The daring attack on 16-17 May 1943 by 19 Avro Lancasters of 617 Squadron on the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams had all the ingredients of a classic war story – a miracle weapon, an eceentric inventor, a secret squadron formed from the very best crews the RAF could muster, and a clutch of seemingly unassailable targets in Germany. Success would almost certainly alter the course of the war, but the final result was a pyrrhic victory. Jonathan Falconer tells the story of Operation Chastise’ – from the inspired development of Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bomb and the specialist planning of the raid, to the intensive training of 617 Squadron’s aircrew and the daring attack itself. He reviews the aftermath of the operation and tells how overnight the men of 617 Squadron became the most decorated aircrew in the RAF. The story includes a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes at the making of Michael Anderson’s classic film The Dam Busters.