The Dambusters: 80 years on from the legendary Second World War raid

The intertwining of science and propaganda, carried on the back of a remarkably audacious attack into the heart of Germany, means Operation Chastise holds a singular place in the British national consciousness, writes Mick O’Hare

Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC with members of 617 squadron (Keystone/Getty)

His Lancaster was flying low over the water, at an almost impossible angle to its intended target. On the 10th and final attempt bomb-aimer George “Johnny” Johnson released the weapon. It struck the Sorpe Dam dead centre, exploding behind the earthen dam wall exactly as intended. But the structure remained intact as the aircraft soared upwards, narrowly avoiding a nearby church steeple.

Johnny Johnson MBE was the last of the Dambusters. He died on 7 December 2022, aged 101, the final survivor of the most daring of Second World War operations. Although his strike was unsuccessful, two other dams deep in Nazi Germany’s industrial heartland were breached that night in 1943. It was the first time the RAF’s most secret weapon had been deployed. The “bouncing bomb” had lived up to its name and had worked perfectly.

Johnson and his RAF comrades were immortalised in the eponymous movie released in 1955, starring Richard Todd as Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the mission’s commanding officer. If, inexplicably, you’ve never seen the film, you’ll almost certainly know its title theme.