On 17th May 1943 RAF 617 Squadron became heroes of WW2
“The bombs themselves were invented specifically for the task by the aircraft engineer Dr Barnes Wallis, the designer of the Wellington bomber.
They were barrel-shaped, and used the principle of a ‘ducks and drakes’ stone bouncing on the water to bypass the defences around the dams.
The Lancaster bombers flown by 617 Squadron were extensively modified, and the crews trained to fly at less than 100ft (30.48m) above the water, the height required to drop the bombs successfully.
Eight of the original 19 Lancaster bombers were damaged or shot down, and of the 133 aircrew, 53 were killed and three captured.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/17/newsid_3623000/3623223.stm
THE FILM RELEASED IN 1955
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046889
