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‘Après moi, le déluge …’

King Louis XV’s last words became the motto of the most famous bomber squadron in history – 617 Squadron RAF – the Dambusters. Their role in Operation Chastise – the attack on the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams at the heart of the industrial Ruhr valley on 17 May 1943 – has been celebrated in print and on screen for more than seventy years. But what 617 Squadron did in the aftermath of this iconic raid is far less well known.

617 Squadron was a specialist squadron, formed from some of the RAF’s most brilliant and experienced aircrews for one specific task: breaching the dams. However, British commanders were soon finding other targets for their elite Dambusting squadron, and it was to play the lead role in a series of much less well-known but almost equally eye-catching attacks that destroyed some of the Nazis’ most deadly weapons and wrecked key parts of Germany’s industrial infrastructure.

617 Squadron’s devastating raids caught the imagination, raised the morale of the British public and made headlines around the world. More important, they also helped to tip the balance of hostilities in the Allies’ favour, saved countless thousands of lives and arguably contributed to shortening the war.