories and now. Simulated bouncing bombs were constructed from scratch, then dropped by aircraft flying just 60 feet above the surface of a lake in british columbia, canada, to destroy a feet wide dam. Experts recreate the bold feat of dambuster pilots who used bouncing bombs to destroy two key german dams in wwii.
Dambusters declassified documentary full 1 hour version martin. But my hat is off to the good prof for getting a film company to fund him to have such fun with some big, expensive toys. A maverick inventor, barnes wallis, came up with the idea of using bouncing. The first photo is my crew in front of our lincoln ii. The following footage shows testing of the highball bouncing bomb, developed in parallel to the infamous upkeep bomb, at ashley walk bomb range.
Dambusters building the bouncing bomb dvd trailer youtube. The may 1943 raid is one of the most memorable british war victories. A bouncing bomb is a bomb designed to bounce to a target across water in a calculated. If you are interested in medieval replica weapons take look at my websites. Actor martin shaw takes to the skies to retrace the 1943 raid by 617 squadron, which used a bouncing bomb to destroy german dams, in a bid to separate the facts from the myths surrounding the. Dambusters bouncing bomb discovered washed up on a beach. She came across a complete endcap from one of the test bouncing bombs dropped there during training for the dams raid in may 1943.
The mohne and edersee dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the ruhr valley and of villages in the eder valley, while the sorpe dam. May 2, monday a douglas dc4 aircraft, made in the 1940s. Kent live other parts of the concretefilled bombs have turned up over the years since, but it is unusual to find such a large piece. Apr 27, 2011 2 thoughts on building the bouncing bomb, c4, monday 2 may 8pm thom short august 2, 2011 4. Dambusters bouncing bomb sight and marbles to be auctioned. Building the bouncing bomb screened in the uk on channel 4 2 may 2011, 810pm. Building the bouncing bomb will be shown on monday, may 2 at 8pm on channel 4 the lancaster bomber aircraft, pictured, was used in the raf raid and eight of.
The film recreates the true story of operation chastise when in 1943 the rafs 617 squadron attacked the mohne, eder, and sorpe dams in nazi germany with barnes walliss bouncing bomb. On march 15th 1943 sir arthur harris ordered airvice marshall cochrane, the aoc of 5 group to organise the operation against the dams. With winston churchill, alexander cukor, matthew edwards, hunter ellis. Dambusters, the real bouncing bomb, tods bit youtube. Gibson worked for the imperial indian forest service. Barnes wallis bouncing bomb tests, dambusters youtube. Jan 10, 2015 dambusters complete last mission 30 jan 2014 the sight was designed by wing cdr c l dann and was used by bomb aimer pilot officer john fort on board the ajj, the fifth aircraft to attack the dam. The dambusters have been immortalised in world war two folklore as a result of their attack on the dams of the ruhr. Dambusters raid recreated to reveal mystery of the bouncing. Actor martin shaw takes to the skies to retrace the 1943 raid by 617 squadron, which used a bouncing bomb to destroy german dams, in a bid.