Macclesfield divers help recover World War II bombs

Members of the Macclesfield-based East Cheshire Sub-Aqua Club and the British Sub-Aqua Club – aided by the Royal Navy successfully lifted one of them, and hope to shortly recover another.

The prototype bombs, which were never used operationally, do not contain any explosives.

Highball was the military codename for the weapons, a naval version of the “Upkeep” bouncing bombs used in the Dambusters raid in May 1943.

It was one of five bombs developed by Sir Barnes Wallis and was designed to be used against ships.

Iain Murray, a trustee of the Barnes Wallis Foundation, told the BBC: “The main purpose of developing Highball was to attack the battleship Tirpitz which was moored in the Norwegian fjords.

“Unfortunately it was located in an awkward position so it was difficult to attack using Highball and it was ultimately attacked using midget submarines.

“Subsequently the Highball squadron moved to the Pacific with the intention of attacking Japanese warships, but the war came to an end before that could actually happen.”

The bombs will be sent to the two English aviation museums after conservation, completing the full set of Barnes Wallis bouncing bombs on public display.

Divers have been working for about seven years to devise a salvage plan since first surveying the loch. They have been helped by the Royal Navy, which is providing a ship and a crane for the operation.