Suicide Squadron

Well...Had to use a long time delayed fuse on this posting as the Ladies in my life have dictated my location and activities for the next couple of weekends. This past weekend those dictates mandated a visit to my favorite National Park.

(No, Beans, Yosemite is #2, Yellowstone is #3. Haven't been to any in FL, so not on the list.)

We went to Big Bend. Yes...Again!

Turns out that MBD had only visited once. With a near tragic outcome. Visiting in Late May with a bunch of her girlfriends, they decided to go hiking on the Eastern Flats (AKA Desert). Seems they forgot my reminder that they needed a minimum of 1 gallon of water, per person, per day.

Fortunately, a group of recently commissioned Aggie Corps of Cadets, were behind them and managed to bring them back to civilization, and water, intact.

For some reason, I suddenly became more knowledgeable about certain things...like desert survival, to them.

ANYHOW, since SIL has never been to the park, and MBD has only been that one time we're returning. It's October, not May, we're going to hike the Chisos Basin and visit Santa Elena canyon, and only one day, visiting Ft Davis and McDonald Observatory on Sunday.

So I'm only bringing 8 gallons of water. If I don't respond to your comments this morning...Send Water!

Update: Water resupply unnecessary. All returned safely. After Action Report Next Week this time.

But, as I said, the weather has been pretty fallish lately. Some rain, but only enough to really settle the dust and keep me inside, so....videos.

 I discovered two that were pretty fascinating to me. Both were about the RAF's 617 Squadron. Now, Chanter Cognoscenti are going to quickly remember that 617 (pronounced Six-One-Seven, not Six-Seventeen, not sure why. Ask Sarge, he knows everything) are the "Dambusters".

 I first came to know their story via book and the movie, not sure which was first. It was when Dad was stationed at Webb. I mowed lawns for Pepsi and Cherry Pie money, and picked up a gig where I got to go to the Base Movie theater for free in exchange for mowing their lawn. That and the library were favorite haunts for my best friend Mike and I.

So when I saw this first video, I was intrigued.  It's part of a series on engineering and talks about how the attack on the dams was engineered.  It describes the process of figuring out how to destroy a dam in general, then engineering the bombs necessary to actually accomplish that.

I'm not trained in engineering, but I still found it educational.  YMMV.

And of course, once you watch one video on YouTube, all recommendations afterward are changed to reflect that video.

So, my eye was attracted to one entitled "What the Dambusters did next".   It is narrated by a retired RAF WSO (or whatever the RAF calls the backseater) who flew in GW-1 in a Tornado, was shot down and captured by Saddam's forces.  He tells an interesting story with some good footage and graphics to make the story a bit more understandable.   I'll embed the video, but it's over an hour long.  You might want to put a fresh pot of coffee on.  For those of you poor sods who have to go to work,  I'll run you through a short synopsis.

Having viewed the first video, I won't bore you with bouncing bomb stuff,  although having a very large bomb bounce off the water immediately (60 ft) below you several times had to be a wee bit sphincter tightening, no matter how fearless you may be.

The raid was lead by  Wing Commander Guy Gibson who, at the time, had over a hundred missions under his belt.  The "old man" as Wing Commanders are usually referred (behind their backs, of course) was 24 years old.  Yes, I re-read that a couple of times.  24!

Lancaster
Source

Another thing that I don't think I realized/remembered was the losses taken. Of the 19 Lancasters that launched, 8 were shot down with 53 aircrew killed and 3 taken prisoner.  Still 2 of the 3 dams attacked were destroyed and the last had minor damage.  Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross for the mission, and the squadron's reputation was established.  Unfortunately, Gibson will be killed later in the war, at age 26, with 170 combat missions under his belt. 

However, as my 4 star Army General and Former Roommate is fond of saying "Excellence is it's own punishment.",  the reputation must be maintained.

In September, the squadron is assigned to attack the Dortmund-Ems Canal.  The mission is planned to use a very similar attack profile as used against the dams.  But whereas, the dam mission (did I say that?)  profile had the bombers coming in over large lakes, thereby minimizing AAA (HISSSS!!), the canal didn't have that limitation.  Of the 8 bombers assigned, 5 were shot down, including Gibson's replacement.  Only very minimal damage was achieved in the attack.

So, in two raids, essentially the entire squadron has been shot down.  Most of the experienced aircrew have been lost and, at best , are POW's.  Morale is extremely low and there's discussion among themselves of being the "Suicide Squadron".

The new wing commander, Leonard Chesire, decides that the low level tactics being used regularly are counter-productive, and develops different tactics to identify and mark the target while minimizing exposure.  Essentially, he, himself, the wing commander,  will find the target and mark it with small incendiary bombs while the rest of the squadron is still approaching at altitude.  He tries this on a munitions factory in France, making several passes, to encourage the French civilians working there to take shelter before the attack commences.  The attack is a success.

Amazing what leading from the front can do for morale.

However, weapons delivery technology is still primitive (by my 1980's and '90s experiences) so the squadron is used as the test bed for several new weapons.  The primary weapon of choice for the squadron were a12,000 lb bomb code named "Tallboy" and it's bigger brother the 22,000 lb bomb code named "Grand Slam".  These bombs were specifically designed to be gyrostabilised in flight.  These were effectively used against a heavily fortified U-Boat production facility as well as a hypervelocity cannon site being built to attack London.

Tallboy, Only 12000 lbs Source

Grand Slam Source

In September 1944, the squadron is ordered to attack the German Battleship Tirpitz which is being repaired in a Fjord in very northern Norway.  617 squadron takes off from Scotland, threads their way across Norway between radar stations, lands in the Soviet Union, refuels and attacks the Tirpitz on their way home, using Tallboy bombs.  The bombs score a hit rendering her unseaworthy,  so she is moved to another Fjord for larger repairs.

This Fjord is within range of the Lancasters from Scotland.  In conjunction with another squadron (Number IX), at least two Tallboy's hit the ship, one, dropped by an American, hits dead center, another, from IX squadron, also hits the ship .  The latter is the bomb officially credited with sinking the ship.  Those are the highlighted missions in the video.

Throughout the war, 617 Squadron flew 1599 sorties losing 32 Aircraft.

Post war, the squadron flew Avro Lincolns, the Canberra, the Vulcan, and the Tornado.

Avro Lincoln

English Electric Canberra

Vulcan

Panavia Tornado

 It is currently flying the F-35B.

Source for the Aircraft Pictures

Good on ya', Lads


So...if you've got an hour and change, this is actually pretty interesting.