Dambusters anniversary: German residents urge end to tourist visits

Some residents living in the area of Germany targeted in the Dambusters raids have criticised visits by British tourists, as events continued to mark the 80th anniversary of the attack.

The King visited an RAF base in Lincolnshire on Monday as part of commemorations of the May 1943 raids.

An estimated 1,300 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack, along with 53 airmen.

Elke Husemann, who lives near the Ruhr river, urged an end to tourist visits.

"It is a bit weird to have those tours, to see beer festivals taking place at the same time when here mourning's take place," she said.

Historian Dan Snow said he understood why German locals would be unhappy about tourist visits.

"I neither blame the Germans for being surprised and upset perhaps that people are coming, but nor do I blame the people going on those tours," he said.

"Because they want to see the place they've heard so much about and where the story of our nation was made."

Operation Chastise was intended to flood a vast area of Germany's industrial Ruhr Valley by damaging dams with "bouncing bombs".

Three waves of Lancaster bombers left RAF Scampton, near Lincoln, on the night of 16 May 1943. Eight of the 19 bombers involved were shot down and 53 airmen were killed.

Two dams, the Mohne and Eder, were destroyed. Many of the people killed were slave labourers from Poland and Ukraine.

Mr Snow said the reason the raid was remembered was because it was one of the first to use a "precision strike" in an attempt to bring World War Two to an end.

"The determination to strike the dams and not cause appalling damage in German cities for example, that ambition is laudable and their [aircrew] skill was unsurpassed," he said.

"Although there were terrible casualties of people killed downstream that was not the purpose of the raid."

King Charles visited RAF Coningsby and toured the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight hangar where he met veterans.

Lena Lewald, who works at German history body the Möhnesee Archive, said it was important to commemorate the events of the war "but making sure that this will never happen again."

"This is something we can only accomplish together," she said.

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