Dam Busters: The Race to Smash the German Dams - BBC2 9pm
Discussion
Another documentarie on the Dam Busters story, not sure how much their is left to tell, but guess its worth a look.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0175nh1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0175nh1
You meant to say "YET another documentary".
Much as it is an iconic raid, I do wish that TV companies would pay a bit more attention to Bomber Command's much more extensive main campaign and some of the other special raids they carried out.
At least they looked at the Amiens Raid a couple of weeks ago.
Much as it is an iconic raid, I do wish that TV companies would pay a bit more attention to Bomber Command's much more extensive main campaign and some of the other special raids they carried out.
At least they looked at the Amiens Raid a couple of weeks ago.
The TV mag says it will show it to be a greater success than previously claimed. I work for an old steel mill situated in the first reasonably-sized town down river from the Möhnesee. The mill is located a good mile or so up the side of the Ruhr valley. Damage inflicted to industry there: zero. The only casualties there were the members of the public killed by the 10 foot high floodwater in the town centre.
In contrast to this, conventional bombing by both the RAF (1940) and USAAF (1943) destroyed large parts of the plant.
In contrast to this, conventional bombing by both the RAF (1940) and USAAF (1943) destroyed large parts of the plant.
The BBC and Channel 4 have done some good war documentaries of late. In a way I think its sadly to get the story of those that were actually there before the years catch up on those involded. No bad thing of course, just the surge of them and its meaning is quite sad.
Last weeks show with Paddy Ashdown on the Royal Marines Operation Frankton raid was quite good I thought. They then showed the film The Cockleshell Heroes on sunday, and it shows how the film idustry can destroy and a good true story with a lesser fictionalised film.
Having been lucky enough to have a taxy ride in Lancaster 'Just Jane' bomb aimers position in the summer, really quite looking forward to seeing tonights show. Think it will offer a new perspective.
Last weeks show with Paddy Ashdown on the Royal Marines Operation Frankton raid was quite good I thought. They then showed the film The Cockleshell Heroes on sunday, and it shows how the film idustry can destroy and a good true story with a lesser fictionalised film.
Having been lucky enough to have a taxy ride in Lancaster 'Just Jane' bomb aimers position in the summer, really quite looking forward to seeing tonights show. Think it will offer a new perspective.
This has been up for a few years now. You can read a German view of things.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/dambusters/lega...
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/dambusters/lega...
mybrainhurts said:
Wonder if they'll cover the recent discovery that Guy Gibson was killed when a Lancaster shot down his Mosquito over Holland?
I hadn't heard it was friendly fire - Gibson would have known that Lancs would open fire on anything twin engined assuming it was a German nightfghter. But of course he should never have been allowed back on ops.I believe the dams also regulated the water level in several canals and water courses used to shift materials.
It also set the scene for ideal users of the biggest bombs dropped. Non atomic that is. It set of a method for pin point delivery (for WWII) that was not there before.
Some of the images of the result of the other bombs Barns Wallace came up (they flew on the back of the Dams I have read) are a demonstrations in their own right of a tool applied correctly.
I know others were also trying to improve the use of the bomber and other methods were employed.
It also set the scene for ideal users of the biggest bombs dropped. Non atomic that is. It set of a method for pin point delivery (for WWII) that was not there before.
Some of the images of the result of the other bombs Barns Wallace came up (they flew on the back of the Dams I have read) are a demonstrations in their own right of a tool applied correctly.
I know others were also trying to improve the use of the bomber and other methods were employed.
I was hoping the BBC wouldn't pull the programme. Thankfully they didn't.
I hope they give James Holland a few more programmes of this type. I'd like him to have a look at a few other "mythical" stories from World War 2. Maybe he could do a review of the Frank Whittle story and blow some of the myths associated with that tale out of the water.
Holland has his own website and forum. It is a bit quiet but it might be worth making a few suggestions to him for future documentaries.
http://www.secondworldwarforum.com/
I hope they give James Holland a few more programmes of this type. I'd like him to have a look at a few other "mythical" stories from World War 2. Maybe he could do a review of the Frank Whittle story and blow some of the myths associated with that tale out of the water.
Holland has his own website and forum. It is a bit quiet but it might be worth making a few suggestions to him for future documentaries.
http://www.secondworldwarforum.com/
Try and catch his Battle of Britain documentary from last year. It was along similar lines with lots of personal letters and references to pilot log books, official documents etc. His approach is to go back to source documents (a proper historian's approach) and to skirt the mythology that has grown up around these events over the past 70 years. He makes presenters such as John Sargeant look a total amateur (which, from a historian point of view, Sargeant is).
I hope he gets more projects of this sort.
I hope he gets more projects of this sort.
I hadn't realised just how much effort the Germans had put into re-building the dams and the knock-on effect for the Atlantic Wall.
I've been to the Mohne Dam (you can just about make out the size of the hole that was blown in it), and it makes you think that Bloody Omaha would have been repeated x6 along the whole coast had the effort not been moved to repair the dams. Suddenly 53 lives doesn't seem quite such a high cost.
Respect to all.
I've been to the Mohne Dam (you can just about make out the size of the hole that was blown in it), and it makes you think that Bloody Omaha would have been repeated x6 along the whole coast had the effort not been moved to repair the dams. Suddenly 53 lives doesn't seem quite such a high cost.
Respect to all.
mrmaggit said:
I hadn't realised just how much effort the Germans had put into re-building the dams and the knock-on effect for the Atlantic Wall.
I've been to the Mohne Dam (you can just about make out the size of the hole that was blown in it), and it makes you think that Bloody Omaha would have been repeated x6 along the whole coast had the effort not been moved to repair the dams. Suddenly 53 lives doesn't seem quite such a high cost.
Respect to all.
Matches my thoughts on a very good program.I've been to the Mohne Dam (you can just about make out the size of the hole that was blown in it), and it makes you think that Bloody Omaha would have been repeated x6 along the whole coast had the effort not been moved to repair the dams. Suddenly 53 lives doesn't seem quite such a high cost.
Respect to all.
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