Leonard Cheshire proved to him that Bomber Command was capable of such attacks. Chastise and the later operations by 617 Sqdn. Harris was not convinced that his crews had the ability to attack the precision targets that would shortly be called for under the Pointblank Directive. To navigate, at low level over hostile territory at night: to rendezvous at a given time and place and then to attack at 60 feet, no higher or lower, shows the tremendous skills of the crews available to AM Sir Arthur Harris, AOC Bomber Command. On a separate note one of the things that Chastise did demonstrate was the superb skill of the crews of Bomber Command. One of the most tragic aspects of the deaths caused by the breach was the fact that a large number of those killed were in fact women from a Russian forced labour camp downstream of the Mohne dam.
But don't forget,as the saying was " Don't you know, there's a war on?" In war people get killed.
In the larger picture the loss of life is of course, to be regretted.
#How to attract blues monkey in my talking hank full#
The papers were full of what 617 Sqdn had done and in view of the state of the war at that time was a good reason for undertaking the operation. Secondly it boosted British morale at home. Thus boosting Britain's prestige with the American public. For one thing it enabled Churchill, in the USA at the time, to announce in a speech to Congress what the RAF had just achieved. No, although Chastise was of questionable tactical importance the strategic ramifications were huge. "They're remaking a film which celebrates a mission of questionable strategic significance." It's actually a really good submarine movie, and this Daily Mail faux patriotic hatred for it is just a bit pathetic in my opinion. He certainly didn't feel that U571 was an insult to him so why should anyone else? Now that was a brave act, but it is hardly a story you could make a film out of. Didn't happen since it was deserted, and a working enigma was recovered. He didn't know it was abandoned, and by his account was bricking it because he had to climb down a ladder (where he couldn't hold a weapon) and thought he was going to get shot in the process. Nothing hugely dramatic - depth charged to the surface and abandoned by her crew. The film not only acknowledges the British capture of the early enigma machines in its credits, the DVD has an interview with the RN chap who boarded the first U boat from which an enigma was recovered. Its a made up adventure, made by Americans and naturally enough they chose to use Americans as the main characters. You know, this U571 hate has always irritated me.