No. 617 Squadron RAF

E44879

No. 617 Squadron RAF is a famous Royal Air Force unit best known for its World War II "Dambusters" raid using specially designed bouncing bombs against German dams in 1943.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Royal Air Force squadron
aircraftOperated Avro Lancaster
Vulcan bomber
surface form: "Avro Vulcan"

F-35B Lightning II
surface form: "Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II"

Panavia Tornado
surface form: "Panavia Tornado GR1"

Panavia Tornado GR4
alliedWith Royal Navy
awardedToMembers The Victoria Cross
surface form: "Victoria Cross"
basedAt RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Scampton
conflict World War II
surface form: "Second World War"
country United Kingdom
currentRole F-35B Lightning force
dateFormed 1943-03-21
designation 617 Squadron
firstCommandingOfficer Guy Gibson
formedDuring World War II
surface form: "Second World War"
hasBattleHonour War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
surface form: "Afghanistan 2001–2014"

Channel and North Sea 1943–1945
Dams Raid 1943
France and Germany 1944–1945
Iraq 1991
Iraq 2003
Battle of Normandy
surface form: "Normandy 1944"
heritage Dambusters tradition
initialBase RAF Scampton
laterPartOf Royal Air Force Air Command
surface form: "RAF Air Command"

RAF Strike Command
militaryBranch Royal Air Force
motto Après moi le déluge
mottoLanguage French
mottoTranslation After me, the flood
nickname The Dam Busters (1955 film)
surface form: "Dambusters"
notableCommander Guy Gibson
surface form: "Wing Commander Guy Gibson"
notableFor Operation Chastise
surface form: "Dambusters raid"

precision low-level bombing of German dams in 1943
notableOperation Operation Chastise
operatesFrom HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Queen Elizabeth
RAF Marham
partOf Royal Air Force Bomber Command
surface form: "RAF Bomber Command"
role precision bombing
special operations
targeted Eder Dam
Möhne Dam
Sorpe Dam
type fast jet squadron
usedWeapon Upkeep
surface form: "Upkeep bomb"

bouncing bomb

Referenced by (11)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Sorpe Dam attackedBy No. 617 Squadron RAF
Guy Gibson commanded No. 617 Squadron RAF
The Dam Busters (1955 film) depictsUnit No. 617 Squadron RAF
Marham homeToUnit No. 617 Squadron RAF
subject surface form: "RAF Marham"
Royal Air Force Bomber Command notableUnit No. 617 Squadron RAF
RAF Scampton notableUnitStationed No. 617 Squadron RAF
Operation Chastise unit No. 617 Squadron RAF
Lancaster unitInvolved No. 617 Squadron RAF
subject surface form: "Avro Lancaster"
Avro Lancaster unitInvolved No. 617 Squadron RAF
Vulcan bomber usedBy No. 617 Squadron RAF
subject surface form: "Avro Vulcan"
Upkeep bouncing bomb usedBy No. 617 Squadron RAF

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