World War II more than 70 years ago was a bloody history, and it still makes people feel palpitations. More than 70 million people have been killed and more than 100 million injured in this global conflict. As one of the fascist Axis powers, Germany's powerful industrial and military power brought great disasters to the European region.
However, the Germans also suffered huge losses in this war, and one of the particularly significant events was the bombing of the Ruhr dam.
The Ruhr dam is an important source of electricity and water for Germany, and it is also the lifeline of its industrial areas. It is responsible for providing power supply to thousands of arsenals in the Ruhr region. It played a vital role in the operation of the German war machine. It was this key facility that became a target for the Allies. In order to weaken Germany's war potential, a covert operation against the Ruhr dam was quietly launched.
However, destroying a strong dam is not an easy task. If you strike from above, the effect is not great, and you must attack from its underwater vulnerable parts in order to get twice the result with half the effort. And what if it crossed the German defenses and carried out underwater bombardment? British engineers --- Barnes Wallis took over the task, and after a lot of experiments and research, the British engineer finally developed a special bomb -- the "ricochet."
Such bombs are loaded with enormous destructive power and can cause huge explosions even underwater. And because it has the function of "hitting the water", it can well pass the torpedoes deployed by Germany on the surface of the dam.
One day in 1943, the British Air Force flew a formation of 19 bombers carrying this special bomb to the Ruhr dam. Under the cover of night, 5 bombs were finally successfully dropped. With a deafening explosion, the dam was destroyed in an instant, and 400 million tons of water rushed out like wild horses.
The disaster killed 30,000 people, destroyed countless homes, and reduced the downstream region to a vast ocean. This sudden flood also dealt a huge blow to Germany, not only destroying vital infrastructure, but also claiming countless innocent lives. A large number of crops have been lost, and most importantly, the Ruhr industrial area has been completely paralyzed, and a large number of manufacturing plants can no longer be produced.
This meant that Germany lost a significant logistical supply capacity, which further weakened the combat effectiveness of the German army. For example, the famous Mauser factory and the Krupp factory are located here.
However, the bombing did not come without a price. The British bombers also suffered heavy losses during the operation due to fierce German counterattacks. More than 50 pilots were killed in the operation, and their sacrifices became part of the war.
This incident once again proves the cruelty of war. Both Germany and Britain paid a terrible price in this disaster. It reminds us that war not only brings death and destruction, but also has a profound impact on the environment and human life.
Through history, we should cherish the hard-won peace all the more. At the same time, we need to learn from this experience and strengthen the protection of critical facilities to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. As far as the mainland is concerned, the safety of important projects such as the Three Gorges Dam is of paramount importance, and we must always be vigilant against any potential threats to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.