Throughout May, ill be looking back at historical moments from the past. From conflicts to coronations, sporting moments to royal memories, and famous firsts and lasts, with my love of all things shiny and precious, ill be trying to tie these events in with coins that have been created to commemorate these moments.
The date was May 16, 1943. At precisely 2128 hours, Bomber Command’s 617 Squadron took off from RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire in nineteen specially adapted Lancaster bombers and flew into history.
Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out on 16–17 May 1943 by Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron, later called the Dam Busters, using a purpose-built 'bouncing bomb' developed by Barnes Wallis.
The Möhne and Edersee dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley; the Sorpe Dam sustained only minor damage. Two hydroelectric power stations were destroyed and several more damaged. Factories and mines were also damaged and destroyed.
An estimated 1,600 civilians – about 600 Germans and 1,000 mainly Soviet forced labourers – died. Despite rapid repairs by the Germans, production did not return to normal until September.
Each stunning design features an iconic RAF aircraft, from the modern F35 Lightning to the famous Spitfire, with the first coin in the series depicting the badge of the RAF to celebrate the Royal Air Force as a whole.
SOURCE: Royal Mint
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