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The Dam Busters
" The producers wish to acknowledge the extensive facilities accorded by the Air Ministry and by members of the Royal Air Force, also the valuable help received from Messrs. A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd. They wish also to record their appreciation of the approval willingly given to the telling of this story by all those represented in it and by the next of kin of the many members of 617 Squadron who, from this or later operations, did not return. "
— Opening captions
Spring 1942 : Aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis is struggling to develop a means of attacking Germany's Ruhr Dams in the hope of crippling German heavy industry. Working for the Ministry of Aircraft Production, as well as his own job at Vickers, he works feverishly to make practical his theory of a bouncing bomb which would skip over the water to avoid protective torpedo nets. When it hit the dam, backspin would make it sink while retaining contact with the wall, making the explosion far more destructive. Wallis calculates that the aircraft will have to fly extremely low (150 feet (46 m)) to enable the bombs to skip over the water correctly, but when he takes his conclusions to the Ministry, he is told that lack of production capacity means they cannot go ahead with his proposals. Frustrated, Wallis secures an interview with Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris, the head of RAF Bomber Command, who at first is reluctant to take the idea seriously. Eventually, however, he is convinced and takes the idea to the Prime Minister, who authorises the project.
Bomber Command forms a special squadron of Lancaster bombers, 617 Squadron, to be commanded by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, and tasked to fly the mission. He recruits experienced crews, especially those with low-altitude flight experience. While they train for the mission, Wallis continues his development of the bomb but has problems, such as the bomb breaking apart upon hitting the water. This requires the drop altitude to be reduced to 60 feet (18 m). With only a few weeks to go, he is ultimately successful in fixing the problems as the deadline for the mission approaches.
On 16 May 1943, the bombers attack the Ruhr Dams. Eight Lancasters and 56 men are lost, but the Möhne and Edersee dams are breached, causing catastrophic flooding. Wallis is deeply affected by the loss of the crewmen, but Gibson stresses the squadron knew the risks they were facing but they went in nevertheless. Wallis asks if Gibson will get some sleep; Gibson says that he has to write letters first to the dead airmens' next of kin.