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No Way Back by Ivan Berryman. Despite crippling damage to their Lancaster ED925 (G), the crew of AJ-M continued to press home their attack on the Mohne Dam on the night of 16th/17th May 1943. With both port engines ablaze, Flt Lt J V Hopgood forced his blazing aircraft on, releasing the Upkeep bomb just precious seconds too late to strike the dam, the mine instead bouncing over the wall and onto the power station below with devastating results. ED925 attempted to recover from the maelstrom, but the fuel fire was too intense and the aircraft was tragically lost, just two of her crew managing to escape the impact to spend the rest of the war as PoWs. |
Chadwick's Masterpiece by Ivan Berryman. When Roy Chadwick first drew the Avro 679 Manchester bomber for the RAF, he could little have known that from this rather lacklustre machine would evolve the classic 683 Lancaster. This painting is not a record of any single event in the Lancaster's illustrious history, rather a portrait of a fine aeroplane and a tribute to the many crews who flew and serviced them. |
Goner 78A - The Dambusters Raid by Tim Fisher. The fourth attack on the Mohne Dam led by Sqd Ldr H M Young, piloting AJ-A (ED877/G) In the background to his starboard side is Flt Lt H B Martin, flying AJ-P (ED909/G) who was drawing fire away from the attacking aircraft by flashing his identification lights and turning on the spotlight altitude indicators. Wing Cdr G P Gibsons aircraft is out of sight, engaging enemy fire at the far side of the dam wall. The bomb was observed to make three good bounces and exploded on contact exactly as Barnes Wallis had planned, generating a vast column of water. Although it was not obvious at that instant, this was the attack which succeeded in breaching the dam. However, it was not until the next attack by Flt D J H Maltby that it was realised that the dam was crumbling. The code word sent out by Young signified; Goner (bomb released) 7 (exploded in contact with the dam) 8 (no apparent breach) A (Mohne dam) Youngs aircraft was lost with all lives on its return to Scampton possibly around 02.58 near Castricum-ann-Zee, north of Ijmuiden. |
Well on the Way to Make History - the Dambusters by David Pentland. The most famous raid of the second world war, the audacious Dambusters raid by Lancasters of No.617 Sqn was to wreak havoc in Germanys industrial heartland. Two dams will be destroyed on the raid - the Mohne and the Eder, flooding the valleys below and stopping production in their factories, providing an immeasurable morale boost for those back home. Here, two of the modified bombers pass windmills on the Dutch canals as they make their way to the first target, their almighty roar shattering the stillness and disturbing some of the local wildlife. As they approach Germany in the moonlight, the bombers are well on the way to make history. |
Topping Up by David Pentland. Lancaster of 617 Sqn refueling at Scampton, May 1943, in preparation for Operation Chastise. |
Raining Fire by Ivan Berryman. Flying impossibly low en route to the Sorpe Dam on the night of 16th/17th May 1943 as part of Operation Chastise, Flight Sergeant Ken Brown's Lancaster ED918(G) encountered a number of German trains. On three occasions, AJ-F's nose and tail gunners (Sgt D Allaston, front and F/Sgt G S MacDonald, rear) opened fire, pouring shells and hot tracer rounds into the lumbering locomotive and its rolling stock, wreaking havoc along the way. ED918(G) eventually arrived at the Sorpe Dam at 3.00am where it successfully released its Upkeep bomb, but without breaching the dam. Brown and his crew returned safely, their aircraft riddled with holes, perhaps partially due to their route home taking them over the breached Mohne Dam, where they briefly exchanged gunfire with the German batteries there. |
Prelude by Geoffrey R Herickx. No text for this item |
Target Peenemunde by Robert Taylor. On the evening of 17th August 1943, a total of 596 aircraft of RAF Bomber Command, spearheaded by the Pathfinder Force, set out on what called for, and what became, the most precise bombing raid of the war. Success was vital. The target was a secluded research establishment near the remote Baltic town of Peenemunde. There, a group of top German scientists were developing the V-2 rocket projectile, with which Hitler hoped to devastate London and other major English cities. When Allied Intelligence discovered the plan, the RAF was allotted the task of destroying the installation at Peenemunde, whatever the cost. Brilliantly navigated in darkness right over the target, the masterbombers aircraft, seen in the forefront of this painting, made nine dangerous passes over the target, directing operations. During the next 55 minutes Hitlers secret weapon establishment was almost totally destroyed by the bomber crews that followed his directions. The raid was completed with great gallantry but at heavy cost, and is today remembered as one of the greatest achievements of the RAF. The painting shows Lancasters of No. 83 Squadron Pathfinder Force as they climb out over the east coast of England en-route for Peenemunde on the warm summer evening of 17th August, 1943. |
Avro Lancaster Mk III ND845 MG-C. by M A Kinnear. Aircraft History: ND845 was one of 600 Mk III Lancasters delivered to the RAF from December 1943 to May 1944 by A V Roe (Chadderton) Delivered to No.7 Squadron, it was lost on the night of 19th/20th May 1944, whilst acting as Master Bomber on a raid against the railway marshalling yards at Le Mans. It is believed it was in collision with another No.7 Squadron Lancaster JB653 (MG - R) piloted by Squadron Leader J M Dennis - the Deputy Master Bomber. There were no survivors from either crew. Wing Commander James Fraser Barron, DSO, DFC, DFM: Born on 9th January 1921 in Dunedin, New Zealand, James Fraser Barron commenced training in the RNZAF on 2nd July 1940. Following his qualification as a Sergeant pilot, he arrived in the UK and was selected for bomber training and after leaving No.20 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lossiemouth - where Barron and his crew survived a ditching in a Wellington- they were posted to Short Stirling equipped No.15 Squadron at RAF Wyton, completing his first tour. Posted to No.1651 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach as an instructor he was commissioned as Pilot Officer in March 1942 and in May 1942 was awarded the DFM for his service with No.15 squadron. During this period he managed to take part in further sorties including the One Thousand Bomber Raids against Cologne, Essen and Bremen. In September 1942, Barron joined No.7 squadron, flying 16 sorties on this tour - during which he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant, followed in December 1942 by the award of his Path Finder Force badge. At the end of his tour in February 1943, he was awarded the DFC and a fortnight later his first DSO. He was then posted to No.11 OTU, Wescott. Tiring of the training environment, Fraser Barron eventually persuaded Hamish Mahaddie (at one time his flight commander) to approve his return to operations - an approval regretted by Hamish. Fraser rejoined the now Lancaster equipped No.7 Squadron in December 1943, which was for Bomber Command a period of heavy losses. Fraser took part in several sorties including on the night of 19th/20th February 1944, the Leipzig raid - during which the RAF lost 78 bombers. He was promoted to Wing Commander in February 1944 and on 28th April was appointed C.O. of No.7 Squadron. Fraser and his crew were now often used as Master Bomber to control bomber attacks and for one such attack on Nantes on 7th May 1944 he was awarded the bar to his DSO. On the night of 19th/20th May 1944, whilst on his third tour - his 79th sortie in all, Fraser Barron and his crew were lost during a raid against the railway marshalling yards at Le Mans. He was twenty three years old. |
Tribute to the 617 Sqn Dambusters Crew of Lancaster AJ-N by David Pentland. The image shows Lancaster AJ-N pulling away after its successful breach of the Eder dam. Alongside is the portrait of AJ-N pilot Plt Off L J Knight. This aircraft was the third aircraft to make the tricky attack on the Eder dam. Despite the approach being made difficult by the terrain, AJ-N successfully breached the Eder dam with its bomb, and returned home safely. Crew of N for Nan : Pilot : Plt Off L J Knight Flight Engineer : Sgt R E Grayston Navigator : Flg Off H S Hobday Wireless Operator : Flt Sgt R G T Kellow Bomb Aimer : Flg Off E C Johnson Front Gunner : Sgt F E Sutherland Rear Gunner : Sgt H E O'Brien. |
Home in Time for Tea by Ivan Berryman. (PC) An Avro Lancaster heads west as the sun begins to set, a daylight mission complete as it returns to its home airfield. |
'O' Safe Home by Ivan Berryman. Bill Townsend's Lancaster O for Orange, returns safely on the morning of 17th May 1943 after the success of the daring raids on the dams of the Ruhr Valley. |
Off Duty Lancaster at Rest by Gerald Coulson. an all time classic image of the Lancaster bomber of Bomber ommand being prepared by the RAF ground crew. The ground crew showed their expertise and commitment in keeping these superb bombers ready and in top condition in all weather. In this atmospheric classic image, Gerald Coulson shows the gorund crew preparing the Lancaster, a great stalwart of Bomber Command during the second world war. A superb partner painting to the other classic Gerald Coulson image, Outbound lancaster. |
Sinking the Tirpitz by Nicolas Trudgian. Throughout four long years of war Allied air and naval forces endeavoured to sink the German battleship Tirpitz. The mighty warship was a constant threat to Allied shipping, even while lying at anchor in her lair among the fjords of Norway. Her very presence demanded constant attention and hampered all naval decision making till she was sunk at the end of 1944. Without so much as weighing anchor, Tirpitz could disrupt the north Atlantic convoys by tying up urgently needed escort vessels in readiness in case she made a run for the open sea. Churchill was exasperated and called upon RAF Bomber Command to make a decisive bid to finish her off once and for all. On November 12, 1944 Lancasters of Number 9 and 617 Squadrons set forth towards the Norwegian fjord of Tromso where Tirpitz lay at anchor surrounded by a web of protective submarine nets. Armed with the 12,000lb Tallboy bomb devised by Barnes Wallis, the Lancaster crews arrived in clear skies overhead the fjord to see the great battleship sharply contrasted against the still deep waters some 10,000ft below. As flak from the ships heavy armament burst all around them, one by one the 31 Lancasters rolled in for the attack. In a matter of three minutes the devastating aerial bombardment was completed, and eleven minutes later, her port side ripped open, the Tirpitz capsized and sank. The Coup de Grace was complete. Published 2000. |
The Dambusters - Last Moments of the Möhne Dam by Robert Taylor. As they cleared the surrounding hills the valley unfolded to reveal the black waters of the lake glistening in the crystal clear moonlight. And then, away in the distance, they saw the target they had come to destroy - the Möhne Dam. The largest dam in Europe, the fortress-like walls of Möhne held back nearly 140 million cubic metres of water essential to the industry and factories of the Ruhr. The Air Ministry had long ago decided that if the Möhne dam, and the two other major Ruhr dams - the Eder and Sorpe - were destroyed, it could deliver a massive blow to the Nazi war machine. But cracking open the mighty dams would require exceptional flying skills; and so, on 21 March 1943, a new squadron was formed specifically for the task, the only time this ever happened in Bomber Command. Known as 617 Squadron and led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, it was not only the squadron that was unique, so was the weapon they would be using - Upkeep - a cylindrical, hydrostatic 'bouncing' bomb. The brainchild of Barnes Wallis, Upkeep was designed to skip across the surface of the water, sink against the dam's massive wall, and explode with enormous force at a precise depth. In Robert Taylor's sensational new painting Guy Gibson and Mick Martin draw the enemy's fire as 'Dinghy' Young clears the dam's parapet seconds after releasing his bomb. A few moments later Young's bomb will successfully detonate against the dam leaving it mortally wounded allowing David Maltby in AJ-J to finish the task. With the Möhne Dam breached Gibson, with the remaining crews, will turn south to repeat the operation at the Eder Dam. |
Berlin Boar Fight by Anthony Saunders. On the night of 23/24 August 1943, a lone Fw190 of the Luftwaffe's crack unit JG300 Wilde Sau, defiantly engages a force of RAF Lancasters in the heavily defended, flak-torn skies over Berlin. With the heavy bombers illuminated by bursting flak and the fires of the burning city below, the Luftwaffe pilot engages his target, just one of over 700 RAF long-range bombers thrown into the assault that night. It was the opening salvo to the Battle of Berlin, the long and bitter aerial offensive against Hitler's seat of power that would rage throughout the winter to follow. From November 1943 till March 1944 RAF Bomber Command would make 16 massed attacks on Berlin. When the battle was over, the capital of the Third Reich lay shattered and in ruin, but the crews of RAF Bomber Command had paid a heavy price - 492 aircraft failed to return. |
Dambusters - The Morning After by Gerald Coulson. Just after midnight, on the night of 16/17 May 1943, Lancaster crews of 617 Squadron undertook what was to become the most remarkable and probably best remembered air raid of the Second World War. Flying all the way from their base in England in darkness at tree-top height, with just the light of the moon to guide them, the specially selected crews made a surprise attack on the mighty hydro-electric dams in the Ruhr. Flying specially modified aircraft, each Lancaster was equipped with the unique cylindrical hydro-statically detonated bomb as conceived by Barnes Wallis. This huge device when released from the aircraft flying at exactly 230mph and at the precise height of 60 ft spun onto the surface of the water. To achieve the critical height above the water at moment of release, two beams of light, from front and aft, were projected from the aircraft on to the surface of the water, creating a neat figure-of-eight on the surface below. As each bomb bounced across the water towards its target, it struck the dam wall, sank to the pre-set depth, and exploded. The results were devastating. Led by the mercurial Squadron Leader Guy Gibson, ignoring furious defensive gunfire while flying perilously close to the water, each crew made their precision run at the target, released their deadly bomb, and those lucky enough to survive the barrage of tracer shells and anti-aircraft fire, escaped into the darkness. Not all of them did. In the space of those few, highly charged minutes, the Lancaster crews of 617 Squadron wrote their names into history. Sixty-four years on, the memory of their exploits and the courage displayed by the crews on that historic raid, together with the genius of Bames Wallis, remain undimmed. Gerald Coulsons painting shows a single Lancaster of 617 Squadron, one of the lucky ones having made it safely back to base, proudly standing alone as if in tribute to those that didn't return. |
Gibson VC by Graeme Lothian. The night of the 16th May 1943 saw 19 modified Lancasters of the specially formed 617 squadron set out to breach the Ennepe, Eder, Mohne and Sorpe dams in Westphalia, Germany. The mission was led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson DSO, DFC. Gibsons Lancaster can be seen in the foreground with lights full on to draw enemy fire, as is Mick Martins Lancaster on the far side protecting Dinghy Young, who has dropped his bouncing bomb and is flying through a hail of defensive gunfire. He scored a direct hit, and his was the decisive bomb that breached the Mohne Dam. Of the 19 Lancasters who set out, 5 received damage from enemy defences, 6 returned unscathed and 8 failed to return. Operation Chastise was a huge success especially for the countries morale. 58 decorations were awarded for the raid including a Victoria Cross for Gibson. The squadron were known thereafter as the Dambusters. |
Determined to the Last by Ivan Berryman. (GS) The Lancaster B MkIII of Flt Lt J V Hopgood was the second aircraft to make an attempt at breaching the Mohne Dam on the night of 16/17th of May 1943, ED925(G) (AJ-M) encountering intense flak and 20mm fire from the shore and from the towers of the dam itself. Just moments from the release of the Upkeep bomb, both of Hopgood's port engines took direct hits and burst into flames as other rounds ripped through the starboard wing. Despite these fatal strikes, the brave crew pressed home their attack, but released their bomb just seconds too late to be effective. The bomb bounced over the dam wall, landing on the power station below where it exploded with devastating results. With blazing fuel now engulfing the wing of his crippled aircraft, Hopgood climbed to about 500ft where the wing failed, sending ED925 into a dive from which it would never recover. By jumping clear just moments before impact, two of her crew survived to become prisoners of war. |
Operation Chastise - The Night They Broke the Dams by Ivan Berryman. Guy Gibsons Lancaster having unsuccessfully dropped its bomb, draws enemy fire from the aircraft of Sqn Ldr Young as his bomb explodes spectacularly on the Mohne Dam during the audacious Dams Raids of 16th/17th May 1943. |
Heading into Darkness by Adrian Rigby The Lancaster was the most successful bomber of the RAF, being both versatile and capable of withstanding consierable damage. In todays world, we often question the purpose and objectives which Bomber Command set, but despite thie, we must never forget the enduring courage of the aircrews, many of which never returned. This painting shows the Lancasters of No.619 Sqn forming up over the Lincolnshire coast and gaining altitude after leaving their base at Coningsby. The last rays of the sun pick out the scratches and stains of this faithful workhorse as its crew sets course for the target ahead. |
Lancaster The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' "Operation Gomorrah" in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992. |
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