Who designed the bouncing bomb?

Answer 1

Barnes Wallis had the idea that if the water supply to the Rhur industrial area could be critically reduced then it would impact on Germanys ability to produce war materiel. If several dams could be breached then the water supply could be affected greatly. The problem to be overcome was to deliver bombs of sufficient explosive power to have an effect on a dam, a structure designed to withstand great pressure itself, holding back many, many tons of water. Therefore the explosives needed to be delivered from a horizontal rather than vertical angle, and would need to explode near the dam underwater. The water pressure itself would aid the explosive power the bomb delivered. Many experiments were attempted. Mutt Summers was the name of the chief test pilot & at first it looked unlikely that such a means of delivery could be found to work. Eventually it became apparrent that the bomb would need to be delivered from very low altitude and would need to be spun in flight to achieve a bounce off the surface of the water to approach the dam wall, the bomb would then sink & detonate close to the wall and the pressure might effect a breach. Because of the nature of the targets, in steep valleys, the attack would need pinpoint accuracy, at night, requiring a very high standard of navigation & accurate flying. A special squadron was formed, 617 Squadron, to be led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson. They practiced night & day over Scotland & Wales, flying low over water. No one was told of the taget details. 3 dams were targetted, the Mohne, the Eder & the Sorpe. The Mohne & the Eder were breached, there was but minor damage to the Sorpe. But there was great loss of life of the aircrews in the attack. Gibson was awarded the VC, he was surpassed perhaps only by Leonard Cheshire VC as Britains finest pilot in WW2, they flew Avro Lancasters. Barnes Wallis was appalled at the loss of so many brave men. The Squadron Motto of 617 Sqn is 'Apre Moi le Deluge': After Me the Flood.

Answer 2

Barnes Wallis is most associated with the Dambuster raid of 1943 when the legendary 'bouncing bomb' that Wallis developed destroyed several of the dams in the Ruhr. Barnes Wallis also developed the huge 'Tallboy' bomb and the Wellington bomber. His extraordinary talent was recognised by the nation when he received a knighthood.

Answer 3

World War 2. created by the British scientist Barnes Wallis in an attempt to blow up dams in Germany by deploying the bomb in a low altitude over a river. It would skim (bounce) along the water and blow up the dam.

Answer 4

The British engineer Barnes Wallis designed the bouncing bomb in 1942 in the middle of world war two he was English the bouncing bomb helped win the war

Answer 5

British engineer Barnes Wallis was the inventor of a bouncing bomb. Bouncing bomb was designed to bounce off water to reach its target avoiding obstacles like torpedo net.

Answer 6

Barnes Wallis.