Ruhr Dams Question

There was also the successful attack on the Kembs dam on the Rhine in October 1944, to prevent its being used as a weapon against the approaching allied ground forces.

That’s certainly another special raid worth mentioning. To be slightly pedantic, the Kembs ‘dam’ was actually a moveable barrier rather than a fixed dam, but it was still a significant structure.

I could never understand why ordinary bombs were not dropped while the reconstruction was taking place. Not necessarily a planned raid.
Even if crews had been ordered to drop any loads from aborted raids in the lakes it would have had an effect. Tidal waves?
mmitch.

There was also the successful attack on the Kembs dam on the Rhine in October 1944, to prevent its being used as a weapon against the approaching allied ground forces.

Very interesting, cheers for that. I wonder if any kiwis were involved in the No. 9 Squadron raid.

The later attack was carried out by 9 Sqn on October 15th 1944, both 9 and 617 squadrons were equipped with Tallboy Lancs by that time.

It’s worth mentioning that 617 had a crack with Tallboys at the Urft dam in December ’44, again without result despite 15 weapons being dropped and one direct hit being scored.

A good book on 617’s wartime exploits is “Dambusters in Focus” by Postlethwaite and Shortland, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Thanks Adler Tag, I never realised that Sorpe had been attacked later. I guess it was No. 617 Squadron again, any idea what the date of that attack was?

As far as I’m aware, no further attacks were launched on the dams whilst they were under repair, although the Sorpe was later attacked with Tallboys without significant result.

One Tallboy failed to detonate and had to be made safe by an RAF bomb disposal team in 1958.

http://www.rafbdhistory.co.uk/new_page_5.htm

No.