The Handley Page Halifax is a British
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) four-engined
heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. It was developed by
Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine
Avro Manchester.
The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine ''HP56'' proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
's
Specification P.13/36 for a capable
medium bomber
A medium bomber is a military bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized bombloads over medium range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers. Mediums generally carrie ...
for "world-wide use." The HP56 was ordered as a backup to the Avro 679, both aircraft being designed to use the underperforming
Rolls-Royce Vulture
The Rolls-Royce Vulture was a British aero engine developed shortly before World War II that was designed and built by Rolls-Royce Limited. The Vulture used the unusual " X-24" configuration, whereby four cylinder blocks derived from the ...
engine. The Handley Page design was altered at the Ministry to a four-engine arrangement powered by the
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litres (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was late ...
engine; the rival Avro 679 was produced as the twin-engine
Avro Manchester which, while regarded as unsuccessful mainly due to the Vulture engine, was a direct predecessor of the famed
Avro Lancaster. Both the Lancaster and the Halifax emerged as capable four-engined
strategic bombers, thousands of which were built and operated by the RAF and several other services during the War.
On 25 October 1939, the Halifax performed its
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alw ...
, and it entered service with the RAF on 13 November 1940. It quickly became a major component of
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...
, performing routine strategic bombing missions against the
Axis Powers
The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
, many of them at
night
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends ...
.
Arthur Harris, the
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Bomber Command, described the Halifax as inferior to the rival Lancaster (in part due to its smaller payload) though this opinion was not shared by many of the crews that flew it, particularly for the MkIII variant. Nevertheless, production of the Halifax continued until April 1945. During their service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew a total of 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs, while 1,833 aircraft were lost. The Halifax was also flown in large numbers by other
Allied and
Commonwealth nations, such as the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF),
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF),
Free French Air Force
The Free French Air Forces (french: Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres, FAFL) were the air arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War, created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940. The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free Fre ...
and
Polish forces.
Various improved versions of the Halifax were introduced, incorporating more powerful engines, a revised
defensive turret layout and increased payload. It remained in service with Bomber Command until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing. Specialised versions of the Halifax were developed for troop transport and
paradrop
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
operations. Following the end of the Second World War, the RAF quickly retired the Halifax, after the type was succeeded as a strategic bomber by the
Avro Lincoln, an advanced derivative of the Lancaster. During the post-war years, the Halifax was operated by the
Royal Egyptian Air Force, the
French Air Force and the
Royal Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
. The type also entered commercial service for a number of years, used mainly as a
freighter. A dedicated civil transport variant, the Handley Page Halton, was also developed and entered airline service; 41 civil Halifax freighters were used during the
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...
. In 1961, the last remaining Halifax bombers were retired from operational use.
Development
Origins
![Birth of a Bomber- Aircraft Production in Britain, 1942 D7123](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Birth_of_a_Bomber-_Aircraft_Production_in_Britain%2C_1942_D7123.jpg)
In the 1930s, the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) was primarily interested in twin-engine
bombers
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an aircra ...
.
These designs put significant demands on engine production and maintenance, both of which were already stretched with the introduction of many new types of aircraft into service. Power limitations were so serious that the British invested heavily in the development of huge engines in the 2,000
horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...
(1,500 kW) class in an effort to improve performance. However, during the late 1930s, none of these engines was ready for production. Meanwhile, both the United States and the Soviet Union were developing bombers powered by arrangements of four smaller engines with favorable results, including excellent range and fair lifting capacity. Accordingly, in 1936, the RAF decided to investigate the feasibility of a four-engined bomber.
[Norris 1966, p. 3.]
During the mid-1930s, the British
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
released
Specification P.13/36, seeking a twin-engine
heavy-medium bomber suitable for "world-wide use".
[Moyes 1966, p. 3.] Further requirements of the specification included the use of a mid-mounted
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
wing and all-metal construction, and encouraged use of the
Rolls-Royce Vulture
The Rolls-Royce Vulture was a British aero engine developed shortly before World War II that was designed and built by Rolls-Royce Limited. The Vulture used the unusual " X-24" configuration, whereby four cylinder blocks derived from the ...
engine then in development.
In response,
Handley Page produced the twin-engine ''HP56'' design to meet Specification P.13/36. Handley Page aircraft designer
George Volkert
George Rudolph Volkert CBE FRAeS (4 July 1891 – 16 May 1978) was a British aircraft designer.
Early life
He was born in Fulham. He studied at the Northampton Institute in London (now City University London).
Career
Handley Page
He jo ...
had responsibility for the design.
Other candidates were submitted for the same specification, including the
Avro 679, and designs from
Fairey,
Boulton Paul
Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer that was incorporated in 1934, although its origins in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, and lasted until 1961. The company mainly built and modified aircraft under co ...
and
Shorts
Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ...
; all submissions were designed around two-engine configurations, using the Rolls-Royce Vulture,
Napier Sabre,
Fairey P.24
The Fairey P.24 Monarch was a British experimental 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) class H-24 aircraft engine designed and built by Fairey in the late 1930s. The engine did not go into production.
Design and development
The P.24 Monarch was a 24-cylin ...
or
Bristol Hercules engines. The majority of these engines were under development at this point; while four-engined bomber designs were considered for specification B.12/36 for a heavy bomber, wings mounting two pairs of engines were still in the experimental stage and required additional testing at the
Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). Adopting a stronger wing also required additional strengthening of the overall aircraft structure, resulting in an increase in overall weight.
In February 1937, following consideration of the designs, the Air Ministry selected Avro's submission, with Handley Page's bid chosen as "second string". Accordingly, during April 1937, the Air Ministry ordered two prototypes of each design.
The introduction of the successful P.13/36 candidates was delayed by the necessity of ordering additional
Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was a British medium bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was one of three twin-engined, front line medium bomber types that were in service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the outbreak of the Second World ...
and
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its ...
bombers first. In mid-1937, it was decided to order both the Avro 679 and HP56 designs "off the drawing board" in order to speed up delivery timetables.
During July 1937, Handley Page was instructed to redesign the HP56 to use a four-engine arrangement, instead of the original twin-engine configuration; by this point, the Vulture had already been suffering from reliability and performance problems.
The rival Avro 679 proceeded into service as the
Avro Manchester powered by a pair of Vulture engines, but was only built in limited quantities after suffering substantially from engine-related difficulties. The four-engine redesign increased its wingspan from to and added of weight.
In September 1937, the Ministry specified the use of four
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litres (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was late ...
engines; according to aviation author Phillip J. R. Moyes, this redesign to four Merlin engines had been done "much against the company's wishes".
Towards the end of the year, a full mock-up of the design was assessed; production of a pair of ''HP57'' prototypes commenced in March 1938. Further design modifications resulted in the definitive aircraft, now considerably enlarged and powered by four
Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines. Such was the promise of the new model that, in January 1938, the RAF chose to place their first production order for the type, ordering 100 Mk.I Halifaxes "off the drawing board", at which point the serials which had already been assigned to HP56 were switched to HP57.
Prototypes
![Birth of a Bomber- Aircraft Production in Britain, 1942 D7080](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Birth_of_a_Bomber-_Aircraft_Production_in_Britain%2C_1942_D7080.jpg)
The first prototype was built at Handley Page's facility in
Cricklewood,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, It was then dismantled and transported by road to
RAF Bicester
Bicester Aerodrome, formerly RAF Bicester, is an airfield on the outskirts of the English town of Bicester in Oxfordshire. Dating back to 1916, this military airfield is notable as the location of the first flight of the prototype Handley Page ...
(the nearest non-operational RAF airfield with suitable facilities) for reassembly. On 25 October 1939, the
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alw ...
of the first prototype Halifax, serial number ''L7244'', was performed by chief test pilot Jim Cordes with E A 'Ginger' Wright as flight test observer; during this flight, the undercarriage remained locked down as an extra safety precaution.
On 17 August 1940, the first flight of the second prototype, ''L7245'', now complete with full armament and operationally-representative equipment, was performed by Cordes from
Radlett Aerodrome
Radlett Aerodrome was an airfield and aircraft manufacturing plant in Hertfordshire, now owned by Eon Productions. Part of the airfield is now the M25 between junctions 21 ( A405) and 22 ( A1081).
History
The airfield was also known as RAF Radle ...
.
The HP57 was given the service name ''Halifax'' upon its acceptance. This name followed the practice of naming heavy bombers after major towns – in this case,
Halifax in the
West Riding
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
of
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
. In September 1941, a production Halifax Mk.I participated in an official naming ceremony of the type, officiated by
Lord Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a senior British Conservative politician of the 19 ...
and Lady Halifax.
Production
![Birth of a Bomber- Aircraft Production in Britain, 1942 D7100](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Birth_of_a_Bomber-_Aircraft_Production_in_Britain%2C_1942_D7100.jpg)
Series production of the Halifax began at Handley Page's factory at Cricklewood and at
English Electric's site in
Samlesbury
Samlesbury () is a village and civil parish in South Ribble, Lancashire, England. Samlesbury Hall, a historic house, is in the village, as is Samlesbury Aerodrome and a large modern brewery owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. The population at the ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
. In order to speed up production, Handley Page implemented several new manufacturing techniques, including two pioneering approaches: photo-
lofting
Lofting is a drafting technique to generate curved lines. It is used in plans for streamlined objects such as aircraft and boats. The lines may be drawn on wood and the wood then cut for advanced woodworking. The technique can be as simple as bend ...
and split construction. In the latter capacity, each Halifax was built from various sub-assemblies.
Surface panels were flush-
rivet
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...
ed, although the application of the matt black night bomber camouflage probably negated its benefit.
Handley Page built the assemblies and components at Cricklewood and the aircraft were assembled and flown from
Radlett Aerodrome
Radlett Aerodrome was an airfield and aircraft manufacturing plant in Hertfordshire, now owned by Eon Productions. Part of the airfield is now the M25 between junctions 21 ( A405) and 22 ( A1081).
History
The airfield was also known as RAF Radle ...
; the first production aircraft flew from Radlett on 11 October 1940.
The sizeable production run envisioned required the involvement of several external parties in addition to Handley Page.
The resulting ''Halifax Group'' was established to oversee the manufacturing programme, comprising English Electric (who had previously been a valued contributor in the production of the
Handley Page Hampden
The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden is a British twin-engine medium bomber that was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was part of the trio of large twin-engine bombers procured for the RAF, joining the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Vickers ...
), various firms within the
London Aircraft Production Group
British shadow factories were the outcome of the Shadow Scheme, a plan devised in 1935 and developed by the British Government in the buildup to World War II to try to meet the urgent need for more aircraft using technology transfer from the m ...
,
Fairey Aviation
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Middlesex and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Cheshire. Notable for the design of a number of important military a ...
, and
Rootes Motors.
Because of this scheme and other initiatives, the Halifax was manufactured by a variety of aviation companies at sites across the British isles.
The Halifax was produced in large numbers during the war: of the 10,018 heavy bombers produced in Britain between 1940 and 1944, 4,046 were various models of the Halifax – in excess of 40%.
In all, 6,178 Halifaxes were built, the last delivered in April 1945.
At the peak, 41 separate factories and dispersed units were involved in production, along with 600
subcontractor
A subcontractor is an individual or (in many cases) a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract.
Put simply the role of a subcontractor is to execute the job they are hired by the contractor f ...
s and 51,000 employees, with one Halifax completed every hour.
The first English Electric-built aircraft was flown from Samlesbury on 15 August 1941.
The first production standard Halifax, the Mk.I, had a 22 ft (6.7 m) long bomb bay as well as six bomb cells in the wings, providing a bomb capacity of 13,000 lb (5,900 kg). Defensive armament consisted of two .303 in (7.7 mm)
Browning machine guns in a
Boulton Paul
Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer that was incorporated in 1934, although its origins in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, and lasted until 1961. The company mainly built and modified aircraft under co ...
Type C
nose turret, with an additional four in a Boulton Paul Type E
tail turret. Some aircraft included two additional .303 in (7.7 mm)
Vickers K machine gun
The Vickers K machine gun, known as the Vickers Gas Operated (Vickers G.O.) or Gun, Machine, Vickers G.O. .303-inch in British service, was a rapid-firing machine gun developed and manufactured for use in aircraft by Vickers-Armstrongs. The hi ...
s in beam (side, or "waist") positions. Subtle modifications distinguished the Mk I aircraft. Aircraft of the first batch of fifty Mk I Halifaxes were designated Mk I Series I.
Improvements
Handley Page were initially disappointed with the performance of the Halifax which was below their predictions, much of this was because they had under estimated the aircraft's drag. Another contributory factor was Handley Page sticking to the 100 ft maximum wingspan originally demanded by the Air Ministry's P13/36, the Halifax originally had a span of 98 ft 8in whereas Avro did not adhere to that with the Manchester MkIII (i.e. the Lancaster) at 102 ft 0in. The Mk III Halifax had a wider span of 103 ft 8in and had significantly improved performance. Arguably the Merlin engine did not suit the Halifax as much as the Hercules (fitted from the MkIII on) which suited the Halifax better both aerodynamically and power wise.
The Halifax Mk.I was quickly followed by 25 of the Mk I Series II; these featured an increased gross weight from to but with maximum landing weight unchanged at . The Halifax Mk I Series III featured increased fuel capacity (, and larger oil coolers, the latter of which having been adopted in order to accommodate the Merlin XX engine. A dorsally-mounted two-gun Boulton Paul Type C turret replaced the beam guns.
[Norris 1966, p. 5.]
![Halifax V9977](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Halifax_V9977.jpg)
Introduction of Merlin XX engines and a twin dorsal turret instead of waist guns resulted in the Halifax B Mk II Series I. The Mk II Series I (Special) achieved improved performance via the removal of the nose and dorsal turrets. The Halifax Mk II Series IA was fitted with a moulded
Perspex
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite ...
nose (this nose became standard upon future Halifax variants), a four-gun Boulton Paul Type A dorsal turret similar to that used in the
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant is a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any fixed forward-firing guns ...
, and Merlin 22 engines. The rudder overbalance / directional instability with engine(s) out problem was solved on the Mk III with the fitting of a larger D type fin (40% bigger) and modified rudder. The Mk III Halifax had satisfactory stability in all axes, and in fact were more stable in a dive than a Lancaster. A Lancaster tended to go deeper into a dive whereas a Halifax had to be forced to stay in the dive as the speed increased, i.e. it naturally flew out of a dive.
Owing to a shortage of Messier-built
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
and
hydraulics
Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...
,
Dowty-built landing gear were used on some aircraft instead. As it was incompatible with the Messier equipment, this led to these Halifax bombers being given new designations: a Mark II built with Dowty gear was the Mark V.
The use of
casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...
s rather than
forgings in the Dowty undercarriage had resulted in an increased production rate but had also led to a reduced landing weight of . The Halifax Mark V were manufactured by
Rootes Group
The Rootes Group or Rootes Motors Limited was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately, a major motor distributors and dealers business. Run from London's West End, the manufacturer was based in the Midlands and the distribution and de ...
at
Speke
Speke () is a suburb of Liverpool. It is southeast of the city centre. Located near the widest part of the River Mersey, it is bordered by the suburbs of Garston and Hunts Cross, and nearby to Halewood, Hale Village, and Widnes. The rural are ...
and
Fairey at
Stockport; operationally, these were generally used by
Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
and for training purposes. Some 904 had been built when Mark V production ended at the start of 1944, compared to 1,966 Halifax Mk IIs.
The most numerous Halifax variant was the much improved B Mk III of which 2,091 were built. First appearing in 1943, the Mk III featured the Perspex nose and modified tail of the Mk II Series IA but replaced the Merlin with the more powerful
Bristol Hercules XVI radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
. Other changes included the adoption of
de Havilland Hydromatic propellers and a wider wing span with rounded wing tips.
With the coming of the MkIII the Halifax's performance finally matched that of the Lancaster though the latter had a larger bomb load and could take larger bombs. The B.VI Halifax's performance improved still further with a cruising speed of 265 mph and a maximum speed (in 'Full Speed' supercharger mode) of 309 mph at 19,500 ft. Halifax crews, though admittedly not unbiased, considered the MkIII Halifax to be the equal of any other bomber, including the Lancaster, and further improved versions (with more powerful Hercules engines) to be superior to all. The improvement in the Halifax MKIII's performance could be measured objectively. In 1943 4 Group's Halifax squadrons flew 11,607 sorties for a loss of 485 aircraft, a loss rate of 4.2%. Halifax MKIII production started in early Autumn 1943 and for 1944, when the MkIII constituted an increasing percentage of the Halifax force, 4 Group flew 25,454 sorties for a loss of 402 aircraft, a loss rate of 1.6%.
The Halifax B Mk IV was a converted B Mk II non-production design using the Rolls-Royce Merlin 65 engine with a two-stage supercharger and a four bladed propeller fitted. This resulted in an increase in top speed by 60 mph to 324 mph at 19,000 ft. Due to a shortage of Merlins with two stage superchargers production of the B Mk IV was not proceeded with.
The definitive version of the Halifax was the B Mk VI, powered by the Hercules 100. The final bomber version, the Mk VII, reverted to the less powerful Hercules XVI. However, these variants were produced in relatively small quantities.
The remaining variants were the Halifax C Mk VIII, an unarmed transport that was fitted with an 8,000 lb/3,630 kg cargo pannier instead of a bomb bay, which could accommodate a maximum of 11 passengers and the Mk A IX
paratroop transport, which had space for up to 16 paratroopers and their equipment. A transport/cargo version of the Halifax was also produced, known as the Handley Page Halton.
Design
Overview
![HalifaxCutAway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/HalifaxCutAway.jpg)
The Handley Page Halifax was a mostly orthodox design, a mid-wing
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
with a tail unit featuring twin
fin
A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...
s and
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...
s. The Halifax featured all-metal construction with a smooth, stressed skin covering the majority of the exterior surfaces; the
flight control surfaces
Aircraft flight control surfaces are aerodynamic devices allowing a pilot to adjust and control the aircraft's flight attitude.
Development of an effective set of flight control surfaces was a critical advance in the development of aircraft. Ea ...
were an exception, being fabric-covered instead.
The slab-sided fuselage contained a 22-foot
bomb bay
The bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and the bombs are dropped when over t ...
, which contained the majority of the Halifax's payload, while the cockpit was flush with the upper fuselage.
The Halifax was powered by four engines, two spaced evenly on each wing.
Early production Halifax bombers were powered by models of the
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litres (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was late ...
engine; later aircraft were commonly powered by the larger
Bristol Hercules radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
. To contain and attach the engines to the airframe, Handley Page developed their own design for the
power egg instead of using the typical, slimmer Rolls-Royce counterpart; despite generating increased drag, this in-house design was readily adaptable to the alternative Hercules engine on later aircraft.
Each engine drove a
Rotol
Dowty Propellers is a British engineering company based in Brockworth, Gloucestershire that specialises in the manufacture, repair and overhaul of propellers and propeller components for customers around the world. It is owned by General Elect ...
-built compressed wood
constant-speed propeller
In aeronautics, a variable-pitch propeller is a type of propeller (airscrew) with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change the blade pitch. A controllable-pitch propeller is one where the pitch is controlled manually by the p ...
, enabling the Halifax B.I to attain a maximum speed of 265 mph at 17,500 feet.
[Moyes 1966, pp. 3–4.] With a typical payload of 5,800 lbs of bombs and 2,242 imp. gal. of fuel, it had a range of 1,860 miles. The defensive armaments included power-assisted gun turrets in various positions located across the aircraft.
[Moyes 1966, p. 4.] Different models of the Halifax used different numbers and combinations of turrets, effectively trading speed for firepower and vice versa.
Crew positions and armament
![Halifax crew before take-off WWII IWM D 6028](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Halifax_crew_before_take-off_WWII_IWM_D_6028.jpg)
The bomb aimer's position was in the extreme nose with the navigator's table located behind it, both roles fulfilled by the same crew member. Above the navigator's position was the forward gun turret. The wireless (radio) operator was behind the navigator's position, separated by a half-width partition.
On the floor just behind the front turret (or later the nose) was the escape hatch. This was , the same size as the Stirling, and slightly larger than the for the Lancaster. On average 25% of Halifax and Stirling crews successfully bailed out from a damaged aeroplane, but only 15% did so from Lancasters.
The pilot sat on the left side in the cockpit above the wireless operator. The flight engineer filled in as a co-pilot, seated on a folding seat to the right of the pilot, during crucial manoeuvres such as take-off. Aft of the pilot and set lower than the pilot was the
flight engineer's compartment with controls on the bulkhead. Another compartment aft of the flight engineer contained two bunks originally intended for resting crew members, but almost always used for treating and berthing injured crew. This area led to the two-gun dorsal turret. The tail gunner occupied a four-gun turret at the extreme aft end of the aircraft.
[''Flight'' 1942, p. 401.]
Starting with the Halifax Mk II Series IA and from the Mk III onwards, the nose turret was deleted; instead the bomb-aimer occupied a streamlined perspex nose containing a single hand-held machine gun. On later-built aircraft, the two-gun dorsal turret was replaced by a four-gun
Boulton Paul
Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer that was incorporated in 1934, although its origins in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, and lasted until 1961. The company mainly built and modified aircraft under co ...
turret.
The maximum bomb load was , which was primarily carried in a bomb bay housed within the fuselage, divided into six separate bomb compartments, with three bomb compartments in the inboard sections of each wing; this division of the payload between multiple compartments limited the maximum size of the individual bombs which could be completely enclosed to ; when carrying the
4,000lb and 8,000lb high capacity (HC) bombs the bomb bay doors could not close fully.
Operational service
![Halifaxes over Brest Dec 1941 IWM C 4109](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Halifaxes_over_Brest_Dec_1941_IWM_C_4109.jpg)
In November 1940, the Handley Page Halifax entered service with
No. 35 Squadron at
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, England, north-west of York. It had satellite stations at RAF Topcliffe and Dishforth Airfield (British Army).
The station opened in 1937. With t ...
. Its operational debut occurred on the night of 10–11 March 1941, when six Halifax bombers flew a bombing raid against
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
, targeting the area around the docks and any shipping that might be present.
[Falconer 1998, p. 232] The existence of the Halifax was not officially acknowledged until July 1941, after it was used in a daylight attack on
La Pallice
La Pallice (also known as ''grand port maritime de La Rochelle'') is the commercial deep-water port of La Rochelle, France.
During the Fall of France, on 19 June 1940, approximately 6,000 Polish soldiers in exile under the command of Stanisła ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, against the
German battleship ''Scharnhorst''. At the end of 1941, the Halifax was withdrawn from daylight bombing operations after intensifying fighter opposition had increased the casualty rates to unsustainable levels.
In the second half of 1942, No. 35 Squadron and four other squadrons were selected to form the
Pathfinder Force
The Pathfinders were target-marking squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing. The Pathfinders were norma ...
, later expanded to become
No. 8 Group.
Pathfinder crews flying the Halifax would mark routes and identify and mark targets for the Main Force. Effective marking greatly increased the accuracy and destructive power of Bomber Command. As a Pathfinder and Main Force aircraft, the Halifax was a core part of the bombing offensive against Germany and its Axis allies.
[Norris 1966, pp. 4–5.]
By the end of 1943,
No. 4 Group had been entirely equipped with the Halifax, and would continue to operate the aircraft until the end of the war.
No. 6 Group, formed of
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF) squadrons, also adopted the Halifax around the same time, and would go on to operate it in each of its 14 squadrons, although it was never solely equipped with the type. At its peak strength, Bomber Command operated a total of 76 Halifax-equipped squadrons.
![Halifax 76 Squadron](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Halifax_76_Squadron.jpg)
While the early-built models of the Halifax were heavily used by Bomber Command and made valuable contributions to operations, the aircraft's performance was considered unsatisfactory for the most part, mainly due to the underpowered Merlin engine, which meant that it could not fly at the higher altitudes needed to avoid enemy fighters, which were becoming increasingly effective throughout 1943.
This was answered by the Halifax Mk III, which was powered by
Bristol Hercules radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
s in place of the Merlins. Introduced into service in November 1943, the Mk III was first delivered to
No. 433 Squadron and
No. 466 Squadron.
[Norris 1966, pp. 5–6.] By January 1944, the Hercules-powered Halifax was available in quantity and quickly proved to have superior performance in the face of German fighter defences.
Early on, Air Chief Marshal
Arthur Harris, head of Bomber Command, was scathing in his criticism of the Halifax's performance in comparison to the new
Avro Lancaster, primarily of its bomb-carrying capability: an average Halifax was calculated to drop 100 tons of bombs in its lifetime, compared to a Lancaster's 154. Harris continued to have a poor opinion of the Halifax, despite the fact that later Hercules-engined machines had lower loss rates and higher crew survival rates after abandoning the aircraft than Lancasters, and came very close to the Lancaster's speed and altitude performance. The Halifax was progressively outnumbered in front-line service over occupied Europe as more Lancasters became available from 1943 onwards; many squadrons converted to the Lancaster.
[ The first "Thousand bomber raid" on Cologne on 30–31 May 1942 included 131 Halifaxes and 73 Lancasters; The attack on Berlin on 28 February 1943 included 252 Halifaxes and 457 Lancasters; The attack on Hamburg on 27–28 July 1943 included 244 Halifaxes, 353 Lancasters, 116 Stirlings and 74 Wellingtons; The attack on Nuremberg on 30–31 March 1944 included 214 Halifaxes and 572 Lancasters; The attack on Dresden on 13–14 February 1945 included 753 Lancasters and no Halifaxes with nine Mosquitoes marking.]
Production of the Halifax continued, supposedly because it was more efficient to keep building it than to stop its production and convert to building another aircraft. But any new facilities were devoted to the Lancaster.
![AdRymarz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/AdRymarz.jpg)
Harris's view of the Halifax changed sometime after spring 1942. On 2 June 1942, in a response to a telegram sent by Frederick Handley Page, congratulating Harris on the success of the
first 1000 bomber Cologne raid, he stated: "My Dear Handley Page. We much appreciate your telegram of congratulation on Saturday night's work, the success of which was very largely due to your support in giving us such a powerful weapon to wield. Between us we will make a job of it."
Following the invasion of Europe in 1944, the Halifax resumed daylight bombing operations, performing semi-tactical strikes upon enemy troop concentrations, gun emplacements, and strongpoints of the
Atlantic Wall defences along the French coast with a reportedly high degree of accuracy.
[Norris 1966, p. 6.] Other common targets were enemy communications and the launch sites for
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany), Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buz ...
s. Bombing activity became increasingly brazen throughout late 1944 as the ''Luftwaffe'' became incapable of putting up effective opposition against allied air forces.
The Halifax also found itself being increasingly tasked with transport duties around this time; in one instance, around half a million gallons of petrol was delivered to
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
in support of the advancing
Second Army, then engaged in heavy fighting at
Arnhem
Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...
.
During the latter half of 1944, the bombing of German-held oil facilities became a major priority of the offensive.
On 27 August, a force of 216 Halifax bombers, alongside smaller numbers of
de Havilland Mosquitos and Lancasters and a sizable escort of
Supermarine Spitfires, conducted the first major daylight operation by Bomber Command against a target inside Germany that year, attacking the oil refinery at
Homberg on the
Ruhr. In spite of heavy fire from
anti-aircraft defenses, no bombers were downed and the refinery was severely damaged in places.
[Norris 1966, pp. 6, 8.] Attacks upon oil production facilities throughout Germany would become commonplace within the remaining months of the war.
![462 Squadron RAAF aircrew Sept 1942](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/462_Squadron_RAAF_aircrew_Sept_1942.jpg)
The only
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
to be awarded to any Halifax pilot went to Cyril J. Barton of
No. 578 Squadron for displaying great gallantry in bringing his heavily damaged aircraft back after a raid on
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
on the night of 30/31 March 1944. Barton continued to fly the Halifax while other crew members bailed out. He was killed in the aircraft's crash-landing, but the remaining crew survived due to his actions.
![Royal Air Force Operations in the Middle East and North Africa, 1939-1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Royal_Air_Force_Operations_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa%2C_1939-1943._CM6931.jpg)
Large numbers of Halifax bombers were also operated by
Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
, which used it to conduct
anti submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typ ...
,
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
and
meteorological operations. The Halifax was heavily used to deploy
mines in the vicinity of enemy-held ports.
[Norris 1966, p. 8.] It served increasingly in other support capacities as the war progressed, being used as a
glider
Glider may refer to:
Aircraft and transport Aircraft
* Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight
** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...
tug, an
electronic warfare
Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
aircraft for
No. 100 Group and to conduct special operations, such as
parachuting agents and arms into occupied
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, for the
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
(SOE).
[Norris 1966, p. 10.] As a glider tug the Halifax was superior to the Lancaster, the Halifax Mk III's "tug weight at take off" at 59,400 lbs was higher than a Lancaster Mk2 at 52,800 lbs.
Throughout early 1945, the Halifax was frequently dispatched against cities within the German homeland, including
Hannover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
,
Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebu ...
,
Stuttgart,
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
,
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
,
Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osnaburg'') is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population ...
and others.
During these months, infrastructure such as oil facilities and
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s were given a high priority; these targets were attacked right up until the end of the war. According to Moyes, within the final few months, bomber losses had fallen to all-time lows while raids were frequently regarded as having been highly successful.
During the final months of the war the improved Halifax Mk VI and Mk VII were introduced. In particular, these models had been 'tropicalised' with an eye towards their potential use in the
Pacific War against the
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...
.
While some of these Mk VI and Mk VII machines were deployed to the theatre, they played little meaningful role as the
war ended before larger numbers could be brought to bear against Japanese forces.
[Norris 1966, pp. 8, 10.]
On 25 April 1945, the Halifax performed its last major operation against the enemy during an attack upon coastal gun batteries on
Wangerooge
Wangerooge is one of the 32 Frisian Islands in the North Sea located close to the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. It is also a municipality in the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony in Germany.
Wangerooge is one of the East F ...
in the
Frisian Islands
The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or the Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the northwest of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denma ...
of the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
.
[Norris 1966, p. 9.] While the type continued to fly operations after this, these were primarily diversions to other operations and sporadic, uncoordinated attacks against
targets of opportunity
A target of opportunity is a target "visible to a surface or air sensor or observer, which is within range of available weapons and against which fire has not been scheduled or requested." A target of opportunity comes in two forms; "unplanned" and ...
. Upon the end of the conflict, Bomber Command quickly disbanded the majority of its Halifax-equipped squadrons; the aircraft themselves were transferred to Transport Command.
During the type's service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs. 1,833 aircraft were lost.
[Norris 1966, pp. 9–10.]
By 1947, the majority of Halifax bombers were deemed to be surplus and scrapped.
The Halifax remained in widespread service with Coastal Command and
RAF Transport Command,
Royal Egyptian Air Force and the ''
Armée de l'Air
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Arm ...
'' until early 1952. The
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
, which had inherited a number of Halifax bombers from the RAF, also continued to operate them and became the last military user of the type, retiring the last aircraft in 1961.
In September 1997
Halifax 57 Rescue
The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.
The Halifax has its orig ...
of Canada excavated Halifax LW682 from a bog near the
River Dender in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. The plane was part of RCAF 426 Squadron, and had been shot down near
Geraardsbergen
Geraardsbergen (; french: Grammont, ) is a city and municipality located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Geraardsbergen prop ...
during a raid on
Leuven, Belgium
Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...
on 12 May 1944. During the excavation, the bodies of three crew members were recovered and later given proper burial. Several items from the plane were used in restoration of NA337, while other items were transferred to museums. The airframe was melted down and used to construct the ceiling of the
RAF Bomber Command Memorial
The Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial is a memorial in The Green Park, London, commemorating the crews of RAF Bomber Command who embarked on missions during the Second World War. The memorial, on the south side of Piccadilly, facing Hyde ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, which was unveiled in 2012.
Civilian operation
![H](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/H.P._Halifax_VIII_G-AKEC_LAC_Ringway_18.02.50_edited-2.jpg)
A number of former RAF Halifax C.8s were sold from 1945 and used as freighters by a number of mostly British airlines. In 1948, 41 civil Halifax freighters were used during the
Berlin Air Lift
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...
, operating a total of 4,653 sorties carrying freight and 3,509 carrying bulk diesel fuel. Nine aircraft were lost during the airlift. The
Low-cost airline
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (occasionally referred to as '' no-frills'', ''budget'' or '' discount carrier'' or ''airline'', and abbreviated as ''LCC'') is an airline that is operated with an especially high emphasis on minimizing op ...
business pioneer
Freddie Laker
Sir Frederick Alfred Laker (6 August 1922 – 9 February 2006) was an English airline entrepreneur, best known for founding Laker Airways in 1966, which went bankrupt in 1982. Known as Freddie Laker, he was one of the first airline owners to ...
bought and serviced war-surplus Halifaxes for
Bond Air Services
Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore, formerly Bond Air Services ( Bond Aviation Group), is an operator of air ambulance, police, and offshore windfarm helicopters in the UK. Babcock operates a mixed fleet of light twin-engine helicopters c ...
operations in the Berlin airlift. With the airfreight market in decline, most of the civilian Halifaxes were scrapped on their return to England. The last civilian-operated Halifaxes were withdrawn from service in late 1952.
Variants
Pre-Halifax designs
;H.P.55
:Proposed twin-engine bomber aircraft, never built.
;H.P.56
:Proposed twin-engine bomber aircraft, fitted with two Rolls-Royce Vulture engines, never built.
H.P.57
;H.P.57
:L7244 – Prototype first flew on The first Halifax prototype with four
Merlin 10 engines and no armament.
:L7245 – Second prototype first flew from Radlett on 17 August 1940 and was more representative of the production configuration including armament.
;;Halifax B.I Series I
![Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1939-1941](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command%2C_1939-1941._CH3393.jpg)
::Four-engined long-range heavy-bomber aircraft powered by
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litres (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was late ...
X engines; the first production version. Armament consisted of nose turret with two guns, tail turret with four guns and two beam guns. Recognizable from large deep radiator intakes containing circular Gallay radiators and oil cooler. 50 produced.
;;Halifax B.I Series II
::Stressed for operating at a higher gross weight. 25 produced.
;;Halifax B.I Series III
::Re-engined with
Merlin XX engines with slimmer coolers, introduced new twin-gun Boulton Paul type C upper turret in place of beam guns, with revised undercarriage and additional centre-section fuel tanks. 9 produced.
H.P.58
;Halifax Mk II
:Projected variant with revised armament including 20 mm cannon and no tail turret. Due to problems with the new armament, the project was cancelled and the Mk II designation given to H.P.59.
H.P.59
![148 Squadron Halifax Italy WWII IWM CNA 3231](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/148_Squadron_Halifax_Italy_WWII_IWM_CNA_3231.jpg)
;Halifax Mk II
:New variant with increased takeoff weight, fuel and weapons carriage.
;Halifax B.II Series I
:First series of the bomber variant; from March 1942 onwards, these were fitted with
TR1335 navigation aids.
;Halifax B.II Series I (Special), SOE
:Special version for
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
(SOE) used to drop supplies over Europe. Nose armament and dorsal turret removed, the nose being faired over, as well as changes to the fuel vent pipes and exhaust shrouds.
;Halifax B.II Series I (Special)
![Handley Page Halifax](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Handley_Page_Halifax.jpg)
:Generally similar to the aircraft used by the SOE, these were employed in the bombing role. These aircraft were more varied in appearance, especially concerning the fitting of dorsal armament with some aircraft retaining the standard
Boulton Paul
Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer that was incorporated in 1934, although its origins in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, and lasted until 1961. The company mainly built and modified aircraft under co ...
"Type C" turret in different mounts with others mounting a "Type A" turret. There were also examples with no dorsal turret, similar to the SOE-aircraft.
;Halifax B.II Series IA
:Modified with new glazed nose section, Merlin XX or 22 engines, new square Morris radiators and new "D" fin and rudder. The dorsal turret was changed to a four-gun Boulton Paul Type A Mk VIII, and there were improvements to the bomb bay door sealing. Some aircraft were fitted with the
H2S radar
H2S was the first airborne, ground scanning radar system. It was developed for the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command during World War II to identify targets on the ground for night and all-weather bombing. This allowed attacks outside the ran ...
.
;Halifax B.II Series I, Freighter
:A few Mk IIs were employed in the transport role in Great Britain (unmodified SOE-aircraft) and in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
(simple modifications to allow carriage of engines or
Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
fuselages).
;Halifax B.II Series II
:Single aircraft (HR756) modified with three-blade
Rotol
Dowty Propellers is a British engineering company based in Brockworth, Gloucestershire that specialises in the manufacture, repair and overhaul of propellers and propeller components for customers around the world. It is owned by General Elect ...
propellers and Merlin 22 engines. Rejected in favour of Mk III.
;Halifax A.II
:According to some sources, a handful of the airborne forces Halifaxes were converted into B.IIs. If this is true they might have been designated A.II or may have retained their bomber designations.
;Halifax GR.II
:
Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
variant of the Halifax B.II.
;Halifax GR.II Series I
:A handful of aircraft converted from Series I or Special to GR.II standard, having differences in dorsal armament. The main difference was the fitting of a ASV.Mk 3 radar in an H2S type fairing. Sometimes, a .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun was fitted in the faired nose.
;Halifax GR.II Series IA
:Definitive Coastal Command variant of the GR.II with glazed nose mounting .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun, Merlin XX or 22 engines, B-P A-type dorsal turret and extra long-range fuel tanks in fuselage. A ventral turret holding a single .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun was mounted on most aircraft although some employed the ASV.Mk 3 radar in its place.
;Halifax Met.II
:Some sources suggest that there were a meteorological variant of the B.II, designated Met.II, but this is unlikely.
H.P.61
![578 Squadron RAF Halifax aircrew AWM P03759](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/578_Squadron_RAF_Halifax_aircrew_AWM_P03759.001.jpg)
;Halifax B.III
:Main production variant, fitted with
Bristol Hercules engines. B.III bombers were fitted with transparent nose dome with single machine gun, Boulton Paul dorsal turret with four guns and tail turret with four guns. All but first few had longer wing with rounded wingtips that increased wingspan to 104 ft 2 in (31.75 m). 2,091 produced.
;Halifax A.III
:Halifax B.III bombers converted into glider tug and paratroop transport aircraft.
;Halifax C.III
:Halifax B.III bombers converted into military transport aircraft.
H.P.63
![Royal Air Force- Fighter Command, No](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Royal_Air_Force-_Fighter_Command%2C_No._38_%28airborne_Forces%29_Group_RAF._CH14887.jpg)
;Halifax B.V
:Four-engined long-range heavy-bomber, powered by four
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litres (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was late ...
XX engines with square empennage and wingtips. Armament as B.III. 904 produced.
;Halifax B.V Series I (Special)
;Halifax A.V
:Halifax B.V bombers converted into glider tugs and paratroop transport aircraft.
;Halifax GR.V
:Coastal Command variant. Halifax B.V bombers converted into maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
;Halifax B.VI
:Four-engined long-range heavy-bomber, powered by four 1,615 hp (1,204 kW) Bristol Hercules XVI radial engines with
H2S radar
H2S was the first airborne, ground scanning radar system. It was developed for the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command during World War II to identify targets on the ground for night and all-weather bombing. This allowed attacks outside the ran ...
. No dorsal turret. Square empennage, round wing tips. 643 produced.
;Halifax C.VI
:Halifax B.VI bombers converted into military transport aircraft.
;Halifax GR.VI
:Coastal Command variant. Halifax B.VI bombers converted into maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
;Halifax B.VII
:Four-engined long-range heavy-bomber, powered by four 1,615 hp (1,204 kW) Bristol Hercules XVI radial engines. Round wing tips. Armament as B.III
;Halifax A.VII
:Halifax B.VIIs converted into paratroop transport and glider tug aircraft.
;Halifax C.VII
:Halifax B.VIIs bombers converted into military transport aircraft.
H.P.70
;Halifax C.VIII
:Cargo and passenger transport aircraft.
H.P.71
;Halifax A.IX
:Paratroop transport, glider tug aircraft.
H.P.70 Halton
;Halton I
:Interim civil transport version; postwar, a number of Halifax bombers were converted into civilian transport aircraft.
;Halton II
:VIP transport aircraft for the
Maharajah Gaekwar of
Baroda
Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...
.
Operators
Military operators
![15 Handley Page Halifax (15833937961)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/15_Handley_Page_Halifax_%2815833937961%29.jpg)
;
*
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
**
No. 460 Squadron RAAF
**
No. 462 Squadron RAAF
No. 462 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron which forms part of the Information Warfare Directorate in the RAAF's Air Warfare Centre. The squadron was first formed in 1942 as a heavy bomber unit and saw combat in this role ...
**
No. 466 Squadron RAAF
No. 466 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bomber squadron during World War II. Formed in the United Kingdom in late 1942, the squadron undertook combat operations in Europe until the end of the war, flying heavy bomber aircra ...
;
*
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
**
No. 405 Squadron RCAF
The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...
**
No. 408 Squadron RCAF
The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...
**
No. 415 Squadron RCAF
The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...
**
No. 419 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 420 Squadron RCAF
No. 420 "City of London" Squadron RCAF was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) (and subsequently Canadian Forces) which existed from late December 1941 forwards. The Squadron's nickname was "Snowy Owl". Their motto was ''Pugnam ...
**
No. 424 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 425 Squadron RCAF
The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...
**
No. 426 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 427 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 428 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 429 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 431 Squadron RCAF
The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...
**
No. 432 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 433 Squadron RCAF
**
No. 434 Squadron RCAF
434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron is a Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadron that flew bombing operations over Europe during World War II and was later a post-war fighter and combat support unit. It was disbanded in 2000. The squad ...
;
*
Royal Egyptian Air Force
;
*
Free French Air Forces
The Free French Air Forces (french: Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres, FAFL) were the air arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War, created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940. The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free Frenc ...
**
No. 346 Squadron RAF
The No. 346 Squadron RAF was a French Air Force bomber squadron given a Royal Air Force squadron number during World War II.
History
The squadron was formed at RAF Elvington on 15 May 1944 from Groupes 2/23 ‘Guyenne’ airmen who had been ...
(GB II/23 Guyenne)
**
No. 347 Squadron RAF (GB I/25 Tunisie)
;
*
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
**
No. 12 Squadron
;
*
Polish Air Forces in exile in Great Britain
**
No. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron "Land of Pomerania" ( pl, 301 Dywizjon Bombowy "Ziemi Pomorskiej") was a Polish World War II bomber (1940-1943) and special duties squadron (1944-1946), belonging to Polish Air Forces in Great Britain. It fought alo ...
**C Flight
No. 138 Squadron RAF, later
No. 1586 (Polish Special Duties) Flight before reforming as
301 Squadron Special Duties
**
No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron RAF
;
*
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
**
No. 10 Squadron RAF
**
No. 35 Squadron RAF
**
No. 47 Squadron RAF
**
No. 51 Squadron RAF
**
No. 58 Squadron RAF
**
No. 76 Squadron RAF
**
No. 77 Squadron RAF
No. 77 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force which was active in various incarnations between 1916 and 1963.
History
No. 77 Squadron was formed on 1 October 1916 at Edinburgh, and was equipped with B.E.2 and B.E.12 aircraft. The squ ...
**
No. 78 Squadron RAF
**
No. 96 Squadron RAF
**
No. 102 Squadron RAF
**
No. 103 Squadron RAF
**
No. 108 Squadron RAF
**
No. 113 Squadron RAF
**
No. 138 Squadron RAF
**
No. 148 Squadron RAF
No. 148 Squadron of the Royal Air Force has been part of the RAF since the First World War.
History First World War
The squadron was formed at Andover Aerodrome on 10 February 1918, it moved to Ford Junction Aerodrome on 1 March 1918 where ...
**
No. 158 Squadron RAF
No. 158 Squadron RAF was a World War I proposed ground attack squadron that did not become operational in time to see action, and a World War II bomber squadron. After World War II had ended in Europe the squadron operated in the transport role ...
**
No. 161 Squadron RAF
**
No. 171 Squadron RAF
No. 171 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a coastal reconnaissance and radio countermeasures unit in World War II.
History
Formation in World War II
The squadron formed on 15 June 1942 at Gatwick and equipped with
Tomahawk ...
**
No. 178 Squadron RAF
No. 178 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a bomber unit based in Egypt, Libya and Italy in World War II.
History
Formation in World War II
The Squadron was equipped with Liberators at Shandur, Egypt on 15 January 1943 and ...
**
No. 187 Squadron RAF
**
No. 190 Squadron RAF
**
No. 192 Squadron RAF
**
No. 199 Squadron RAF
**
No. 202 Squadron RAF
**
No. 224 Squadron RAF
No. 224 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that saw service in both the First and Second World Wars.
History
It was formed on 1 April 1918, at Alimini, Italy from part of No. 6 Wing RNAS, equipped with the de Havilland DH.4. In Jun ...
**
No. 246 Squadron RAF
No. 246 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.
History
World War I
The squadron was formed at the former Royal Naval Air Station Seaton Carew, England on 18 August 1918 to provide coastal patrols. It was the only RAF squadron to op ...
**
No. 295 Squadron RAF
**
No. 296 Squadron RAF
**
No. 297 Squadron RAF
No 297 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was notable for being the first airborne forces squadron formed. With sister No 296 Squadron it formed No 38 Wing RAF in January 1942, joined in August by No 295 Squadron; the Wing ex ...
**
No. 298 Squadron RAF
**
No. 502 Squadron RAF
No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron was a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron that saw service in World War II. It was reformed in September 2013, and is the oldest of all the reserve squadrons, being formed in 1925.
History
Formation and early years
No ...
**
No. 517 Squadron RAF
**
No. 518 Squadron RAF
**
No. 519 Squadron RAF
No. 519 Squadron RAF was a Meteorology, meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
History
No. 519 Squadron was formed on 15 August 1943 at RAF Wick from No. 1406 Flight RAF, 1406 Flight, equipped with Handley Pa ...
**
No. 520 Squadron RAF
No. 520 Squadron RAF was a meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
History
The squadron was formed at RAF Gibraltar on 20 September 1943 from 1403 Flight. Equipped with Lockheed Hudsons, it was tasked with c ...
**
No. 521 Squadron RAF
**
No. 578 Squadron RAF
**
No. 614 Squadron RAF
No. 614 Squadron was originally formed on 1 June 1937 as an army co-operation squadron unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served during the Second World War first in this role and later as a bomber squadron. Upon reformation it served as a fight ...
**
No. 620 Squadron RAF
**
No. 624 Squadron RAF
**
No. 640 Squadron RAF
**
No. 644 Squadron RAF
Civil operators
;
*
Aircarrier (Former Wikner aircraft)
*
Geoffrey Wikner (B.III converted with a 15-passenger interior)
;
*
Aero Cargo
Aero is a Greek prefix relating to flight and air. In British English, it is used as an adjective related to flight (e.g., as a shortened substitute for aeroplane).
Aero, Ærø, or Aeros may refer to:
Aeronautics Airlines and companies
* Aero ...
*
CTAI
CTA International is an equal-shares joint venture company between defence companies Nexter and BAE Systems. CTAI is based in Bourges, France, and has been established to develop and manufacture case telescoped weapons and ammunition. The company ...
* SANA (''
Societe Anonyme de Navigation Aeriennes'')
;
* Peteair
* Vingtor Airways
;
;
*
Alpha Airways
* LAMS (South Africa)
;
*
Air Globe
;
*
Air Freight
Air cargo is any property carried or to be carried in an aircraft. Air cargo comprises air freight, air express and airmail.
Aircraft types
Different cargo can be transported by passenger, cargo or combi aircraft:
* Passenger aircraft use the ...
*
Airtech
*
Bond Air Services
Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore, formerly Bond Air Services ( Bond Aviation Group), is an operator of air ambulance, police, and offshore windfarm helicopters in the UK. Babcock operates a mixed fleet of light twin-engine helicopters c ...
*
British American Air Services
*
British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state-owned airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II. After the pass ...
*
Chartair
*
C.L. Air Surveys
*
Eagle Aviation
*
Lancashire Aircraft Corporation
*
London Aero and Motor Services (LAMS)
*
Payloads
Payload is the object or the entity which is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of ...
*
Skyflight
*
Union Air Services
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
*
V.I.P. Services
*
Westminster Airways
Westminster Airways was a British airline formed in 1946 to operate air charters. It later acquired freighter aircraft and was involved in the Berlin Airlift, but ceased operations shortly after.
History
The company was formed by a group of MPs ...
(converted as a bulk fuel carrier for Berlin Airlift)
*
World Air Freight
Halton operators
;
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
*
Maharajah Gaekwar of Baroda
;
*
Louis Breguet
;
*
Alpha Airways
;
* Bond Air Services
*
British American Air Services
*
British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state-owned airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II. After the pass ...
*
Westminster Airways
Westminster Airways was a British airline formed in 1946 to operate air charters. It later acquired freighter aircraft and was involved in the Berlin Airlift, but ceased operations shortly after.
History
The company was formed by a group of MPs ...
*
Worldair Carrier
Surviving aircraft
Of the 6,176 Halifaxes built, three complete examples remain.
Specifications (Mk III)
Halifax 57 Rescue
Halifax 57 Rescue is a Canadian organization dedicated to the recovery and restoration of Handley Page Halifaxes. Since its inception in 1994 the organization has recovered two aircraft, including Halifax NA337, one of only three complete examples in the world.
The organization was founded in 1994 by Karl Kjarsgaard, a Canadian former
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled an ...
pilot, and Ian Foster of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. In 1995 they participated in their first recovery project, that of Halifax NA337 from 750 feet underwater in
Lake Mjøsa, Norway. The aircraft was moved to the
National Air Force Museum of Canada
The National Air Force Museum of Canada is an aviation museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is located on the west side of CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario.
The museum is a permanent archive which c ...
in
Trenton, Ontario
Trenton (2001 population 16,770) is a large unincorporated community in Central Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway, which continues n ...
where it was unveiled in 2005 after a full restoration. Their second project was the 1997 recovery of Halifax LW682 from a bog near
Geraardsbergen, Belgium. During the recovery, the bodies of three crew members were removed and given a proper burial. Several parts of the aircraft were used in the restoration of NA337, and the airframe was melted down and later used to construct the
RAF Bomber Command Memorial
The Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial is a memorial in The Green Park, London, commemorating the crews of RAF Bomber Command who embarked on missions during the Second World War. The memorial, on the south side of Piccadilly, facing Hyde ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, which was unveiled in 2012.
At present, Halifax 57 Rescue is working to recover two aircraft. The first is HR871, located off the coast of
Sweden. Preparations are currently underway for underwater excavation. Once the aircraft has been raised, it will be moved to the
Bomber Command Museum of Canada
The Bomber Command Museum of Canada, formerly the Nanton Lancaster Society Museum, is an aviation museum in Nanton, Alberta. The museum opened in 1986 and was founded to protect and restore Avro Lancaster FM159, one of only 17 remaining in the ...
in
Nanton, Alberta
Nanton is a town in southern Alberta, Canada. Nanton was named after Sir Augustus Meredith Nanton of Winnipeg (1860–1925) who directed firms which offered financing for farms and ranches throughout the west. It is located south of Calgary at th ...
for restoration. The second aircraft the organization is seeking to recover is LW170 off the coast of Scotland. This aircraft has yet to be located, although its general position is known.
See also
Notes
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Barnes, C. H. ''Handley Page Aircraft since 1907''. London: Putnam, 1987. .
*
* Buttler, Tony. ''British Secret Projects: Fighters & Bombers 1935–1950''. Hinckley: Midland Publishing, 2004. .
* Clarke, R. M., ed. ''Handley Page Halifax Portfolio''. Cobham, Surrey, UK: Brooklands Books, No year cited. .
* Clayton, Donald C. ''Handley Page: An Aircraft Album''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1970. .
* Jones, Geoffrey Patrick. ''Night Flight: Halifax Squadrons at War''. London: William Kimber, 1981. .
* Falconer, Jonathan. ''Bomber Command Handbook 1939–1945''. Stroud, England:Sutton Publishing, 1998. .
*
*
* Merrick, Keith A. ''Halifax, an Illustrated History of a Classic World War II Bomber''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan, 1980. .
* Merrick, Keith A. ''Handley Page Halifax: From Hell to Victory and Beyond''. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing, 2009. .
* Merrick, Keith A. ''The Handley Page Halifax''. Bourne Ends, Buckinghamshire, UK: Aston Publications, 1990. .
* Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Handley Page Halifax: Merlin-Engined Variants (Aerodata International No 7)''. Kidlington. Oxfordshire, UK: Vintage Aviation Publications, 1979. .
* Moyes, Philip J.R. ''The Handley Page Halifax B.III, VI, VII''. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications, 1966.
* Norris, Geoffrey. ''The Short Stirling, Aircraft in Profile Number 142''. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1966.
* Rapier, Brian J. ''Halifax at War''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan, 1987. .
*
*
*
*
* Scutts, Jerry. ''Halifax in Action'' (Aircraft in Action series, No. 66). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1984. .
* Stachiw, Anthony L. and Andrew Tattersall. ''Handley Page Halifax: In Canadian Service'' St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada: Vanwell Publishing, 2005. .
*
*
Videography
* ''Halifax at War: The Story of a Bomber (76 min. DVD).'' Toronto: Nightfighters Productions, 2005. .
External links
Photo tour of the Elvington HalifaxHandley Page Halifax II (III) at
Yorkshire Air Museum
The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial is an aviation museum in Elvington, York on the site of the former RAF Elvington airfield, a Second World War RAF Bomber Command station. The museum was founded, and first opened to the pu ...
One of the ManyThe story of a 76 Squadron Flight Engineer and his Halifax aircraft in World War II
Krentz, Herbert. ''To Hell in a Halifax''(2006) – the true story of RCAF pilot Herbert Krentz, the sole survivor when his Halifax Mk V was shot down over Germany in early 1944
Halifax at the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive University of Lincoln
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1930s British bomber aircraft
World War II British bombers
Aviation in Lancashire
Halifax
Glider tugs
Four-engined tractor aircraft
Mid-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1939
World War II heavy bombers
Four-engined piston aircraft
Twin-tail aircraft