Harold Brownlow Martin and finally Avro Lancasters, they completed their tour in October 1942, Martin being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Martin's penchant for low flying contributed to his selection in March 1943 for assignment to the newly formed No. 617 Squadron under Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Martin took part in the "Dambusters" raid on the night of 16/17 May 1943. He piloted the Lancaster bomber AJ-P "Popsie" (officially known as AJ-P "Peter") in the first formation, which was assigned to attack the Möhne Dam in Western Germany. Martin's plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire during the attack, but he successfully accomplished
Thousand-bomber raids but the number of 1,000 not being claimed again. Thousand-bomber raids The term "thousand-bomber raid" was used to describe three night bombing raids by the Royal Air Force against German cities in summer 1942 during World War II. The term was a propaganda device, whereby Arthur Harris included the relatively few modern four-engined "heavy" bombers that were currently operational, but mostly 1930s-era twin-engine "medium" bombers and many otherwise unsuitable small bombers and trainee aircrews in the raids to accumulate a force of 1,000 bombers as a demonstration of the RAF's growing power. Later RAF raids concentrated on effectiveness rather than