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Frederick Smith's novel 633 SQUADRON deals with an RAF Mosquito fighter-bomber unit assigned a near-impossible task. Their mission is to destroy a vital, top-secret Nazi factory in a far-away Norwegian fjord, a facility protected by tons of flak guns and shielded by an overhanging rock face. How 633 Squadron and its legendary commander, Roy Grenville, develop tactics to accomplish their mission and the actual outcome of their efforts make up this entertaining novel originally published in 1956.

When I originally read 633 SQUADRON back in the '60s, I was impressed by the combination of interesting characters and dramatic action. Re-reading it today, I found 633 SQUADRON is still a first-class page-turner of a novel.

In any case, Grenville is aided in his efforts by Finn Bergman, a Norwegian resistance fighter with knowledge of the target. Bergman's sister, who fled to England before the Germans occupied her country, comes to see her brother and, in the course of events, falls for Grenville. Bergman returns to his country to coordinate Resistance groups who will take out the flak sites protecting Grenville's target before the squadron attacks. Things go to hell but you'll have to read the book to find out what happens to Grenville, 633 Squadron, Bergman and his sister.

If you enjoy quality air war novels, seek out 633 SQUADRON. It's been out of print for decades but the search will be worth it. It's a wonderful read. Recommended.

*****
If your only knowledge of 633 SQUADRON has come from the excellent Cliff Robertson movie released in 1964, be forewarned. The movie and the book differ in several, important aspects.

The novel came out in 1956, and came on the heals of the 1955 Dambusters film. As such, it somewhat combined the dam raid with the air raid on the Norwegian heavy water plant.

The film came out in 1964 and was a bit more action oriented.

This 2 1/2 hour abridged version takes out some of the "R" rated material and inner thoughts and makes the book seem a little closer to the film. Still enjoyable.

It is 1943 and war rages in the skies over Europe. The Allies conceive a daring and near suicidal plan to bomb a Nazi rocket fuel factory situated at the end of a Norwegian fjord. There's only one squadron in the RAF capable of the feat. Will they suceed? How many will return?

I first read 633 Squadron as a young lad back in the '70's and enjoyed it, especially as it was supported by a couple of pretty decent films (633 Squadron and also Mosquito Squadron). Returning to it today, as a slightly more sophisticated reader, it is clear that there are a number of near fatal weaknesses in the book. With a huge potential to present an war action adventure novel, Smith chose instead to devote as much (if not more) effort to events "off-pitch" as to the actual combat sequences. Consequently, the book is written largely from the point of view of the inhabitants of the squadron's airfield's local inn "The Black Swan" and much of the military goings-on are largely implied. In fact, there is almost more ado about the characters' relationships and love affairs than about the military operations. The somewhat cursory treatment of the several combat sequences rather spoils things and when they /are/ covered it is clear that the author had little idea about the conduct of dogfights and bombing missions. Thus, in one dogfight sequence, a single Mossie is able to take off and shoot down four or five attacking Huns all apparently within the airfield's perimeter!

Dialogue is rather clunky and, while the prose is generally technically competent, it is a little breathless. There is an irritating over-use of hackneyed similes and aircraft are torn apart like tin cans (wooden aircraft!), bodies are flung around like rag dolls and thoughts pass through one's head like a whirlwind.

The characters are stereotyped and two dimensional. The main character - Roy Grenville - is an obvious Guy Gibson sort; war weary, slightly shell-shocked and posessing of a stiff upper lip. There is a brash, gum chewing american (actually a Canadian, but let's not split hairs), an emotionally fragile "kid", a ruddy-faced innkeeper and a large-breasted barmaid of loose(ish) morals. Stereotypes I can deal with, at least they add some colour to the story, but it takes some talent to make them seem two dimensional. It's symptomatic perhaps that the squadron, which must comprise some 40-50 flying personnel is entirely faceless and nameless save maybe five or six characters, only two or three of whom (Grenville and Gillibrand) have any life to them.

I suppose that it's worth remembering that 633 Squadron was written in 1956 and any action/adventure book written so soon after the war is bound to look vastly different to one written today. There was much about its conduct that was unknown to the general population (for instance it is only in the last /few/ years that we have come to understand as much as we do about the Bletchley Park/Ultra story). Furthermore, readers today probably demand much more in the way of technical detail (when 633 Squadron was written, Tom Clancy was 30 years away from writing the world's first techno-thriller).

In the end, I suppose that the book can be forgiven some of its apparent failings, but forgiveness doesn't make a great read. Smith wrote a number of follow-ups (including 633 Squadron: Operation Rhine Maiden and 633 Squadron: Operation Crucible). I vaguely remember having read the first of these and will give it another go for old time's sake and in the hope that he got better as he wrote.

*** - Three stars