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| Dambusters Derwent flypast on 70th anniversary of raid | Dambusters Derwent flypast on 70th anniversary of raid |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Lancaster bomber has performed a flypast over Derwent reservoir, 70 years on from the historic World War II raid on German dams. | A Lancaster bomber has performed a flypast over Derwent reservoir, 70 years on from the historic World War II raid on German dams. |
| Hundreds of onlookers gathered near the dam - one of the practice sites pilots used ahead of their top-secret mission. | Hundreds of onlookers gathered near the dam - one of the practice sites pilots used ahead of their top-secret mission. |
| More than a third of the men never returned from the raids, which required them to fly 60ft above ground. | More than a third of the men never returned from the raids, which required them to fly 60ft above ground. |
| The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and 617 Squadron flew over the dam in Derbyshire's Hope Valley. | The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and 617 Squadron flew over the dam in Derbyshire's Hope Valley. |
| Only three of the 133-strong squadron are still alive. Ninety-four-year-old Les Munro is the only surviving pilot. | Only three of the 133-strong squadron are still alive. Ninety-four-year-old Les Munro is the only surviving pilot. |
| More than 1,300 people were killed when the bombs hit German dams and flooded the Ruhr valley. | More than 1,300 people were killed when the bombs hit German dams and flooded the Ruhr valley. |
| 'Sacrifice' | 'Sacrifice' |
| The flypast was one of a number of events taking place around the country on Thursday to mark the raids of 16-17 May 1943. | The flypast was one of a number of events taking place around the country on Thursday to mark the raids of 16-17 May 1943. |
| At the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, more than 10,500 crests with messages of support were planted at the site's Armed Forces Memorial. | At the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, more than 10,500 crests with messages of support were planted at the site's Armed Forces Memorial. |
| Two thousand people turned up to the temporary tribute. | Two thousand people turned up to the temporary tribute. |
| And at RAF Scampton near Lincoln, where 70 years ago the bomber pilots took off on their mission, there was a sunset ceremony and another memorial flypast, broadcast live on BBC2 from 19:00 BST. | |
| Throughout the day, the RAF was live tweeting the original wireless telegraphy signals from the raid, with the final one reading: "06:15 Townsend's Lancaster AJ-O landing at RAF Scampton the last aircraft to return safely. Operation Chastise is over." | Throughout the day, the RAF was live tweeting the original wireless telegraphy signals from the raid, with the final one reading: "06:15 Townsend's Lancaster AJ-O landing at RAF Scampton the last aircraft to return safely. Operation Chastise is over." |
| An exhibition and talk is also being held in Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan, the hometown of a crew member Gordon Yeo, who died in 1943, and on Friday events are taking place at the Eder Dam in Germany. | An exhibition and talk is also being held in Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan, the hometown of a crew member Gordon Yeo, who died in 1943, and on Friday events are taking place at the Eder Dam in Germany. |
| "I think events like this make us remember the sacrifice those young lads made during the raid, said 66-year-old well-wisher Roy Taylor. | "I think events like this make us remember the sacrifice those young lads made during the raid, said 66-year-old well-wisher Roy Taylor. |
| "They never got the recognition they deserved I don't think." | "They never got the recognition they deserved I don't think." |
| The Dambusters raid was carried out by 133 airmen, flying 19 Lancaster bombers armed with the "bouncing bombs" designed by Sir Barnes Wallis. | The Dambusters raid was carried out by 133 airmen, flying 19 Lancaster bombers armed with the "bouncing bombs" designed by Sir Barnes Wallis. |
| Dr Wallis's daughter described him as a "man of peace" but said he acted out of a sense of patriotic duty. | Dr Wallis's daughter described him as a "man of peace" but said he acted out of a sense of patriotic duty. |
| "He was not a man of war and that is often not, I think, properly understood," Mary Stopes-Roe told the BBC. "But if you have to defend something you have to defend it and that's it, you do your duty." | "He was not a man of war and that is often not, I think, properly understood," Mary Stopes-Roe told the BBC. "But if you have to defend something you have to defend it and that's it, you do your duty." |
| He was "devastated" when he heard how many airmen had been lost, she said. | He was "devastated" when he heard how many airmen had been lost, she said. |
| 'Very successful' | 'Very successful' |
| Compared to today's pilots, who must fly 250ft above ground, they flew incredibly low at 60ft. They also had to fly in the dark for the night-time raids. | Compared to today's pilots, who must fly 250ft above ground, they flew incredibly low at 60ft. They also had to fly in the dark for the night-time raids. |
| They flew so low, according to historian Dan Snow, that one hit the sea, tearing off the bomb carried by the plane. Another flew into high voltage electricity cables and was engulfed in flames. | They flew so low, according to historian Dan Snow, that one hit the sea, tearing off the bomb carried by the plane. Another flew into high voltage electricity cables and was engulfed in flames. |
| Codenamed Operation Chastise, 56 of the men who took off on the mission did not return. | Codenamed Operation Chastise, 56 of the men who took off on the mission did not return. |
| Out of 19 bombers, eight were shot down. Three men were captured and 53 were killed. | Out of 19 bombers, eight were shot down. Three men were captured and 53 were killed. |
| Eight-year-old Jack Porter, who travelled with his father from Manchester to watch the flypast, said: "I can't believe they flew so low in the dark. They were very brave. | Eight-year-old Jack Porter, who travelled with his father from Manchester to watch the flypast, said: "I can't believe they flew so low in the dark. They were very brave. |
| "It was brilliant to see the Lancaster today." | "It was brilliant to see the Lancaster today." |
| The military impact of the Dambusters raid, immortalised in a 1955 film starring Michael Redgrave, has been disputed. | The military impact of the Dambusters raid, immortalised in a 1955 film starring Michael Redgrave, has been disputed. |
| But Clive Rowley, a former commanding officer of the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, said it was an economic disaster for Hitler's Germany. | But Clive Rowley, a former commanding officer of the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, said it was an economic disaster for Hitler's Germany. |
| "In that sense it was truly militarily important, strategically important, and I think that is more modern research that has uncovered that and hasn't been widely recognised until now." | "In that sense it was truly militarily important, strategically important, and I think that is more modern research that has uncovered that and hasn't been widely recognised until now." |
| The mission's last surviving pilot, Les Munro, told the BBC: "I believe from an operational point of view they were very successful. They had achieved the two major primary targets." | The mission's last surviving pilot, Les Munro, told the BBC: "I believe from an operational point of view they were very successful. They had achieved the two major primary targets." |
| Squadron 617's bombs breached the Mohne and Eder dams, while the Sorpe dam was damaged. | Squadron 617's bombs breached the Mohne and Eder dams, while the Sorpe dam was damaged. |
| Writing for the BBC news website, Dan Snow said: "No raid mounted by so few aircraft had ever caused such extensive material damage. | Writing for the BBC news website, Dan Snow said: "No raid mounted by so few aircraft had ever caused such extensive material damage. |
| "It did not bring German war production to a permanent halt, but nobody had expected it to." | "It did not bring German war production to a permanent halt, but nobody had expected it to." |
| Canadian rear gunner Fred Sutherland, 89, and 91-year-old Squadron Leader George 'Johnny' Johnson are the only other two surviving members of 617 Squadron. | Canadian rear gunner Fred Sutherland, 89, and 91-year-old Squadron Leader George 'Johnny' Johnson are the only other two surviving members of 617 Squadron. |
| Of more than 7,000 Lancaster bombers built, only two airworthy planes remain in existence. | Of more than 7,000 Lancaster bombers built, only two airworthy planes remain in existence. |