Whenever the United Kingdom's Bomber Command was tasked with challenging missions, such as sinking the Bismarckclass battleship Tirpitz, they always knew which aircraft to use: the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber.

With four RollsRoyce Merlin engines and a top speed of 287 miles per hour, the aircraft had an impressive lifting capacity, as it had a long and mostly unobstructed bomb bay.

The aircraft’s standard load of 18,000 pounds of explosives gave the United Kingdom the offensive striking power needed to penetrate fierce German air defenses in the European theater and carry out complex missions against the Ruhr Valley dams.

Such was the case with Operation Chastise, the most famous Lancaster bomber mission. Performed by a specially formed squadron, 19 Avro Lancasters took off into the skies on the night of May 16, 1943, carrying one of the most unique and dangerous weapons in history…



Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, topsecret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.