Operation Chastise, the famous Dambusters raid of 16/17 May 1943, could never have happened without Upkeep, the legendary mine or ‘bouncing bomb’ created by aeronautical genius Barnes Wallis. And Upkeep could never have been delivered without the introduction of the Lancaster four-engine heavy bomber, brainchild of Avro’s chief designer Roy Chadwick, who was also responsible for the special adaptations made in preparation for the raids. It is also unlikely the Lancaster could have achieved success that night were it not for the skill, heroics and brave determination of the hand- picked pilots and aircrew of 617 Squadron who were some of the finest airmen in the world.

Upkeep was unique in conception; containing 6,600 lbs of ‘Torpex’ high explosive, equivalent to 3.7 tons of TNT, Wallis had designed this formidable weapon to skip across the water avoiding any anti-torpedo netting, hit the dam wall, sink to a prescribed depth at which it would cause the most damage, and detonate. But there was a problem; Upkeep weighed 9,250 lbs, and for it to work it must be released at an altitude of just 60ft, at a precise airspeed of 210mph, some 400 – 450 yards from the target. There was only one aircraft in the world capable of carrying such a load, and over such a distance – the Lancaster. But to deliver Upkeep on target was anything but easy; the crews must avoid radar detection by navigating the entire journey at tree-top height at night and, avoiding the surrounding hills surrounding the targets, run in at the prescribed height, speed and distance. Only a highly skilled pilot could achieve such a task, especially at the controls of a heavy bomber. It was a dangerous, risky yet audacious plan. And it worked. Despite the tragic loss of nearly half their number both the Möhne and Eder dams, amongst the largest in Europe, were breached, and the Sorpe damaged. In a single raid, on a single night, the continuing legend of the Dambusters was born.


As part of the commemorations to remember the 80th Anniversary of the raids, artist Richard Taylor has created this moving triptych. Alongside the masterful portraits of both Barnes Wallis and Roy Chadwick, chosen by the artist to represent all 133 airmen who took part in Operation Chastise is a magnificent portrayal of Lancaster AJ-A ‘Apple’ with pilot Dinghy Young at the controls as his Lancaster clears the parapet of the Möhne dam seconds before his Upkeep detonates bang on target to fatally weaken the mighty stone wall. Shortly after, David Maltby in Lancaster AJ-J ‘Johnny’ will finish the job and the destruction of the Eder dam would follow.