Summary
In 1943, a squadron of Lancaster bombers staged one of the most audacious raids in history. Seventy years on, a team of experts attempt to recreate the 'bouncing bomb' hit on a dam.
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The Dambusters
- Season 1
- 3 episodes
- History
- Documentary and factual
Episode 1: A Daring Plan
Summary
Three-part documentary in which Dan Snow relives the famous 1943 bombing raid to destroy German dams. The first episode focuses on the recruitment and training of the airmen for the mission, with Commander Guy Gibson given just eight weeks to put together a crew able to fly at low altitudes at night, as well as the development of the bouncing bomb
Review
Historian Dan Snow does an excellent job of telling, during the next three nights, one of the most stirring of all war stories — that of the Dambusters’ raid.
In the opening episode, Snow strides around Lincolnshire airfields as he reveals the inception of what would later become 617 Squadron, doubtless the most famous RAF squadron of all time.
Its leader was Guy Gibson, a brave, no-nonsense man of action although, as Max Hastings points out, “a lot of the men who served under Gibson hated his guts”. With a hand-picked team, and surrounded by thick secrecy, Gibson began to practice for his mission.
Flying huge Lancaster bombers dangerously low and using Barnes Wallis’s revolutionary bouncing bombs, the team was to destroy a German dam and cripple the enemy’s key industrial region.
How to watch
Next showing
There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming providers below.
Streaming
❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more)
Details
- Languages
- Formats
- Colour
Credits
Crew
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Dan Snow |
| Executive producer | Neil Breakwell |
| Series director | Jamie Simpson |
| Series producer | Mark Dolan |
All episodes
Episode 1
A Daring Plan
Summary
Three-part documentary in which Dan Snow relives the famous 1943 bombing raid to destroy German dams. The first episode focuses on the recruitment and training of the airmen for the mission, with Commander Guy Gibson given just eight weeks to put together a crew able to fly at low altitudes at night, as well as the development of the bouncing bombReview
Historian Dan Snow does an excellent job of telling, during the next three nights, one of the most stirring of all war stories — that of the Dambusters’ raid.
In the opening episode, Snow strides around Lincolnshire airfields as he reveals the inception of what would later become 617 Squadron, doubtless the most famous RAF squadron of all time.
Its leader was Guy Gibson, a brave, no-nonsense man of action although, as Max Hastings points out, “a lot of the men who served under Gibson hated his guts”. With a hand-picked team, and surrounded by thick secrecy, Gibson began to practice for his mission.
Flying huge Lancaster bombers dangerously low and using Barnes Wallis’s revolutionary bouncing bombs, the team was to destroy a German dam and cripple the enemy’s key industrial region.
How to watch
Next showing
There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming providers below.
Streaming
❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more)Details
- Languages
- Formats
- Colour
Credits
Crew
role name Presenter Dan Snow Executive producer Neil Breakwell Series director Jamie Simpson Series producer Mark Dolan
How to watch
Next showing
There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming providers below.
