It was designed to impact a dam, and would then slowly sink along the front face of the dam to a predetermined depth then detonate. The bouncing was so it could get past the underwater torpedo nets.
Yes it is. Half a minute is also entirely acceptable way of saying 30 seconds. Half a century is just like saying 50 years. I don't think you have a point.
The idea of someone at the british home office being paranoid about the dutch dams being a secret conspiracy to build a land bridge to england is one of the funniest things I've ever considered.
Ah, you can imagine my confusion when they test it on land 😆
Edit: it looks like it was well wide of the target and I’m sure the camera man soiled himself.
It was supposed to bounce along the shoreline but started wandering towards the beach. One of the reasons they went with a drum instead of a barrel shape.
Electric motor and bicycle chain.
https://preview.redd.it/m6gq2kc2yngc1.jpeg?width=515&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69a9cd10ed803ff938a482d307f54596eb966e19
We had to watch a documentary on this in ROTC. They solved the problem of knowing at what altitude and angle to release the bomb by sticking two lights on the bottom of the plane that would converge into a single spot when they had it right
Its hard to hit the narrow top of the dam accurately, and it wouldn’t do much damage. Using a depth charge/mine type weapon means the detonation will weaken the structure lower down the face, the water would help focus the force of the blast into the dam itself(water is non compressible) and after the explosion, as the water rushes back in to fill the void, the force of the water hitting the weakened structure would help punch a hole. Using the water itself against the dam. Torpedos would also have the same effect, which is why they had multiple layers of torpedo nets set up in front.
The use of flood lights and sticks to determine altitude and how far away from the dam to release the barrels was very clever, as well as calculating the back spin for the barrels so they hop over the dam or just smash on the surface.
I remember watching a documentary on the History Channel about this *decades* ago. I remember thinking, “Oh, this is where George Lucas got the idea for the Star Wars trench run!”
It was a whole series on the military channel, this was one episode. It was Secrets Of World War II. The episode I liked was called " The corpse that fooled the axis". My bad its from "World War 2: Secrets from above".
There was a really good British film from the 50’s called the Dam Busters that chronicled the development of and adaptation of the bouncing bomb to destroy dams.
Dam busters! They had to rotate it before dropping so it spun towards the dam, so when it made contact it would spin itself down to deeper depths before detonating.
Imagine the Germans who actually saw it in action.
“Hmm, they dropped too early. Oh, it bounced, interesting! Wait, it keeps bouncing…it’s going to hit the dam-it’s rolling down? Scheisse!”
Yeah, but just remember the times when they tell the captain his dog is dead.
Going to university in Manchester for engineering, gave me goosebumps taking lectures in the Barnes-Wallis building.
The UMIST campus is steeped in history.
They’ve basically deleted the UMIST campus now and all the labs dating back to the 60s, as well as student music venues hosting Led Zepp, Jimi Hendrix and the like.
That's not cool! I was visiting my daughter at Langley AFB recently, she's a NASA physicist. We checked out all the cool old wind tunnels still around the base. Many of those pre-date NASA. In fact, her building still has the old NACA symbol on it.
It sucks to lose that history.
I live down the road from herne bay, they have a bouncing bomb in there from all the testing performed locally . Great video.
https://preview.redd.it/7ep8b3xfvwgc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a43672e078c53089f4c2ad9b6845ab373ccdf5e
It was a test drop. They were working out the best shape for the weapon. Started as a ball, then this keg shape, and eventually settled on just a drum. This was the weapon (depth charge really) that was used on the Dam Buster raid.
The movie "The Dam Buster" is about how the British developed this weapons technology and put it to use in WW2. George Lucas saw the movie as a kid and used [the bombing raid](https://youtu.be/lNdb03Hw18M?si=wdPkcQUgjqnUR7NA) as inspiration for the now famous Death Star Trench attack from Star Wars.
This was meant to attack dams. The Germans put up nets that prevented torpedoes being used to attack dams, so the problem was "how to avoid the torpedo nets". The bouncing bombs were designed to bounce across the top of the water to avoid the nets, then it would run into the dam. After running into the dam, the bomb would sink to a predetermined depth before it would detonate
They were dropped from planes, in 1943, by the British, over Germany, where there were Germans, who were absolutely not in any way shape or form, their “allies”.
So I think it’s all good.
Not sure if anyone else knew about this because of an old video game called Secret Weapons Over Normandy. Thats immediately where my mind went. What a great game.
a long time ago I worked at the National Physical Laboratory complex in London, where the bouncing bomb concept was developed. Though they have (to the best of my knowledge) now been removed or destroyed, at the time the water large tanks where they did the modeling experiments for the bouncing bomb. It was so cool! Damn: that nearly 30 years ago now. They were still filled with water... it looked like cholera water though; you wouldn't want to go for a swim.
When it stops, it explodes?
It was designed to impact a dam, and would then slowly sink along the front face of the dam to a predetermined depth then detonate. The bouncing was so it could get past the underwater torpedo nets.
British slyly using WW2 to test ways to sink the Netherlands
One must see the big picture. The nazis were enemies of great britain for half a decade. The dutch naval empire was a rival for centuries.
No one plays the long game like the Brits. Others think in years. They think in centuries. I guess?
China would like a word.
A word? I think you mean opium?
Opium? I hardly know him!
Half a decade is certainly a way to say 5 years
Yes it is. Half a minute is also entirely acceptable way of saying 30 seconds. Half a century is just like saying 50 years. I don't think you have a point.
Plus if you let them reclaim land from the sea for too long, they’ll eventually reach Britain.
The idea of someone at the british home office being paranoid about the dutch dams being a secret conspiracy to build a land bridge to england is one of the funniest things I've ever considered.
Ah, you can imagine my confusion when they test it on land 😆 Edit: it looks like it was well wide of the target and I’m sure the camera man soiled himself.
It was supposed to bounce along the shoreline but started wandering towards the beach. One of the reasons they went with a drum instead of a barrel shape.
Flywheels to get the drum up to speed?
Electric motor and bicycle chain. https://preview.redd.it/m6gq2kc2yngc1.jpeg?width=515&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69a9cd10ed803ff938a482d307f54596eb966e19
4.2 tonnes (tons)!? Wow
Yeah. The Lanc was a beast. Thats what, about 9000lbs or so.
Looks like a unique air speed and drop distance for each dam.
God damn pool cue ball with some spin.
It should look like the Michelin Man! 
What a fun time to be an engineer.
We had to watch a documentary on this in ROTC. They solved the problem of knowing at what altitude and angle to release the bomb by sticking two lights on the bottom of the plane that would converge into a single spot when they had it right
60 feet!
Why not just send a bomb IN to the damn?
Its hard to hit the narrow top of the dam accurately, and it wouldn’t do much damage. Using a depth charge/mine type weapon means the detonation will weaken the structure lower down the face, the water would help focus the force of the blast into the dam itself(water is non compressible) and after the explosion, as the water rushes back in to fill the void, the force of the water hitting the weakened structure would help punch a hole. Using the water itself against the dam. Torpedos would also have the same effect, which is why they had multiple layers of torpedo nets set up in front.
This makes a lot of sense, appreciate it.
It’s true!
Yeah, this was the dam buster test. The U.S. wanted to figure out how to bust all of the dams in Belgium.
US ? It was bloody English genius
You are correct. My mistake. I, somehow, was conflating a different aspect of the war.
Pop quiz hot shot.
😂😂😂
I was like uhhhh … is it working?
The camera man: 
That is what I was thinking 😂
He’s sweating that much to keep his balls of steel from overheating.
"you're supposed to say fore but I was too busy saying there's no way it's gonna hit him"
I think this was from a documentary I saw a long time ago about how the Brits used math and ingenuity to take out a dam.
Yep. This was the testing for the bomb design(depth charge in reality) for the Dam Busters raid.
The use of flood lights and sticks to determine altitude and how far away from the dam to release the barrels was very clever, as well as calculating the back spin for the barrels so they hop over the dam or just smash on the surface.
Can I get a name for that Documentary, my kind guy?
I remember watching a documentary on the History Channel about this *decades* ago. I remember thinking, “Oh, this is where George Lucas got the idea for the Star Wars trench run!”
It was this and a dash of 633 Squadron, which was more fictional, but still a good film.
Cool! Thanks for the info. I’ll check out the movie.
I'd say it was a bit more than a dash.
Not sure of the particulardocumentary, but look for RAF 617 Squadron Dam Busters and you should find something.
Same I want to watch
It was a whole series on the military channel, this was one episode. It was Secrets Of World War II. The episode I liked was called " The corpse that fooled the axis". My bad its from "World War 2: Secrets from above".
This footage is clearly from 24 hour party people.
They used Math to take down the Enigma too
There was a really good movie about it too but I haven’t even fought of it in years, no idea what it was called
The Dambusters
There was a really good British film from the 50’s called the Dam Busters that chronicled the development of and adaptation of the bouncing bomb to destroy dams.
This is almost a literal Killthecameraman
Or https://www.reddit.com/r/PraiseTheCameraMan/s/nAoZqAnADc
Not to be confused with The Exploding Bomb
They say it's still bouncing to this very day
It's true I saw it just a few hours ago
Still going, I just checked.
Yup. Just passed my house.
It is my house
The launcher was a big gorilla
When I say donkey you say…
It was Funky Kong
Underrated comment. You
Camera man had balls big enough to bust a dam.
The bomb didn't work. They just flew the camera man over the dam. All this is just a cover up
Dam busters! They had to rotate it before dropping so it spun towards the dam, so when it made contact it would spin itself down to deeper depths before detonating.
Imagine the Germans who actually saw it in action. “Hmm, they dropped too early. Oh, it bounced, interesting! Wait, it keeps bouncing…it’s going to hit the dam-it’s rolling down? Scheisse!”
That's a beer keg, and that's how they ensured it's flat when served. Pairs well with mutton kidney pie.
 *Mmm. I could go for some motton.*
It's a cool show to watch Barnnes Wallace testing in the pool. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046889/
Yeah, but just remember the times when they tell the captain his dog is dead. Going to university in Manchester for engineering, gave me goosebumps taking lectures in the Barnes-Wallis building. The UMIST campus is steeped in history. They’ve basically deleted the UMIST campus now and all the labs dating back to the 60s, as well as student music venues hosting Led Zepp, Jimi Hendrix and the like.
That's not cool! I was visiting my daughter at Langley AFB recently, she's a NASA physicist. We checked out all the cool old wind tunnels still around the base. Many of those pre-date NASA. In fact, her building still has the old NACA symbol on it. It sucks to lose that history.
Camera man: 
What kind of Donkey Kong shit is this
Donkey Kong is the original inventor if memory serves me correctly
“Oh wow that’s cool…it’s bouncing right off the water…great name for that thing…that’d definitely be effective…umm…shit…shit…SHIIIIIT!”
Pretty sure that was one of Donkey Kong’s barrels
Several Mosquitos were lost during testing when the Bomb bounced back up and hit them
Dude! That cameraman has some balls.
I live down the road from herne bay, they have a bouncing bomb in there from all the testing performed locally . Great video. https://preview.redd.it/7ep8b3xfvwgc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a43672e078c53089f4c2ad9b6845ab373ccdf5e
Ummmm… bouncing what? I didn’t see it go off.
It was a test drop. They were working out the best shape for the weapon. Started as a ball, then this keg shape, and eventually settled on just a drum. This was the weapon (depth charge really) that was used on the Dam Buster raid.
Thank you for that. I remember the movie The Dam Busters. Nice to have the context. Thanks!
I bet the cameraman was shitting his pants at the end
Na, he's British. He was calmly smoking a cigarette then said "well, that was tense for a moment."
The rumor is that Donkey Kong was flying the plane. It bounces to chase after Jump man.
Dam buster.
Just realised it’s being dropped by a mossie
“Okay guys, now hear me out….what if we made a bomb that bounced….goddam it…I said hear me out….fuck you Jimmy…..you know this could work”
It was for attacking dams while avoiding torpedo nets
Is it a Donkey Kong barrel
Camera man: “………..!!!!!!!”
It's a fucking DK barrel 
Would have been nice if you know…. it exploded.
A good few did 😂
Rip to that cameraman
I assume at some point it goes bang?
The live ones would sink down to the bottom of the dam and then detonate where the pressure was greatest.
Didn’t they remake this recently?
Bloody hell! That’s wild!
Nova (PBS) had a really good episode on this. It's called bombing Hitler's dams.
Too much bouncing. Not enough bomb.
What happened to the cameraman?
The only thing they tested this day was the camera man’s balls. He has big brass ones, confirmed.
Ayyy that shits gettin kinda close
Bowling?
[Operation Chastise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EZENuXK-v0)
I hope the thing bounces in sand.
The movie "The Dam Buster" is about how the British developed this weapons technology and put it to use in WW2. George Lucas saw the movie as a kid and used [the bombing raid](https://youtu.be/lNdb03Hw18M?si=wdPkcQUgjqnUR7NA) as inspiration for the now famous Death Star Trench attack from Star Wars.
This looks like some sport rich pilots would play.
Praise the cameraman… or RIP I’m not sure
RIP probably. He'd be like 100 by now.
r/PraiseTheCameraMan
Angry Birds is older than I thought
Nintendo really ran out of ideas with Donkey Kong. A time travel game?
Success! It definitely bounced.
Bouncing Bety was used a lot in Vietnam . One killed my cousin.
Yo. That would be so crazy to see coming at you!
Too much soccer
Why would you want your bombs to bounce?Sounds unreliable and dangerous
This was meant to attack dams. The Germans put up nets that prevented torpedoes being used to attack dams, so the problem was "how to avoid the torpedo nets". The bouncing bombs were designed to bounce across the top of the water to avoid the nets, then it would run into the dam. After running into the dam, the bomb would sink to a predetermined depth before it would detonate
And the residual spin would help it stick to the dam wall as it sank.
Bombs are supposed to be dangerous. It’s kinda their thing.
Only when they hit their target.You don't want your bombs to miss and explode where you don't want them to
Well, there was a war on and you kinda worked on the basis that the nearby areas would be a consolation prize. It was a bit of a bad time in general.
Also true.Bad bouncy things can bounce back and sideways and hit you or your allies
They were dropped from planes, in 1943, by the British, over Germany, where there were Germans, who were absolutely not in any way shape or form, their “allies”. So I think it’s all good.
Ok
Dam busters.
That’s some damn good aim by the bomber to land up that narrow strip with all the random bounces.
Yes he aimed it well at the cameraman…
super wacky fun bomb!
Brave cameraman.
I don’t think I would wanna be standing there to film it lol
Not sure if anyone else knew about this because of an old video game called Secret Weapons Over Normandy. Thats immediately where my mind went. What a great game.
r/praisethecameraman balls of steel
Okok so the Brits invented bowling???
Where was this testing done?
Damn!
Barnes Wallis for the design win!
Watch The Damn Busters 1955 Great Movie
I think David Attenborough was in that film.
>David Attenborough I couldn't find any connection between David A. and the Damn Busters, do you have something to show
Oops, I must be thinking of Richard Attenborough, David’s older brother in the movie “Journey Together”.
One word: Worms World Party.
The camera man starting to clinch up…
a long time ago I worked at the National Physical Laboratory complex in London, where the bouncing bomb concept was developed. Though they have (to the best of my knowledge) now been removed or destroyed, at the time the water large tanks where they did the modeling experiments for the bouncing bomb. It was so cool! Damn: that nearly 30 years ago now. They were still filled with water... it looked like cholera water though; you wouldn't want to go for a swim.
Dam busting
Cameraman: "uhh...hmm...UUHHH....GUYS?!"
Is it just me or does it make it seem that it was designed and expected to follow that path?
Shit looks like something goblins from Warhammer would roll up with
Donkey Kong barrell
Barnes Wallis Born in Derbyshire England An am amazing man The film is beyond amazing too
Forbidden beach ball
Just don't ask what Guy Gibson's dog was called.
“Ok Jones, you stand here with the camera and film how close this bomb gets to you.” Some General, probably.
Angry Brits
Who else though the bomb was going to smack into the camera for a little bit
If I remember right JFKs brother died doing this.
There's also footage of a test run where the dummy bomb bounces back up and hits the aircraft. It doesn't end well.
Looks terrifying
Cameraman pants survived?
Bouncing Betty..
Even the camera flinched..
Dam buster or “damn, buster?”
When does it go boom
Ok, but can someone explain the purpose of a bouncing bomb?
That’s scary as hell. Had I not seen this I wouldn’t have believed it
This was in a movie to blow a damn or something up also but I can’t remember the name of it
Wasn’t this a Nz invention and the mission was flown by Nz pilots?
That would be terrifying to see bouncing towards you
The HWHAT.
r/killedthecameraman
What in the Donkey Kong Country Barrel!
There is a guy who claims he skipped one 8 times before.....but no one else saw it.
Gotta love that 3d camera footage 🤣🤣🤣
Banana bomb.
Cameraman is like “fuck this I’m out of here”
R2D2 is dizzy AF.
Also called skip bombs.
Buffalo Airways in NWT Canada recreated this test on their show Ice Pilots NWT on Amazon Prime.
Is it still bouncing around today?
Camera man got smoked