Seventy-years-ago yesterday, the squadron, made up of the RAF's finest, took to the skies on their top-secret mission. Their aim was to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley which were a vital source of industrial power for Nazi Germany.Using ingenious bouncing bombs, their daring night-time raid saw two of the three dams breached and the mission was hailed a success.
Those 133 crewmen, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson of 617 squadron, would become known as the Dambusters - a term still applied to the unit.
The force had to fly across occupied Europe at night, so low that some were killed by power lines, and drop the untried bombs in full view of the enemyÂ’s guns.
The Mohne and Eder dams collapsed, German industry was thrown into chaos and the Allies enjoyed a huge boost to morale. But it was not without its cost: eight of GibsonÂ’s 19 planes and 53 of his 133 men were lost.