Search on for the bouncing bombs of Sinclair’s Bay
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A group promoting the strategic importance of Caithness during World War Two is hoping that it will recover the remains of experimental bouncing bombs called Highballs in Sinclair's Bay.
Alistair Jack, the development trust officer for east Caithness at Caithness Voluntary Group, is involved in delivering the Caithness At War project which will result in a heritage trail highlighting the importance of the area in guarding against a potential Nazi invasion.
"The records show that at least 50 Highballs were dropped in Sinclair’s Bay and most likely are still lying on the seabed," said Mr Jack.
He says the experimental bouncing bombs were dropped in the bay during tests in 1943 to gauge their effectiveness in attacks against a major thorn in the side of the Allies – the battleship Tirpitz. Commissioned in 1941, the German Navy's mighty 42,900 ton Tirpitz posed a grave threat to Allied shipping and efforts were ramped up to find a workable solution to destroying the warship which was anchored safely in Narvik Fjord in Norway, and surrounded by anti-aircraft batteries and sea defence booms.
The Caithness at War project was recently sent a short video from Dundee University which Mr Jack believes may have been shot at Sinclair's Bay and which shows three Mosquito aircraft flying in formation and dropping Highballs.
“We are very excited about the video we have been provided and it would be amazing if this was actual footage from Sinclair’s Bay. It is also really exciting that we have found records that prove that at least 50 Highballs were dropped in Sinclair’s Bay, and the ultimate dream would be to recover one from the seabed to put on display.” To put people at ease, however, the bombs were inert and only used to test the efficacy of the delivery system and to see how well they performed after deployment when they skipped across the water.
On April 1, 1943, No.618 Squadron was formed at RAF Skitten near Reiss and was a sister squadron to the famous 617 'Dambusters' Squadron – both being formed within a few days of each other.
Like 617 Squadron, the new squadron formed at Skitten was intended to deliver an experimental bouncing bomb which was being developed by Barnes Wallis but not in attacks against dams in the Ruhr Valley but to be used instead against the Tirpitz.
Mr Jack said that intensely high security was in place at RAF Skitten as the plan took shape and the codename for the attack was Operation Servant. "The experimental bouncing bomb was spherical and much smaller than those used against the Rhur Valley dams. Due to the secretive nature of the Highball it was referred to in all discussions, communications and records as 'stores'. The aircraft selected to carry the bombs were specially modified de Havilland DH98 Mosquito B MkIVs."
Initial high-speed, low-level training commenced with aircraft flying from Skitten using a submarine depot ship called the Bonaventure as a target ship, which was moored in loch a’Chàirn Bhàin on the west coast just south of Cape Wrath at Kylesku. "These training sessions were considered extremely dangerous due to the lack of room to manoeuvre, especially during the escape climb out of the loch following the simulated attack against the Bonaventure."
As the new modified aircraft started to arrive at Skitten, training switched to attacking an old WWI French battleship called the Courbet which had been anchored in Loch Striven, just north of the Firth of Clyde. "The Mosquitoes would use inert versions of the Highball which would be caught in a net hung below the ship. They would fly from Skitten to RAF Turnberry to carry out the training, then return to Skitten for routine maintenance and repairs."
Development of the Highball continued with further test drops made at Ashley Walk and Reculver, but perfecting the weapon was proving difficult. By August 1943 it was decided that the Highball would be used as a depth charge against German U-boats until it could be perfected for its intended purpose as a bouncing bomb, with each subsequent drop providing vital information for the weapons development team.
The Mosquitoes returned to RAF Skitten where further training with inert Highballs was carried out in Sinclair’s Bay including formation drops of the weapon. On August 17, 1943, Highballs were dropped in the bay at 250mph. from 150 feet with a forward spin on the bomb of 500 revolutions per minute. Further such drops were carried out on August 19 and 21, with a total of 13 Highballs being dropped during these three days.
Between August 24-27 that year, a further 36 Highballs were dropped in the waters off Reiss beach, with a final drop carried out on September 1, with the results of each drop fed back to the weapons development team at Brooklands. By November 1943, the development of the Highball had not been perfected so Operation Servant was shelved and the squadron reassigned to other duties.
Mr Jack adds: “Two Highballs were recovered previously from the seabed of Loch Striven and are currently on display at the Brooklands Museum and the de Havilland Aircraft Museum. However, finding Highballs that were dropped in Sinclair’s Bay over 80 years ago would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack – but we are looking into possible options to try to locate and recover one."
