Handley Page Halifax - Heavy Bomber / Night Bomber Aircraft - Specifications, History and Images 1 x 7.7mm machine gun in nose 4 x 7.7mm machine guns in dorsal turret 4 x 7.7mm machine guns in tail turret OPTIONAL: Internal bomb load of up to 13,000 lb (5,897 kg). Staff Writer (Updated: 6/23/2016): While the Lancaster Heavy Bomber will always be more identifiable in terms of the British night bombing campaigns of World War Two, the Handley Page Halifax series of bombers should be remembered as being just as equally important in that role as well as others. The Halifax began as the prototype order H.P.56 and originally featured a setup of just two Vulture piston engines. With lingering performance issues readily apparent, the Handley Page company designed another prototype featuring four Rolls-Royce powerplants with the new design designated as the H.P.57. Two H.P.57 prototypes were orders and put through the paces of real flight-testing.

In 1940, the first official production version of the Halifax entered service designated as the Halifax B.Mk I of which 84 total aircraft of this type were produced. The B.Mk I featured 4 x Merlin X's (or "tens") that could generate 1,280 horsepower each. This initial batch of 84 were split into three series in production known as the Series I, Series II and Series III - each featuring minor modifications. The Series II featured an increased maximum take-off weight while the Series III was engineering with greater fuel capacity. The Halifax B.Mk II introduced the identifiable two-gun dorsal powered turret to compliment the four-gun turret assembly in the tail. Further variations were introduced with a dizzying array of powerplant setups and revised landing gear systems. The Halifax saw action in other roles during and after the war as well. The transport variants were nothing more than based on original models but placed into the transport role (sans weaponry). Maritime and airborne support models followed this suit as well. Post-war models included the Halton civilian transport and the C.Mk 8 and A.Mk 9 variants.

In total, production of the Halifax series of aircraft was reported to be 6,177. The bombers were credited with dropping 227,610 tons of bombs through more than 75,530 sorties. In the end, the Halifax bomber proved to be an efficient heavy night bomber capable of fulfilling the other not-so-glorious roles of wartime. © Global Operators Halifax Bomber over 10,000 free military vehicle photos! Halifax Bomber The Halifax bomber was a British-made heavy bomber used by the Royal Air Force in World War II starting from November 1940. Designed and built by Handley Page Ltd., it often partnered with the Avro Lancaster on various night bombing offensives undertaken by the RAF Bomber Command to destroy German industrial and urban areas. Today in WW II: 5 Jan 1941 British 8th Army [Wavell] captures Bardia in Cyrenaica, Libya taking 45,000 Italian prisoners. More ↓ 5 Jan 1942 On the Kerch Peninsula, German forces in the Crimea defeat a surprise landing at Eupatoria by the Soviet Red Army.

5 Jan 1942 Birth of the Seabees : Authority granted to recruit men from the construction trades for assignment to three Naval Construction Battalions [CBs => Seabees]. Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books . Handley Page Halifax Bomber in World War II The Halifax began its life as a response to the British Air Ministry's B.1/35 requirement. Its predecessor, the Vickers Wellington, was a twin-engine bomber, and the Handley Page Ltd. design team started off with two Vulture engines as the powerplant. The design team asked the Air Ministry to revise the requirement from H.P.56 to H.P.57, allowing for a longer wingspan that would accommodate four Merlin engines. The first prototype of this design flew on 25 October 1939; an improved prototype with Rotol propellers flew in August 1940, the design that became the Halifax Mk I.

Although the Halifax was deemed highly functional and versatile, it took many revisions over the ensuing five years to eliminate problems such as main landing gear retraction and reduction gears in the Merlin X engine. Ultimately, the Halifax was able to carry as heavy a weapons load as and fly faster than the Avro Lancaster bomber. A crew of seven manned the Halifax. A pilot and copilot worked the enclosed flight deck. A navigator/bombardier/gunner, radio operator, flight engineer, and two gunners worked in the fuselage. The aircraft had standard navigation and communications equipment for its day, along with an optical bombsight and gun sights. The Halifax Mk III was the first bomber to receive the H2S nav/attack radar system. In November 1940, the Halifax Mk I entered service, arriving first at the No. 33 Squadron of the RAF Bomber Command. The first mission was flown on 10/11 March 1941 in an attack on Le Harve, France. A total of 84 Mk Is were manufactured and delivered using the Merlin X engines in the Series 1 and 2, but a Merlin XX in some of the Series III.

Interestingly, a shortage of four-blade propellers, introduced to the Mk I to eliminate vibration that locked the tailwheel unit into the extended position, led to some Mk Is having three-blade propellers on the inboard engines and four-blade propellers on the outboard engines. The Halifax Mk II represented a substantial step forward for the bomber. This was the first model manufactured on a large scale, using four Merlin XX or 22 engines. A new dorsal turret was also added. But the turret created excess weight and drag, and the Mk II Series I (Special) was stripped of it as well as the original nose turret. Some aircraft had the flame-damper exhausts removed as well, changes that boosted performance. The Mk II Series IA saw a low-drag Boulton Paul dorsal turret added, as well as a molded Perspex nose fairing equipped with one .303 machine gun. These changes increased the length of the Mk II but improved the aerodynamics, allowing for higher speeds. The Mk III became the ultimate Halifax. The limitations in the earlier models, including lack of speed and low service ceiling, were resolved by using the Bristol Hercules radial piston engine.

The earlier Mk Is and IIs had lower-powered Merlin engines because the high-performance Merlins were needed in fighters such as the Beaufighter, Mosquito, and Supermarine Spitfire. The first Mk III flew in July 1943 using four Hercules XVI engines and a three-blade de Havilland metal propeller. These improvements allowed the Halifax to operate against targets previously thought to be too risky. A total of 2,091 Mk IIIs were manufactured. The Halifax lived on in several further versions. The Mk IV was a model that was projected but ultimately not built except as a conversion. The Mk V (904 built) had new Dowty units for the hydraulic system, and most of these aircraft had four-blade propellers. The Mk VI (557 built) first flew in October 1944. It was an improved version of the Mk IV with Hercules 100 radial engines. The final Halifax, the Mk VII (193 built) used the Hercules XVI radial engine instead of the Hercules 100 in the Mk VI due to supply shortages. The Mk VIIs found homes with French and Polish squadrons.

More than 6,000 Halifaxes came off the assembly lines of Handley Page and other companies sharing in the production. At the height of Britain's bomber offensive against Germany, the Halifax comprised 40 percent of the strength of the RAF Bomber Command. Halifax Bomber Characteristics Armament Nine .303-inch trainable forward-firing machine guns (1 Vickers K in nose, 4 Browning in dorsal turret, 4 Browning in tail turret) Crew Halifax Bomber A brief account of a World War II bomber’s final mission, it’s crew and it’s ultimate fate. THE AIRCREW OF DK 253 Alfred Gaiger David Coe Eric Potts Harold Frost Kendall Begbie Alexander Chibanoff Frederick Webb INTRODUCTION The following is an account of an event that the author witnessed as a child of eight years of age. Some thirty five years later in 1978 a serious attempt was made to investigate and find out more about this aircraft and the men that died in it. In the following year I was fortunate in having access to a meticulously kept diary of the late Mr Wild an A.R.P. warden and a farmer in a neighbouring village of Sipson.

This diary documented local war time events from 1939 to 1945 and confirmed the date as that of the 16th Sept 1943. The current rumour at the time was that it was crewed by Canadians, as a member of the Civil Defence Corps being first on the scene identified a Canadian accent from a crew member who tragically died on route to hospital. In order to further the investigation, a visit to the Canadian section of the Commonwealth War Graves at Brookwood Cemetery helped to locate three grave markers dated the 16th September 1943 and identified the Squadron as No. 427 Located in the National Archives at Kew (formally the public record office) is the Squadron’s Air Record Book, and from this one was able to piece together the full details of the crew, the mission, aircraft type, bomb load and crash details. In the preparation of this account at the time, I was able to make contact with the U.K. crew’s relatives, and more recently their Canadian counterparts. My thanks went to Mr Bill Gaiger of Wilmslow in Cheshire, brother of Sgt Alfred Gaiger who supplied the crew photograph.

The sisters of Sgt David Coe told me much about his pre-service life where he worked on the Royal Estate at Sandringham, and gave a current photograph of his burial on 21st Sept 1943. RAF LEEMING is still operational (1978) as a base of the Central Flying School but regretfully no airworthy Halifax bomber exists. In 1973, a partially damaged aircraft was located and raised from the bottom of a Norwegian fjord, after laying there for 31 years following a raid on the German pocket-battleship “Tirpitz” in April 1942. Its condition was such that restoration was not possible, but it is now on display at the RAF Museum at Hendon, North London, alongside another famous WW2 bomber, the Avro Lancaster. THE EVENT In the small hours of the morning of the 16th Sept 1943 a Mark 5 Halifax No DK 253 of 427 Royal Canadian Air Force passed over the village of Harmondsworth, formally in the county of Middlesex.

(Ordnance Survey Landranger No 176 location TQ 058/777), approximately 13 miles west of London’s Hyde Park Corner. Its altitude was extremely low and in a westerly direction passing over fields where London Airport (Heathrow) is now operating, and jettisoning bombs. It struck the ground adjacent to Cambridge House, the home of the late Mr & Mrs Freebody. The impact was of such intensity that the aircraft bounced some 25 feet high, tearing through the branches of the ash and willow trees lining the river bank of the River Colne, and felling the jib of a dredger parked on the bank side, finally exploding and disintegrating over a wide area of what was then known as Middle Moor. (O/S Landranger No 176 location TQ 052/777). The engines ploughed on ahead, over the river Wyrardisbury and settled in Hawthorn Moor, having travelled a quarter of a mile after initial impact - all indicative of a high speed impact. There was a total loss of life.

[see also an article on this event by Hollie Bridges published in the Canadian Air Force magazine, 11 November 2010] THE STATE OF WAR In the autumn of 1943, Europe was still under German occupation. The Normandy landings were still some nine months away and hostilities were to exist for another twenty months. To check the German war machine the air forces of the United Kingdom, the Dominions and the United States embarked on a policy of intense area bombing, the RAF by night and the USAAF by day. In 1943 alone, over 207,600 tons of bombs were dropped by the combined services. THE AIRCRAFT To meet this offensive, four-engined bombers were planned and built. They were designed and built for long range operation, affording deep penetration into Germany, carrying what was at that time, unprecedented bomb loads of up to 20,000 lbs. The RAF employed three types of heavy bomber, the Short Stirling being the first to go into service, an aircraft limited as a result of a short wing span. Air Ministry specifications insisted on its necessity to be ‘hangared’ for servicing purposes.

The Handley Page Halifax followed in November 1940, to be followed in 1942 by the Avro Lancaster of ‘Dam Buster’ fame. THE HALIFAX In 1936, the Air Staff put forward specifications for a twin engined medium bomber. It was designated HP 56, but later specifications called for an aircraft to be powered by four Rolls Royce Merlin engines. This designation was to be HP 57. The designer was George Volkert, the company Handley Page. It was designed to be produced by the split-construction and unit assembly method, enabling rapid construction. Photo lofting techniques were employed where the drawings of the component parts were reproduced photographically on sensitised metal. This enabled accurate machine work to the print-out. These methods were pioneered by Handley Page enabling mass production techniques by shadow factories known as the Halifax Group, comprising English Electric, the Fairy Aviation Company, Rootes Securities (motor manufacturers) and the London Aircraft Production Group formed out of London Transport Organisation at Chiswick and built at Hanworth (West London).

The technological spin off from this was employed in the building and construction of the first of the post war London buses - the RT that dominated the streets of the Capital from the end of the war until 1979 when the introduction of the RM bus replaced it. The first Halifax prototype flew one month after the declaration of war and a total of 6176 were built and saw service throughout the period of the War and remained in squadron service for a further 10 years, in particular the Berlin Airlift, where they were indispensible. They were not without problems in their earlier life, developing sever instability in flight, but redesigning of the tail plane rudders overcame this, and it became a very reliable aircraft serving a multi role function from meteorological surveys to glider tugs, as well as the role of an efficient bomber. Halifaxes flew 75,000 individual sorties throughout the conflict, the first taking place on the night of March 10/11 1941 on Le Havre. A total of a million tons of bombs fell on enemy territory from Halifax bombers throughout the war.

The aircraft required a crew of seven, namely:- The Pilot, the Navigator, the Flight Engineer, the Wireless Operator, the Bomb Aimer, the Mid Upper Gunner and the Tail Gunner. Nine Marks of Halifax were built, all at variance with each other by engine type, armament, and only, in the case of the Mark V, the under carriage was by Dowty, and the engines were Rolls Royce Merlin XX, each with a power output of 1,260 Brake Horsepower. It had an armament consisting of 9 x 0.303 Browning Machine Guns and a maximum bomb load of 13,000 lbs. Its length was 71ft 7ins with a wing span of 104ft 2ins. With a height of 20ft 9ins it weighed 6,000 lbs. THE SQUADRON ZL 427 RCAF was formed at Croft in County Durham in November 1942 on a nucleus of ten crews from 419 Squadron and eighteen Wellingtons Mark 3, of which sixteen were serviceable.

These transferred to RAF Leeming in Yorkshire in May 1943, where the crews underwent the heavy conversion courses on Halifaxes, making their first operational flight on the 28th June 1943. The badge was issued on the authority of King George VI in October 1943 and displayed A Lion Rampant in front of a maple leaf, thereby representing both Britain and Canada. The motto was Ferte manus certas-“Strike Sure”. Its mascot was the Lion and it adopted one of the Prime Minister’s private lions kept at Whipsnade Zoo. The Squadron was in turn adopted by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film company in May 1943 and their first Mark V’s were named after MGM stars. THE MISSION On the 15th of September DK253 was assigned its final and fatal operation. The aircraft was a veteran of these operations, having bombed Hamburg, Nuremburg (its longest run), Dusseldorf, Mannheim and the most dangerous run of all –Berlin. It had bombed Leverkusen on the 2nd of August and made back to base with failure of the starboard inner engine.

On August 30th it made a bombing run to Munchen Gladbach. Unfavourable weather conditions during the first two weeks of September prevented any further operations, but by the 15th the weather conditions improved over France and at 2035 hours DK253 lifted off the runway at Leeming for the very last time. The target was the Dunlop rubber factory at Montlucan, an industrial town some 170 miles south of Paris, making it a round trip of approximately 1,200 miles. The aircraft was armed with a bomb load of 5,960 lbs and was one of thirteen aircraft from 427 Squadron. This mission was shared with 20 Halifaxes from 158 Squadron out of Lisset, a station near the coast of South Yorkshire, now Humberside. Of 427 squadron three aircraft returned prematurely with a variety of mechanical problems, the remaining ten proceeded on through the night. France was considered a nursery run as enemy opposition was considerably less than that encountered over Germany.

To quote from a recently arrived crew member of 158 Squadron: “Being in France was regarded by the rest of the squadron as a ‘sissy one’, but to us of course……today I offer a silent prayer to the Flight Commander who put us on a French target for our first operation. We would not have survived a German raid prancing about as we did at Montlucan. We soon grew up though - our next one was Hanover”. The weather was good the night of 16th with 6/10 cloud (cloud density is now measured in 8ths) at height of 9,000/10,000 ft over the target area and all debriefing reports confirmed a successful operation, with little enemy opposition. The target was indicated with marker flares previously dropped by Pathfinders and bomber crews debriefing reports confirmed- “Observed T I markers through gap in clouds and bombed through this gap. Observed large and well concentrated fire in the shape of a factory building.

Raid appeared to be quite successful.” (Ext ARB 427 Squadron PRO Kew) By 0400 hours on the morning of the 16th September nine Halifaxes of 427 Squadron had returned to their base at Leeming without mishap. By 0250 hours that same morning DK 253 lay wrecked in a field at Harmondsworth. That morning an entry was made in his personal diary by an ARP warden on the site:- Harmondsworth Moor Incident 16th September 1943 HALIFAX bomber flew in low on a NW and W position (sic) disintegrating before finally crashing in a field on Harmondsworth Moor, pieces falling in Trustler’s field and Cedar Farm (*). Bombs jettisoned in Philp’s field (**) behind Eustace Watkins(***) drawing out all the shop windows along the Bath Road(****) and many houses near Pinglestone Close, and also shops in Sipson Way also lost windows. Aircraft exploded on impact killing all crew, petrol tanks exploded, causing huge sheet of flame. There was no alert at the time. *Sipson end of Harmondsworth Lane.

**Now inside the airport perimeter (Heathrow L.A.) ***A shadow factory fitting engines into motor torpedo boats. Since demolished. ****A4 London to Bath and adjacent properties. By day break the RAF crash guard despatched from RAF Northolt took up duty and comprised LAC, - R Riddell, E Crossland, J Clover, ? Spencer, ?How, and one Cpl Field. All trace of the aircraft was removed during the ensuing days and on the 19th of September a further entry in the diary mentions: Service held at place of plane crash conducted by Mr Hollis. Scripture by Mr Woolford Speaker Mr Belch, all members of the local Baptist Chapel. Also in attendance was the Vicar of the local church of St Mary, the Rev Ross. He also states that 300 people were in attendance. ------------------- The following entry was made in the Squadron’s Air Record Book.

Time up Time down Halifax V Pilot A Chibanoff Flt Sgt R147645 (RCAF) 20.45 ------------- DK2353 R/Air Gunner Sgt HW Frost R188092 (RCAF) Nav FV Webb F/O J14505 (RCAF) Bomb Aimer KB Begbie F/O J22698 (RCAF) W/Op-Air gun A R Gaiger Sgt 137997 RAF (VR) Mid-Upper Air Gun ET Potts Sgt 1302756 RAF (VR) F/Eng DR Coe Sgt 1649543 RAF (VR) Target- MONTLUCAN Bomb load 1 x 2000ib HC Nose INST + 48 x 30lb Inc +600 x 4lb Inc + 30 x 4lb X type Inc This aircraft failed to return from operation, and is therefore presumed as missing. Later information received to the effect that aircraft crashed at West Drayton* on return to this country with all occupants killed.

*The site is some 3 - 4 miles south of West Drayton, and it is assumed that this was used for location purposes as there was an RAF station in the town. ED. MEMORIALS In the beautiful surroundings of the Canadian Military Cemetery at Brookwood near Woking in the county of Surrey-maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission-lie the bodies of Alexander Chibanoff of Glendon, Alberta, Canada. Aged 22years. Harold Frost of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Aged 20 years Frederick Webb of Vancouver, BC, Canada Aged 27 years At the Warriston Crematorium, Edinburgh, Scotland, commemorated on a memorial panel, is the name of Kendall Begbie of Riverside, Ontario, Canada. In the quiet churchyard of St Nicholas in the village of Dersingham in Norfolk, England, lies the body of David Coe, aged 19 years In the town cemetery of the Yorkshire town of Knaresborough, not so distant from Leeming, lies Eric Potts aged 22 years.

And in the Chorley cemetery near Alderley Edge in Cheshire lies Alfred Gaiger aged 26 years, whose brother died two days later of wounds received at Salerno, and another killed in February of the same year. Dedication of The Monument SUMMARY The purpose of this account was to remove the anonymity of such a tragic event that occurred so long ago, and, by researching, established much that was not known. One thing that was not established at the time of this initial research, was why, after a successful mission, this one aircraft should end its operational life in the fields of Harmondsworth. 1978 In September 1995 documents were received from the family of Frederick Vere Web in Canada, consisting of the Accident Investigation Branch report No W1659 giving a précis account of events just prior to the crash. Whilst this is primary source material, it must be accepted as conjecture. Acknowledgements The late Mr & Mrs Freebody for providing the crash guard names, confirming many points and giving their time and patience. Mrs C Wild - for the opportunity to read and extract the two entries from her father-in-law’s diary.

Captain R N Benwell for his advice on certain points and the use of the crew member’s account after the Montlucan raid – taken from his book ‘In Brave Company’ and co-authored with W R Chorley, and available from the author. Mr TAE Gibson, Chief Records Officer – Commonwealth War Graves Commission, for the burial records and locations. Mr W Gaiger for the aircrew photograph. Mr D. Wheeler - for the photograph of the memorial panel at the Warriston Crematorium. RAF - Bomber Command No.51 Squadron Bomber Command No.51 Squadron No. 51 Squadron Motto: "Swift and sure". Badge: A goose volant. The goose was chosen as a play on the word " Anson", the type of aircraft with which the squadron was equipped, "anser" meaning goose. The goose is a fast day and night flyer and its species fly in V-formation as a protective measure. The goose, being among the heavier of wild fowl, was thought to be appropriate for a bomber squadron. Authority: King George VI, December 1937. No.

51 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Thetford, Norfolk, on 15th May 1916, as a Home Defence Squadron and was originally equipped with BE2c and 'd and BE12 aircraft. Later it received a few FE2b's. In addition to providing protection against air attack, the Home Defence squadrons were also responsible for training pilots in night flying. At the end of 1917 all Home Defence squadrons became service squadrons, and in 1918 No. 51 was given a special single-seat version of the Avro 504K with a Lewis gun fitted above the top centre-section. This model was specially developed for night fighting, but had the added advantage of forming a suitable introductory type for the Sopwith Camel, which was being standardised for night-fighter squadrons. Disbanded in 1919, No. 51 was re-formed in 1937 as a night-bomber squadron and when war broke out in September 1939, it was flying Whitleys with the Yorkshire-based No. 4 Group.

On the very first night of the war - 3rd/4th September - three of the squadron's Whitleys, operating from Leconfield, made, in conjunction with Whitleys of No. 58 Squadron, the first Nickel or leaflet raid over Germany. This was the first occasion that RAF aircraft penetrated into Germany during the Second World War. In 1940, No. 51 began to drop bombs as well as leaflets on the enemy and during the year shared in several notable Bomber Command "firsts", including the first attack on a land target (the mine-laying seaplane base at Hornum on the island of Sylt, 19/20th March), the first big attack on the German mainland (the exits of Monchengladbach, 11/12th May), the first attack on Italy (primary target Fiat works at Turin, 11/12th June), and the first area bombing attack on a German industrial centre (Mannheim, 16/17th December).

During the next two years, in addition to continuing its bombing offensive, the squadron participated in two notable paratroop operations: Operation Colossus on 10/11th February 1941, when paratroops (carried in Whitleys of No. 78 Squadron some of which were flown by No. 51 Squadron crews) destroyed an aqueduct in southern Italy; and Operation Biting on 27/28th February 1942, when a raiding party (carried in Whitleys of No. 51 Squadron led by Wing Commander PC Pickard1) captured a complete Wurzburg radar installation at Bruneval, near Le Havre. From May to October 1942, No. 51 Squadron was attached to Coastal Command and during this period flew anti-submarine patrols from a station in Devon. On returning to Bomber Command and Yorkshire the squadron' was re-equipped with Halifaxes and it continued with aircraft of this type for the remainder of the European war before being transferred to Transport Command on 7 May 1945.

Seldom, if ever, during World War 2 did an RAF bomber land on an English airfield with more damage than No. 51 Squadron's Halifax III MZ465 "Y-Yorker" after its bombing attack on Saarbrücken on 13/14th January 1945. Nine feet of the nose was chopped completely off when the Halifax collided with another bomber, but it struggled back to this country with only three of its flying instruments still working, to make a perfect landing. Some of the skin on the nose was bent round and gave some protection against the wind which whistled through the aircraft as it flew home at 7,000 feet. But the captain, Flying Officer AL Wilson, of Leicester, and the rest of his crew were frozen as they struggled to keep the aircraft flying. (The navigator and the bomb-aimer, neither of whom were then wearing parachutes, had fallen out of the aircraft at the time of the collision). The four engines continued to function perfectly after the collision, although the propellers were dented, probably by bits of wreckage which shook loose and flew off the fuselage.

The radio was still working five minutes after the collision, but had to be shut off because of shorting; blue sparks were playing around the aircraft and there was danger of fire. In that short five minutes, before the radio was cut off, the operator was able to send out an SOS which was received in England. As a result "Y -Yorker" was given special landing aids when it landed on an emergency airfield. The intercom was unserviceable as well as the ASI, the DR compass, and many other vital instruments for flying and navigation. "Y -Yorker" dived 1,500 feet after the collision, with the pilot struggling to gain control. He managed to do this and brought the aircraft up to 11,000 feet again. At this height it stalled, but he managed to keep it at 7,000 feet and at this height flew home. 1 W/Cdr. Pickard, who was then No. 51's CO, was already well-known as the pilot of the Wellington "F-Freddie" in the documentary film Target for Tonight, and was later to achieve undying fame as leader of the Mosquito raid on Amiens prison.

Bomber Command WWII Bases: Detachment at Kinloss on loan to Coastal Command Nov/Dec 1939. Dishforth : Dec 1939-May 1942 Detachment at Andover in Feb 1942 for training for Bruneval raid. Chivenor (on loan to Coastal Command) : May 1942-Oct 1942 Snaith : Oct 1942-Apr 1945 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley II, III, IV and V : early 1938-Oct 1942 Handley Page Halifax B.II and B.III : Nov 1942-May 1945 Code Letters: During the 1938 Munich crisis No. 51 was allotted the code letters "UT". In WW2 the sqdn's a/c were coded "MH" & - in the case of "C" FIt's Halifaxes - "LK" & later, "C6". First Operational Mission in WWII: 3rd/4th September 1939 : 3 Whitleys Nickelled over northern Germany.

First Bombing Mission in WWII: 13th December 1939 : 1 Whitley bombed an unidentified submarine in the North Sea during a security patrol. The submarine, which had failed to identify itself when challenged by a light signal, subsequently proved to be British. Fortunately the Whitley's bombs fell wide. First Bombing Attack on a Pre-determined Objective in WW2: 19/20th March 1940 : 7 Whitleys despatched to bomb seaplane base at Hornum. 5 ac bombed primary, 1 aborted & the other FTR. Last Operational Mission in WWII: 25th April 1945 : 18 Halifaxes bombed gun batteries on island of Wangerooge.

1000+ images about Handley Page Halifax Bomber on Pinterest | The very, The o'jays and Bombers Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas Handley Page Halifax Bomber Handley Page Halifax - WW2 AIRCRAFT ENTHUSIASTS WW2 AIRCRAFT ENTHUSIASTS Handley Page Halifax Second of the four-engined heavy bombers to enter service with the RAF, in November 1940, the Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax was one of the famous triad comprised of the Handley Page Halifax, Avro Lancaster and Short Stirling which mounted RAF Bomber Command's night-bombing offensive against Germany. In conjunction with the daylight attacks for which the USAAF had accepted responsibility, this round-the-clock battering of German targets reached its peak in 1944, causing almost unbelievable devastation. But although it entered service more than a year ahead of the Lancaster, the Halifax was always somewhat over-shadowed in the bombing role by the achievement of the superb Lancaster.

The Halifax, however, scored over the Lancaster in its multi-role capability, for in addition to its deployment as a heavy night-bomber, it was equally at home when employed as an ambulance, freighter, glider tug, personnel transport and maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The origin of the Halifax stemmed back to an Air Ministry requirement of 1935 for a twin-engined bomber, to which Handley Page submitted a design identified as the H.P.55. This proved to be unsuccessful, but about a year later the Air Ministry issued a new specification, P.13/36, which called for a medium/heavy bomber to be powered by two 24-cylinder engines known as the Vulture X-Type which Rolls-Royce then had under development. Handley Page's H.P.56 proposal was selected for prototype construction, but the company had doubts that the Vulture engine would emerge as a reliable production powerplant, and set about the task of redesigning the H.P.56 to take four Bristol Taurus engines, but this was soon changed to incorporate Rolls-Royce Merlins instead.

The overall configuration was not greatly changed, but the H.P.57 design, which was submitted to the Air Ministry for approval, was for a considerably larger and heavier aeroplane. 40,000 lbs (18141 kg) loaded weight instead of the original 26,300 lbs (11927 kg). On 3 September 1937 Handley Page was awarded a contract for the manufacture of two prototypes of the H.P.57, with construction beginning in early 1938. When the first of these was nearing completion, it was realised that the company's airfield at Radlett, Hertfordshire, was too restricted for the first flight of such a large aircraft, and it was decided instead to use the nearest non-operationa1 RAF airfield, which was at Bicester in Oxfordshire. Thus, final assembly was carried out at Bicester and it was from there that the first flight (L7244) was made on 25 October 1939.

As then flown the H.P.57 was a mid-wing cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction, the wing incorporating automatic leading-edge slats, but these were deleted on production aircraft as the Air Ministry required that the wing leading edges should be armoured and provided with barrage balloon cable cutters. The tail unit comprised a large high-mounted tailplane and rudder assembly with twin endplate fins and rudders, and the fuselage was a deep, slab-sided all-metal structure with considerable internal volume, it was this feature which was to provide the later versions with multi-role capability. Accommodation was provided for a crew of seven, including three gunners to man the nose, beam and tail positions. Landing gear was of retractable tailwheel type, and the powerplant comprised four Merlin engines. For its primary role as a bomber, a variety of weapons could be carried in a 22 ft (6.71 m) long bomb bay in the lower fuselage, supplemented by two bomb compartments in the wing centre-section, one on each side of the fuselage. Melting Snow, Clearing Mist - An original artwork by Keith Woodcock.

The second prototype (L7245) made its first flight on 17 August 1940, followed just under two months later on 11 October 1940 by the first production example (L9485), by then designated Halifax Mk I, and this was powered by 1,280 hp (954 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines. Armament of these early production aircraft consisted of two and four 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine-guns in nose and tail turrets, respectively. Full designation of the first production version was Halifax B.Mk I Series I, and these began to equip the RAF's No.35 Bomber Squadron based in Leeming starting on 23 November 1940. It was this unit that, on 11 March 1941, was the first to use the Halifax operationally, in an attack on Le Havre by six of the squadrons aircraft, and a few days later the Halifax became the first of the RAF's four-engined bombers to make a night attack against a German target, when bombs were dropped on Hamburg by three aircraft.

The Halifax was used for the first time in a daylight attack against Kiel on 30 June 1941, but it did not take long to discover that the aircraft's defensive armament was inadequate for daylight use, and by the end of 1941 the Halifaxes were used only by night in the bombing role. This resulted in the provision of better armament for later versions. Early deployment of the Halifax had confirmed that this new four-engined bomber had much to offer, but although contracts for large-scale construction very quickly exceeded the productive capacity of the Handley Page factories at Cricklewood and Radlett, pre-war plans had been made for alternative sources of supply. The establishment of four new production lines was made easier by the unit method of construction which had been adopted for the Halifax, and the first of these sub-contract aircraft to fly, on 15 August 1941, came from the English Electric Company of Preston, which had earlier been involved in the manufacture of Handley Page's Hampden medium-bomber. The other three lines were those of Fairey Aviation Company Limited of Stockport, Rootes Securities Limited of Spekes and the London Aircraft Production Group (London Passenger Transport Board).

From their first introduction into operational service, Halifax bombers were in continuous use by RAF Bomber Command, equipping at their peak usage no fewer than 34 squadrons in the European theatre, and four more in the Middle East. Two flights were in early use in the Far East, and following VE-Day a number of squadrons operating with the Halifax B.Mk VI flew their aircraft out for co-operation with the Allied forces fighting in the Pacific theatre The Halifax was involved in the first Pathfinder operations in August 1942 and was the first RAF aircraft to be equipped with the highly secret H2S blind bombing radar equipment. It was also involved in extensively in daylight attacks on German V-1 sites. Between 1941 and 1945 the Halifax flew 75,532 sorties during which 231252 tonnes (227,610 tons) of bombs were dropped on European targets.

The Halifax was also operated by nine squadrons of the RAF's Coastal Command for anti-submarine, meteorological and shipping patrols, the aircraft being converted from standard bombers and specially equipped, taking the designations Halifax GR.Mk II, GR.Mk V or GR.Mk VI according to the bomber version from which they were derived. Similarly, RAF Transport Command acquired Halifax C.Mk III, C.Mk VI and C.Mk VII aircraft as casualty, freight and personnel transports. Little known in wartime was the work of Nos 138 and 161 SOE (Special Duties) Squadrons, which had the task of dropping special agents and/or supplies by parachute into enemy territory. One other vital use of the Halifax was by the Airborne Forces, for under the designations Halifax A.Mk III, A.Mk V and A.Mk VII, equivalent bomber versions were converted to serve for the deployment of paratroops or as glider tugs. The Halifax was, in fact, the only aircraft capable of towing the large General Aircraft Hamilcar glider, a capability first proven in February 1942.

Soon after that date the Halifax tug made its operational debut when two Airspeed Horsas were hauled across the North Sea to attack the German heavy-water plant in south Norway. The Halifax Mk I was followed into service by the Halifax B.Mk II Srs 1, which introduced a Boulton Paul twin-gun dorsal turret, and an increase of 15 per cent in standard fuel capacity. The powerplant, initially Merlin XXs, was changed later to Merlin 22s of equal power output. These changes, plus others introduced after the prototypes had made their first flights, resulted in a steady increase in gross weight. As there had been no surplus engine power from the outset, the result was that operational performance was being eroded by enhanced capability. This can be accepted during wartime conditions provided the rate of attrition remains fairly constant, but in the case of the Halifax Mk II the dorsal turret represented 'the last straw', and steps were taken immediately to improve the performance of these aircraft. The resulting Halifax B.Mk II Srs IA (company designation H.P.59) had a performance increase of some 10 per cent in both maximum and cruising speeds, which was achieved by efforts to reduce both weight and drag.

The nose turret was deleted, the nose acquiring a streamlined fairing and the dorsal turret was removed. Later production switched to the B.Mk II Series IA, which introduced a Perspex nose fairing and Defiant-type four-gun dorsal turret. The Halifax however, suffered through several initial teething problems. The most serious of which was that the rudders, when exposed to violent manoeuvres, had a tendency to overload and jam, making it possible for the Halifax to enter an inverted and uncontrollable spin. When this happened the pilot usually was unable to free the rudder from its locked position and several crashes initially determined to be caused by "unknown circumstances" were eventually traced to this problem after extensive testing, following the inexplicable losses of fully loaded aircraft. This design flaw along with other minor problems, were to lead to the Halifax squadron's suffering higher than expected losses in the aircraft's early months of service. Various modifications were made to the initial rudder design, including limiting the amount the rudder could be moved, but the problem was not completely eliminated until the introduction of the B.Mk III, which introduced a rectangular, rather than a triangular shaped rudder.

The last major production version was the Halifax B.Mk III (company designation H.P.61), the first of the bombers to introduce Bristol Hercules VI or XVI radial engines, which offered 1,615 hp (1204 kW) for take-off. Although withdrawn from Bomber Command immediately after VJ-Day, the Halifax GR.Mk VI continued to serve with Coastal Command after the war, as did the Halifax A.Mk VII with transport squadrons at home and overseas. Post-war versions included the Halifax C.Mk VIII (company designation H.P.70), which could accommodate a 8,000 lbs (3629 kg) capacity detachable pannier beneath the fuselage, and the Halifax A.Mk IX (company designation H.P.71) troop-carrier and supply-dropper for use by airborne forces. When production of these two versions ended, amounting to some 230 aircraft, a total of 6,178 Halifaxes had been built, and examples remained in RAF service until late 1947.

When Transport Command Halifax C.Mk VIIIs became surplus to military requirements, 10 were converted by Short Brothers & Harland (Belfast) as 10 seat Halton Mk.I (H.P.70) civil transports for service with BOAC. Subsequently about 80 other civil conversions, some near to the Halton standard were carried out by a variety of contractors. Only four Halifaxes made it to 100 missions. Today there are no complete original Halifax bomber on display, but the Air Force Museum in Trenton, Ontario, Canada is currently restoring a plane recovered from a lake in Norway, which had originally crashed there in 1944. Halifax Civil Transport To make available as soon as possible a high-speed long range civil transport that will serve as an interim type until the Handley Page H.P.68 Hermes is ready, Handley Page Limited, developed a civil conversion of the Halifax Bomber for use by Airline Operators. In a conventional airliner interior arrangement the Halifax Civil Transport accommodates eleven passengers. Nine in adjustable armchair type seats and two in a comfortable compartment which is readily convertible into a two-berth sleeping compartment.

If desired additional sleeping berths can be fitted in the main passenger compartment. The whole cabin is upholstered and lined throughout and each passenger seat has a window adjacent thereto. A lavatory is fitted aft of the main compartment. In addition to the eleven passengers, the Halifax Civil Transport can also carry a large amount of freight and/or mail in a specially-designed pannier of a streamline form which fits into the underside of the fuselage where in the military version bombs are carried. This pannier, with a capacity for loads up to 8,000 lbs (3,632 kg), has loading hatches fore and aft and can be lowered from and raised up to the aircraft by means of winches. Thus for specific freight-carrying operations, a complete pannier can be detached and replaced by another for rapid "turn-around" flights. When conditions demand extreme range, with a consequent reduction in payload, additional long-range tanks can be fitted in place of the pannier to give a maximum range of 3,510 miles (5616 km). The general structure of the Civil Transport is identical to that of the Halifax bomber.

The powerplant consists of four Bristol Hercules 100 engines which developed 1,675 hp (1249 kW) for take-off and 1,800 hp (1342 kW) at 10,000 ft (3050 m), each driving a de Havilland three-blade constant-speed full-feathering airscrew. Range - at 65,000 lbs (29510 kg) all up weight and 55,000 lbs (24970 kg) landing weight.

Range with maximum load of 12,100 lbs (5493 kg) 1,810 miles (2896 km), Range with load of 10,000 lbs (4540 kg) 2,150 miles (3440 km), Maximum range with normal fuel tanks and load of 7,750 lbs (3518 kg) 2,530 miles (4050 km.), Maximum range with long-range fuel tanks and load of 2,500 lbs (1135 kg) 3,510 miles (5616 km). Range - at 68,000 lbs (30,870 kg) all up weight and 57,000 lbs (25880 kg) landing weight.

Range with maximum load of 14,100 lbs (6400 km) 1,860 miles (2976 km), Range with load of 12,500 lbs (5675 kg) 2,120 miles (3390 km), Maximum range with normal fuel tanks and load of 10,750 lbs (4880 kg) 2,420 miles (3872 km), Maximum range with long-range fuel tanks and load of 5,450 lbs (2475 kg) 3,360 miles (5,376 km). Dimensions - Same as for the Halifax bomber except Length 73 ft 7 in. (22.45 m). Weights - Tare weight 37,750 lbs (17140 kg). Removable equipment and crew 2,850 Ibs (1294 kg). Basic equipped weight 40,600 lbs (18434 kg). Performance - Maximum speed 320 mph.

(512 km/h), Maximum weak mixture cruising speed at 10,000 ft (3050 m) 260 mph (416 km/h), Maximum weak mixture cruising speed at 15,000 ft (4575 m) 270 mph (432 km/h), Economical cruising speed at 10,000 ft (3050 m) 200 mph (320 km/h). Economical cruising speed at 15,000 ft (4575 m) 210 mph (336 km/h). This type was a late war conversion done by Handley Page Limited, and should not be confused with the 10 post-war Halton Mk.I (H.P.70) civil transports converted from surplus military aircraft for service with BOAC.

Specifications (Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax B.Mk III) Type: Seven Seat Heavy Bomber, Glider Tug, Troop/Freight Transport, Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), ASW Platform & Air Ambulance Accommodation/Crew: A crew of seven was normally carried, consisting of a Pilot, Co-Pilot/Flight Engineer, Navigator, Radio/Wireless Operator and three Gunners. Bomb-aimers position in extreme nose. Aft of the bomb-aimer is the navigator's compartment and chart table. Aft of the navigator is the pilot's compartment seating two side-by-side. Pilots have direct communication with the Radio Operator who is situated below them on the same level as the navigator. Behind the pilots compartment is the engineers station, where there is an astral dome in the roof from which the Fighting Control Officer can direct operations when the aircraft is attacked. In the centre-section bunks are fitted for the crew. Behind the wings there is an upper midships gun turret and tail turret. A walkway throughout the length of the fuselage gives access to all crew stations. Entry to the fuselage is provided by a door on the lower port side of the aircraft.

All crew positions have armour protection. Design: Handley Page Design Team with Sir Frederick Handley Page as Managing Director. Manufacturer: Handley Page Limited based in Cricklewood, London with airport facilities at Park Street and Colney Street, Radlett, Hertfordshire. The aircraft were built at Cricklewood, but assembled at the Park and Colney Street plants (1,592 aircraft). The actual production of the Halifax was undertaken by a Production Group consisting of Handley Page Limited (which acted as technical consultants and advisors), the English Electric Company of Preston, Lancashire with assembly at Samlesbury (2,145 aircraft), the London Passenger Transport Board (710 aircraft), Rootes Securities Limited of Spekes (1,070 aircraft) and the Fairey Aviation Company Limited of Stockport (661 aircraft). The London Passenger Transport Board (London Aircraft Production Group) itself originally consisted of Chrysler Motors (rear fuselage), Duplex Bodies and Motors (forward fuselage and components), Express Motor and Body Works (inner wing sections), Park Royal Coachworks (outer wing sections) and London Transport's Aldenham bus depot, with assembly at Leavesden.

Altogether at the peak of production the Group comprised 41 factories and dispersed units, 600 sub-contractors and a total of 51,000 employees, which on average, produced one aircraft per hour. Powerplant: Four 1,675 hp (1250 kW) Bristol Hercules XVI 14-cylinder sleeve-valve double-row air-cooled radial engines rated at 2,900 rpm at 4,500 ft (1370 m); 1,615 hp (1205 kW) at 2,900 rpm for take-off; 1,050 hp (783 kW) at 2,400 rpm at 10,250 ft (3130 m) driving three-bladed Rotol constant-speed full-feathering propellers or four-bladed de Havilland Hydromatic propellers.

Performance: Maximum speed 282 mph (454 km/h) at 13,500 ft (4115 m); long range cruising speed of 215 mph (346 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6095 m); service ceiling 24,000 ft (7315 m); initial rate of climb 751 ft (229 m) per minute. Fuel Capacity: 12 self-sealing fuel tanks giving a total capacity of 1,998 Imperial gallons (2,400 US gallons or 9071 litres), plus provisions for 576 Imperial gallons (692 US gallons) in 6 auxiliary tanks in the the wing weapon cells. Oil Capacity: Oil tanks in outer engine nacelles and in leading-edge of centre-section for the inboard engines. Capacity is unknown.

Range: 1,030 miles (1658 km) on internal fuel with maximum bombload of 14,500 lbs (6576 kg) or 1,985 miles (3196 km) with a main fuselage bomb bay load of 13,500 lbs (6122 kg) with extra fuel carried in the wing cells. Weights & Loadings: Empty (clean) 38,240 lbs (17345 kg), empty (equipped) xx lbs (xx kg) with a maximum take-off weight of 65,000 lbs (29484 kg). Wing loading 51 lbs/sq ft (248.8 kg/sq m); power loading 12.7 lbs/hp (5.76 kg/hp).

Dimensions: Span 104 ft 2 in (31.75 m); length 71 ft 7 in (21.82 m); height 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m); wing area 1,275.0 sq ft (118.45 sq m). Defensive Armament: A total of nine 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine-guns with one 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers "K" machine-gun with 300 rounds on a pivoted mount in the nose and four 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning machine-guns in each of the (Boulton-Paul) Type A Mk.VIII dorsal turret with 600 rounds per gun and the Boulton Paul Type E Mk.III tail turret with 2,500 rounds per gun. For aircraft serving in RAF Coastal Command, standard machine-guns of 12.7 mm (0.50 in) calibre were used where possible.

Disposable Ordnance: A maximum of 14,500 lbs (6576 kg) of disposable ordnance in main fuselage and wing cells. The main ordnance compartment in the lower part of the fuselage is 22 ft (6.7 m) long and closed by eight hydraulically operated doors and is capable of carrying up to 13,000 lbs (5896 kg) of disposable stores. Six wing cells (three in each centre-section of the wing) are each capable of carrying 500 lbs (227 kg). Handley Page loading winches load bombs on their carriers and automatically locates them in the correct position within the bomb-bays. Aircraft serving in RAF Coastal Command could carry up to eight 250 lbs (113 kg) depth charges and starting in 1944, 600 lbs (272 kg) anti-submarine bombs. Supply dropping usually consisted of the delivery of containers containing weapons, ammunition and explosives.

The containers were about 15 in (38 cm) in diameter and about 60 in (152.4 cm) long and were carried in the Halifax's bomb-bays. Variants: GR.Mk II, GR.Mk II Series 1 (Special), GR.Mk V, Met.Mk V, GR.Mk VI, Met.Mk VI, C.Mk III, C.Mk VI. C.Mk VII, C.Mk VIII (H.P.70), A.Mk III, A.Mk VI, A.Mk VII, A.Mk IX (H.P.71), B.Mk I Series 1, B.Mk I Series 2, B.Mk I Series 3, Mk II/B.Mk II, B.Mk II Series 1, B.Mk II Series 1A, B.Mk II Series 1 (Special), B.Mk II Series 2, B.Mk III (H.P.61), B.Mk IV (single prototype), B.Mk V Series IA, B.Mk V Series I (Special), B.Mk VI (H.P.61), B.Mk VII (H.P.

61), Halton Mk I. Equipment/Avionics: Full communications and navigation equipment. Flares, oxygen, cabin heating are also provided. Dinghies for emergency use are located in the trailing-edge of the port wing. Wings/Fuselage/Tail Unit: Mid-wing cantilever monoplane type. The wing is built up of five main sections, consisting of a centre-section carrying the inboard engine mountings at its extremities, two intermediate sections, and tow out sections which carry the outboard engine mountings at their roots. The centre-section has two spars, the front spar a girder structure built up of channel sections and the rear spar comprising of T-section extruded booms and plain sheet web. The intermediate sections, at which the dihedral begins, are built up on two spars which have T-section booms and sheet webs. The outer wings are similar but have L-section booms. All sections have detachable trailing-edge sections aft of the rear spars. The leading-edge of the outer sections is armoured and is provided with balloon cable cutters. The structure of the various sections is completed by former ribs, spanwise stringers and a smooth light alloy skin.

Ailerons on the outer sections have aluminium-alloy frames and fabric covering. Handley Page slotted trailing-edge flaps between ailerons and fuselage. The fuselage is an oval section with light alloy monocoque structure in four main sections with L-section and U-section frames, L-section stringers and a stressed-metal skin. Two channel section longerons run the entire length of the fuselage along the centreline of the sides, with the top flanges forming the floor support. The tail unit is a cantilever monoplane type with twin fins and rudders. Two spar tailplane. Balanced elevators and rudders. Trimming tabs in all control surfaces. Landing Gear: Rectractable Messier hydraulic units made from cast magnesium, with auxiliary hand pumps. Wheels are retracted backwards into inner engine nacelles leaving a small portion of each wheel protruding but closely fitted by doors. The tailwheel was also retractable.

History: First flight (first prototype) 25 October 1939; first flight (second prototype) 17 August 1940; first flight (production) October 1940; first operational sortie 11 March 1941; retired from service (RAF Coastal Command) late 1947. Operators: United Kingdom (RAF), Canada (RCAF), Australia (RAAF), New Zealand (RNZAF), France (FFL). Units: The Halifax first entered service with No.35 Bomber Squadron during November 1940, and on 11 March 1941, was the first to use the Halifax operationally, in an attack on Le Havre. At their peak, the Halifax was to equip 34 Squadrons in the RAF Bomber Command (Europe).

Squadrons Nos.10, 35, 51, 76, 77, 78, 102, 103, 158, 171, 192, 199, 346, 347, 405, 408, 415, 419, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 431, 432, 433, 434, 460, 466, 578, 614, 640. Four additional bombers squadrons served in the Far East. Squadron Nos. 138 & 161 (Special Duties) also used the type in a clandestine role, today known as Covert Operations, dropping agents and supplies into German occupied territories. RAF Coastal Command equipped nine squadrons with the Halifax for anti-submarine, meteorological and anti-shipping patrols.

Question: In WW2, which company made the Halifax bomber?
Answer: HANDLEY PAGE