How the War was Won
One of the most interesting and intricate of World War II films, the Dambusters, is a testament to all the levels of a society coming together to outwit, outsmart and outfight the enemy.
War was not just a matter of dropping bombs, but the right kind of bombs at the right targets.
The Bouncing Bombs, as they were called, were the invention of the engineer Barnes Wallis, who thought they were the best way to burst various key German dams.
Basically, by bouncing the balls on the surface of the water, he would extend their range, get them to skip over protective nettings and land next to the dam wall, and reduce their weight considerably than if they were dropped right above the target.
This idea had already been put to use by Lord Nelson in earlier sea battles, who bounced his cannon balls across the waters to fire at enemy ships.
The Dambusters, also know as 617 Squadron, flew the elite Lancaster bombers under Wing Commander Gibson in a moonlit night to accomplish their mission.
It wasn’t just the fighting soldiers who won the War, but minds such as Willis’s were crucial to its success.
