Dambuster Lancaster Bomb -aimers window

A practice 'Upkeep' weapon attached to the bomb bay of Wing Commander Guy Gibson's Avro Type 464 (Provisioning) Lancaster, ED932/G 'AJ-G', at Manston, Kent, while conducting dropping trials off Reculver.



No. 617 Squadron practice dropping the 'Upkeep' weapon at Reculver bombing range, Kent. Second launch sequence (5): a group of observers watches as the bomb bounces toward the shoreline. Dr Barnes Wallis, on the extreme left of the group, can be seen urging the bomb on.



1942: Barnes Wallis using marbles in his garden to test Dambuster bouncing bomb idea.

You may also be interested to know that the Elvington Air Museum just outside of York has a genuine "Bouncing Bomb"

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There are a few Upkeep mines around; there's one at IWM Duxford and another concrete round outside the Petwood Hotel in Lincolnshire and I think, one at Brooklands, too. The RAF Museum has the contents of Wallis' office, including the sling device in tht picture Stug3 provided and had them placed in a mock up of his office. There was also a cutaway mock up of an Upkeep, I don't know if this is still on display.

A reconnaissance image of the Eder dam before raid.



The breach in the dam wall made by the bouncing bomb.



Another German picture of the breach in the dam.



Aerial reconnaissance (vertical) photograph showing the breach in the Mohne Dam caused by No 617 Squadron, Royal Air Force's raid on 16 May 1943. The Eder Dam was breached in the same operation by means of 'bouncing' bombs designed by Dr Barnes Wallis. This spectacular feat of precision bombing had tremendous propaganda value, although its practical effects were less great than some had hoped.



The breach in the Mohne Dam four hours after the Dambusters raid in May 1943.

And there's this one at the Newark Air Museum, with my mate Mick to give scale.