Bombing Hitler's Dams
NOVA episode recreating the WWII bouncing bomb.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
In the NOVA episode "Bombing Hitler's Dams," engineer Hugh Hunt teams up with Buffalo Airways and others to recreate the bouncing bomb from World War II's Operation Chastise. The goal was to build a small steel drum, filled with concrete, that could skip across water like the original. Since the real bomb's blueprints were lost in a flood during the 1960s, Hunt's version was designed from scratch. It was not a live explosive—dropping live bombs from a civilian plane is illegal—and weighed less than one-tenth of the original.
For testing, Buffalo Airways pilot Arnie Schreder flew a Douglas DC-4 with the bomb attached underneath toward a replica of the Möhne dam, built on Lake Williston in Canada. The plane flew along the lake, releasing the bomb when it reached a floating marker. Five bombs were made to allow multiple attempts. If a bomb hit the fake dam successfully, a real explosive buried inside the replica would detonate, destroying it.
The project faced several challenges. One fake bomb was unbalanced because paint was applied unevenly. The replica dam leaked where it met the canal walls. The bomb didn't spin long enough, and flying a DC-4 as low as 60 feet with an 800-pound object attached was risky. The bomb's splash could damage the plane, and the altimeter wasn't accurate enough to measure altitude below 60 feet.
In the final test, things went fairly well, but the chosen bomb was unbalanced. All bombs had to be balanced within 20 grams to prevent vibration during rotation; even extra yellow paint on one side versus black on the other caused imbalance. Selecting that bomb delayed the test. The aircraft dropped the bomb at 40 feet instead of the planned 60 feet, and the splash struck the DC-4's tail, though without major damage. The bomb hit the false dam on the first try, and the internal explosive blew the dam apart.
- field
- Engineering, historical re-creation
- known_for
- Recreating the bouncing bomb from Operation Chastise
- medium
- NOVA television episode
- key_personnel
- Hugh Hunt, Arnie Schreder (pilot)
- aircraft_used
- Douglas DC-4
- test_location
- Lake Williston, Canada
Lore & Background
Hugh Hunt's goal was to create a small drum of steel filled with concrete that could skip across water like the original bouncing bomb. The recreated bomb was not live, as dropping live explosives from a civilian airplane is illegal, and it weighed less than a tenth of the original. Because the real bouncing bomb's blueprints were lost in a 1960s flood, Hunt's bomb was created from scratch.
Reader's Guide
The episode documents the challenges of recreating a historic weapon under modern constraints. Five bombs were made to allow multiple attempts. The test involved a Douglas DC-4 flown by Buffalo Airways pilot Arnie Schreder, who released the bomb at a floating marker on Lake Williston toward a specially constructed replica of the Möhne dam. A real bomb buried in the fake dam was set to detonate upon a successful hit. Difficulties included an unbalanced bomb due to uneven paint, a leaking fake dam, insufficient bomb spin, and the risk of flying at 60 feet with an 800-pound object. In the final test, the bomb was dropped at 40 feet instead of the planned 60, and the splash struck the aircraft's tail, though without major damage. The bomb hit the dam on the first try, and the internal bomb destroyed the structure.
Did You Know?
- The recreated bouncing bomb weighed less than a tenth of the original.
- The original bomb's blueprints were lost in a 1960s flood.
- One fake bomb was unbalanced due to uneven application of paint.
- The bomb was dropped at 40 feet rather than the planned 60 feet in the final test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in the NOVA episode 'Bombing Hitler's Dams'?
Engineer Hugh Hunt leads the build, while Buffalo Airways pilot Arnie Schreder flies the aircraft for the test. The episode centers on their collaboration to reconstruct the WWII bouncing bomb.
What is the main goal of 'Bombing Hitler's Dams'?
The team constructs a small concrete-filled steel drum designed to skip across water the way the original Operation Chastise bomb did. They then fly it from a Douglas DC-4 to see if it replicates that skipping behavior.
Why couldn't the team simply use the original bouncing bomb blueprints?
The original engineering drawings were lost in a flood during the 1960s, so no official plans survived. Hugh Hunt therefore had to design his replica entirely from scratch using historical knowledge.
Was the bomb dropped in 'Bombing Hitler's Dams' a live explosive?
No, it was a non-explosive dummy weighing less than one-tenth of the real weapon. Dropping live ordnance from a civilian aircraft is illegal, so a safe replica was the only option.
Where was the test drop in 'Bombing Hitler's Dams' filmed?
The water-skip trial took place over Lake Williston in Canada. Buffalo Airways supplied the Douglas DC-4 used for the flight.
More in Nova episodes 1-19
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