Matt Halstead
New member
I haven't posted for a while.
The Last British Dam Buster, George 'Johnny' Johnson
...McCarthy's plane was on its own when it arrived over the Sorpe Dam at 00:15 hours, and realised the approach was even more difficult than expected. The flight path led over a church steeple in the village of Langscheid, located on the hillcrest overlooking the dam. As the bomber only had seconds to pull up to avoid hitting the hillside at the other end of the dam, the bomb aimer, George Johnson, had no time to correct the bomb's height and heading.
McCarthy made nine attempted bombing runs before Johnson was satisfied. The 'Upkeep' bomb was dropped on the TENTH run.
53 of the 133 aircrew who participated in the attack were killed, a casualty rate of almost 40 percent. Johnny Johnson was one of the lucky ones.
"I've had an odd life, but one thing I have to say, is that I've been lucky"
Johnny Johnson, 23 April, 2016
The Last British Dam Buster, George 'Johnny' Johnson
...McCarthy's plane was on its own when it arrived over the Sorpe Dam at 00:15 hours, and realised the approach was even more difficult than expected. The flight path led over a church steeple in the village of Langscheid, located on the hillcrest overlooking the dam. As the bomber only had seconds to pull up to avoid hitting the hillside at the other end of the dam, the bomb aimer, George Johnson, had no time to correct the bomb's height and heading.
McCarthy made nine attempted bombing runs before Johnson was satisfied. The 'Upkeep' bomb was dropped on the TENTH run.
53 of the 133 aircrew who participated in the attack were killed, a casualty rate of almost 40 percent. Johnny Johnson was one of the lucky ones.
"I've had an odd life, but one thing I have to say, is that I've been lucky"
Johnny Johnson, 23 April, 2016