The story
THE DAMS RAID
617 Squadron was formed by Wing Commander Guy Gibson on
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13 Venturas bombed Caen airfield without loss.
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Minor Operations
3 Mosquitoes to Munich, 6 aircraft minelaying off La Pallice. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.
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. Retained as a precision-bombing squadron after the Dams Raid and flew Lancasters, Mosquitoes and Mustangs from Scampton, Coningsby and Woodhall Spa until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
100 bombing raids and the eve of D-Day 'spoof' raid were carried out.
Sorties and Losses
Lancasters - 1,478 sorties, 32 aircraft lost (2.2 percent)
Mosquitoes - 75 sorties, no losses
Mustangs - 6 sorties, no losses
Total - 1,599 sorties, 32 aircraft lost (2.1 percent)
12 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Victoria Crosses:
Wing Commander G. P. Gibson, D.S.O., D.F.C., The Dams Raid,
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. (Wing Commander Gibson was killed in action on
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.