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“Dams Raid” – John “Hoppy” Hopgood, heroic “Dambuster”

The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster PA474 flies over the Derwent Dam, England, in May 2007, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Dams Raid. The Derwent Dam was used by 617 Sqn. in 1943 to train for the Dams Raid. (Photo by John Dibbs/Facebook.com/theplanepicture)
Eighty years ago this May, Operation Chastise, more commonly known as the “Dams Raid,” took its place in military history. Flying at ultra-low-level, at night, a few RAF Lancaster crews successfully breached two major dams, the Möhne and the Eder, in the heart of Germany. The incredible story of the raid, executed by a newly formed RAF squadron flying specially modified Avro Lancaster bombers, is well-known to those with an interest in military aviation, and...

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