European Aviation History

After the attack on the Ruhr Dams, the second most famous achievement of 617 Squadron was the probably sinking of the German Battleship Tirpitz. By the time 617 was tasked with her destruction, she had withstood more than 30 other attacks by conventional bombers, dive-bombers, torpedo planes, and mini-submarines. But 617 Squadron also found the Tirpitz a tough nut to crack. It took them three tries.    The Tirpitz was the terror of the Royal Navy because she was the largest battleship ever launched by a European power. She possessed tremendous firepower in eight 15-inch, twelve 6-inch, 16 4-inch and 28 smaller calibre guns. Despite being heavily armored, she had a top speed of 30 knots -- faster than any British battleship. Clearly, if she got in among the convoys, she would wreck havoc, and the Royal Navy were determined to prevent that. From 1942 onwards, the Tirpitz was based in Norway, threatening the convoys that kept the Soviet Union supplied with the munitions and equi...

  It is extremely rare for an engineer to become a celebrity. Rulers and politicians, conquerors and prophets fill the history books. Explorers and adventurers sometime become famous, while artists, authors, musicians and actors occasionally gain widespread recognition or, in exceptional cases, superstar status. Yet engineers? Engineers are by nature modest and practical men (and women), more focused on the seemingly pedestrian problems of building practical things. Yet, the name of one engineer has been remembered for his contributions to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany:  Barnes Wallis While Wallis' fame can be traced back to the invention of the bouncing bombs used in the daring raid on the Ruhr Dams in May 1943 -- or more rather the popular 1955 film "The Dam Busters" that depicted that operation, Wallis was involved in many more innovative and successful projects. His curiosity and inventiveness encompassed a wide range of fields. According to the Barnes Wallis F...