Over the moonlit Sorpe dam in Germany the Lancaster bomber known as T-Tommy made nine aborted runs. Three dams, the Möhne and Sorpe in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Eder in Hesse, were under attack from allied planes on the night of 16-17 May 1943.
Nine Royal Air Force Lancaster bombers were detailed to attack the Möhne and the Eder, five were held in reserve. Another five were targeted on the Sorpe, but just one got through. T-Tommy was piloted by the sole American of 617 Squadron, Flt Lt Joe McCarthy. His bomb-aimer, Sgt George “Johnny” Johnson, who has died aged 101, was the last survivor of the raid.
