617 Squadron Operation Chastise

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Operation Chastise Overview

Operation Chastise was the code name given by the British to the 'Dam Busters' raid, by 617 Squadron, which breached the Mohne and Eder dams on the night of 16 / 17 May 1943. The raid used bouncing bombs, code-named 'Upkeep', designed by Sir Barnes Wallis. As well as causing significant damage and casualties on the ground, fearful losses were suffered amongst the crews, with over 40% failing to return from the mission. Many of those that were killed fell victim to the difficulties of navigating at low level, and were caught by flack after wandering off course.

As a tribute to the people who lost their lives in this raid, the Warbirds 617 Squadron RAF, in association with the Tangmere Wing, is organising a mini-event, to be flown in the spirit of the original raid.

When and How

The event will be run on Saturday 31st July, 1pm GMT (9am Eastern US Time, 2pm British Summer Time) to the following rules.

  • Killshooter will be off


  • There will be no icons


  • The arena will be set to darkness


  • Wind will be enabled


  • Otto will be disabled


  • Nightfighters will have a crew of two, and will use the Me110


  • 617 Squadron Lancasters will have a crew of four - pilot, navigator, front and rear gunners. The B17 will be used as a substitute, and top, ball and waist guns will not be used.


  • Participants should not use the F1 map key. All navigation for the low-level crews is to be performed using paper maps, the aircraft instruments, and a stopwatch if necessary.

    • Please note that some of the key rules above are impossible to verify compliance with (non-use of F1 key, no Otto and not using some B17 guns), and participants will be on their honour not to cheat. Getting killed in this event should not be seen as a failure, rather as a sobering reminder that, if the circumstances were different, you too might have died on that night.

    The key position on each aircraft will be the navigator, who (as in the real mission) will hold the lives of his crew in his hands. Practice is encouraged, and you should use the information on this site to help get the right experience.

    We are also considering using a very small number of Mosquito intruders, as well as a diversionary raid and having a German nightfighter controller (radar operator).

    Who We're Looking For

    We're looking for people who will fly this event in the spirit it was intended. Ask yourself these questions:

  • You've been flying for an hour and got lost. You have three people relying on you. Will you stick to the rules, stay lost, and risk crashing in occupied territory rather than cheat and use the F1 map key?

  • You're not sure if you see a Mosquito intruder or an enemy nightfighter. Will you switch gun positions to allow Otto to identify the target, or will you rely on the imperfect monitor and your own judgement?

  • You're in a Nightfighter, and have seen nothing all night. You're sure that there is something nearby as you've had vectors from ground control. Will you switch Otto on to give you that extra edge, or will you continue to work those contacts based purely on the ground vectors and your own judgement?

    • If you really think you can make the hard decisions when people are depending on you, then you're the person we're looking for. If not, then we think you'd be better sitting this one out, as the aim of this event is only to recreate the historical mission. The winners are those that manage to immerse themselves in the experience, and the losers will be only those that cheat. Go to the rules page for more detailed information.

    Posiions available are:

  • 617 Squadron: Pilot, Navigator, Front Gunner, Rear Gunner

  • Nightfighter: Pilot, Gunner

  • Mosquito Intruder: Pilot

  • Main Force Bombers: Pilot, Gunner

  • Luftwaffe Ground Controller

    • Registration

    To register, send your e-mail to the Chastise crew at chastise@hotmail.com, stating your callsign, preferred position, any alternative positions you would accept, and including your real e-mail address.