The bomb was a barrel-shaped device, designed to be dropped on to the water from an absolutely critical height. Given the speed of the aircraft this would allow the bomb to bounce a certain number of times, finally coming to rest against the wall of the dam. It would then sink and explode below the surface, using a barometrically-controlled detonator. The precise height the aircraft needed to be above the water at the time of bomb release was judged by projecting two beams of light, from front and aft, on the water. At the correct height they shone the figure eight on the water surface. In addition to flying a large four-engined bomber into a barrage of gunfire, the pilot had to finely judge his height using this method.

When Sir Harold had taken me through the attack, I could visualise the painting, and had worked out where the light should come from (the attack was made on a moonlit night). I knew by this time that Mick Martin was third in line to attack. Gibson had gone in first and dropped his bomb, but the dam was stil intact. Hopgood, second in line, had been brought down by enemy gunfire and his Lancaster had crashed beyond the dam. Gibson had circled around, turned on all his navigation lights and flown in with Martin in an effort to draw the enemy’s fire. I would paint the moment when Mick Martin released his bomb. Armed with more information than I could have imagined, I returned to my studio to prepare some drawings.

The sketch to the right shows how I interpreted Sir Harold Martin’s account of the moment when he released his bomb. The moon was just out of the picture, to the left, and so I would be able to light the whole picture from its silver reflections on the water. I duly presented myself together with my drawings to Sir Harold.

“That’s fine, Robert, but Gibson flew off my starboard wing, not as you illustrate it.”

In one sentence, the Air Marshal had removed all the light source from the painting!

To include Gibson’s aircraft in the painting, which both I and Sir Harold wanted to do, we had to view AJ-D from the port side, which would position the main light source, the moon, precisely behind the viewer. Reflections from the moon, even using every ounce of artist’s licence I could muster, would now be nil!

I discussed the problem with Sir Harold. He recalled that as he flew towards the dam there was an orange glow which lit up the top of the dam. This was the result of Hopgood’s attack, the explosion of his bomb, and the subsequent loss of his aircraft.

‘The Dambusters’ - 02

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…... Continued

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