Having taken a family road trip down Germany's 'Romantic Road' to the Austrian border a few years back, my wife and I decided to strike north this year and cover the so-called 'Fairy Tale' route which runs from Hanau (near Frankfurt am Main) to Buxtehude, a short distance from Hamburg. The route covers locations associated with the Brothers Grimm - Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, the Pied Piper of Hameln and lots of other well-known stories. On the Romantic Road, I'd managed to squeeze in a couple of military history orientated side trips to Nuremberg and Berchtesgaten. The Fairy Tale route seemed to offer similar opportunities. One such diversion was to the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, home to one of the dams breeched by the RAF's 617 Squadron on the night of the 16th / 17th May 1943.
 |
| The Eder Dam |
No self-respecting history buff should visit the Eder Dam without first calling on Oliver Koehler who owns and runs the Dambusters Museum in Edersee. The museum is easy to spot as right outside there is a full size replica of an 'Upkeep' device - a huge cylinder known in popular culture as a 'bouncing bomb'. One can't fault Oliver's enthusiasm for the Dambusters story and his passion for all things British. The reception area is festooned with pictures of the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and other members of the Royal Family. Before a guided tour of his extensive Dambusters collection, my wife and I were obliged to watch a tribute film to the late Queen Elizabeth - no problem, it was very good. Apparently Oliver had attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace a few years back and in the line up the Queen had remarked "so you are the Dambusters man". In that one brief introduction she had secured the lifelong loyalty and devotion of this eccentric German.
 |
| My Wife and Oliver + a Bouncing Bomb |
The Eder Dam is a five minute drive from the museum, and it is a lovely spot. The main approach has been pedestrianised and there are a number of cafes, an information centre (unsurprisingly not covering Chastise) and a big wheel where paying customers can get a spectacular view of the lake. History records how difficult it was for the Lancasters of 617 Squadron to breech the Eder Dam, and visiting the site it is clear why this was so. The reservoir is surrounded by steep sided escarpments and the run in to the dam for an aircraft flying at less than 100 feet would clearly have been perilous. Indeed, in his book 'Chastise' the author Max Hastings makes the point that the crew of an attacking aircraft would have less than a minute to aim and release their payload. Coming over the hill topped by the Schloss Waldeck the pilot would need to skip over the Hammerberg Bluff, switch direction, drop to the required height, release Upkeep at exactly the right moment before executing a tight upward turn to avoid crashing into a sheer wall of wooded mountain known as the Michelkopf.
 |
| On the Dam towards the Michelkopf |
On the night the dam was not defended, no doubt it was felt that the natural defences would be enough - though it is surprising that Luftwaffe night fighters were not mobilised given that four Lancasters were over the dam for over 45 minutes (three attacking plus Gibson's aircraft). the first Lancaster made four approaches but didn't release knowing that the bomb had to hit the dam in exactly the right place having bounced twice. The second Lancaster missed the timing, and was damaged when its' Upkeep exploded harmlessly on the lip of the dam. The third Lancaster, N-for Nuts piloted by an Aussie, Les Knight a former accountant from Melbourne, hit the bulls eye -knocking a hole in the dam which quickly developed into a major breech. The consequences were severe (for those persons who were caught below - of course - and for the local war economy) as several million gallons of water poured into the valley below.
 |
| Models in the Dambusters Museum, Edersee |
The dam was repaired surprisingly quickly, under the direction of good Nazi (sic) Albert Speer. Nowadays one can stroll across to the northern side where there are a handful of lakeside restaurants and a couple of jetties where one can hire a boat or take a trip on the lake. The two towers which were used to orientate the bomb aiming point are still there, indeed the only indication of the breech is the discolouration on the wall of the dam where the repair was completed (see first image above). Aside from Oliver's wonderful establishment in nearby Edersee there is nothing to indicate what happened on the night of the 16th / 17th May 1943, and that is, perhaps, as it should be.
