The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden is a British twin-engine
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 ...
that was operated by 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). It was part of the trio of large twin-engine bombers procured for the RAF, joining the
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 ...
. The Hampden was powered by
Bristol Pegasus radial engines
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 cal ...
but a variant known as the Handley Page Hereford had
in-line Napier Dagger
The Napier Dagger was a 24-cylinder H-pattern ''(or H-Block)'' air-cooled engine designed by Frank Halford and built by Napier before World War II. It was a development of the earlier Napier Rapier.
Design and development
The H-Block has a ...
s.
The Hampden served in the early stages 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 ...
, bearing the brunt of the early bombing war over
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 ...
, taking part in the first night raid on
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
and the
first 1,000-bomber raid on
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 ...
. When it became obsolete, after a period of mainly operating at night, it was retired from
RAF Bomber Command service in late 1942. By 1943, the rest of the trio were being superseded by the larger four-engined
heavy bombers
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 ...
such as the
Avro Lancaster.
Development
Origins
In 1932, the
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 ...
issued
Specification B.9/32 seeking a twin-engined day bomber with higher performance than any preceding bomber aircraft.
[Moyes 1965, p. 3.] Accordingly,
Handley Page responded with their design to meet the requirements of B.9/32; this same specification also drew other submissions from rival aircraft manufacturers such as
Vickers
Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public i ...
, who would proceed to develop the Wellington bomber to it. The design team, led by
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 ...
, drafted an extremely radical aircraft, initially centering upon the politically-favoured
Rolls-Royce Goshawk
The Rolls-Royce Goshawk was a development of the Rolls-Royce Kestrel that used evaporative or steam cooling. In line with Rolls-Royce convention of naming piston engines after birds of prey, it was named after the goshawk.
The engine first ...
engine; however, by mid-1934, development of the Goshawk looked less promising and thus the Air Ministry acted to relax the
tare weight
Tare weight , sometimes called unladen weight, is the weight of an empty vehicle or container.
By subtracting tare weight from gross weight (laden weight), one can determine the weight of the goods carried or contained (the net weight).
Etymolo ...
(unloaded weight) requirement of the specification, allowing for the use of heavier and more powerful
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 such as the
Bristol Perseus
The Bristol Perseus was a British nine-cylinder, single-row, air-cooled radial aircraft engine produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1932. It was the first production sleeve valve aero engine.
Design and development
In late 192 ...
and
Bristol Pegasus. According to aviation author Philip J.R. Moyes, the Handley Page design soon found support with the Air Ministry in part because it was judged to represent a fair compromise between range, payload, and speed.
During early 1936, the first prototype, designated as the HP.52 and given the serial number ''K4240'', was completed. On seeing the narrow-yet-deep fuselage, which was only 3 ft wide,
C. G. Grey, founder of ''
The Aeroplane
''Aeroplane'' (formerly ''Aeroplane Monthly'') is a British magazine devoted to aviation, with a focus on aviation history and preservation.
__TOC__
''The Aeroplane''
The weekly ''The Aeroplane'' launched in June 1911 under founding edito ...
'' magazine, remarked "it looks like a flying suitcase", a nickname that stuck with the aircraft for its lifetime. On 21 June 1936, the prototype, powered by a pair of Bristol Pegasus P.E.5S(A) engines, conducted 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 ...
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 ...
,
Hertfordshire, piloted by Handley-Page Chief Test Pilot Major James Cordes.
In late June 1936, the prototype was put on public display in the New Types Park,
Hendon Air Show
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in London, England, that was an important centre for aviation from 1908 to 1968.
It was situated in Colindale, north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became a central hub of civil aviation ("the Charing Cro ...
,
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 ...
. In August 1936, in response to the successful flight trials performed by ''K4240'', the Air Ministry issued an initial production order for the type, ordering 180 production aircraft to be manufactured to meet
Specification B.30/36; concurrently, a second order for 100 aircraft powered by the
Napier Dagger
The Napier Dagger was a 24-cylinder H-pattern ''(or H-Block)'' air-cooled engine designed by Frank Halford and built by Napier before World War II. It was a development of the earlier Napier Rapier.
Design and development
The H-Block has a ...
was issued to
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
-based
Short & Harland.
[Moyes 1965, pp. 3–4.]
In early 1937, a second prototype, which received the serial number ''L7271'', was completed; this second prototype had several differences from the first, including the
pitot tube
A pitot ( ) tube (pitot probe) measures fluid flow velocity. It was invented by a French engineer, Henri Pitot, in the early 18th century, and was modified to its modern form in the mid-19th century by a French scientist, Henry Darcy. It ...
being repositioned below the fuselage, a more rounded
ventral
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
defensive gun position, and a slightly modified nose.
[Moyes 1965, p. 4.] ''L7271'' later received a pair of Dagger engines and was accordingly re-designated as the ''HP.53''; on 1 July 1937, it performed its first flight after having received the new engines. Another prototype, ''L4032'', was produced to serve as the production-standard prototype; on 24 June 1938, the third prototype conducted its maiden flight.
''L4032'' differed from the previous two prototypes in that it was powered by a pair of Pegasus XVIII engines, the nose incorporated an optically-flat bomb-aiming panel, as well as the ventral and dorsal gun positions being revised.
On 24 June 1938, ''L4032'' was officially
christened by Lady Katharine Mary Montagu Douglas Scott,
Viscountess Hampden, at a ceremony held in Radlett Aerodrome, the same day on which its first flight took place.
''L4032'' and ''L4033'', which was the second production-standard Hampden to be produced, would be later assigned to the
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992. Established at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, where its wo ...
at
RAF Martlesham Heath,
Suffolk.
[Moyes 1965, pp. 4–5.] On 20 September 1938, the third production Hampden, designated ''L4034'', following the completion of handling trials conducted by the
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at ...
at
Upavon Aerodrome
Royal Air Force Upavon or RAF Upavon is a former RAF station in Wiltshire, England. It was a grass airfield, military flight training school, and administrative headquarters of the Royal Air Force. The station opened in 1912 and closed in 1993 ...
,
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
, become the first aircraft to enter RAF squadron service, being delivered to
No. 49 Squadron.
[Moyes 1965, p. 5.]
Production
By late 1938, the mass manufacturing plans for the Hampden had been formalised. In addition to Handley-Page's own production line, the type was to be built under
subcontract
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 ...
by
English Electric at their factory in
Preston,
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 ...
; on 6 August 1938, English Electric was awarded an initial contract to manufacture 75 Hampdens.
In addition, Canadian interest in domestic production of the type had resulted in the establishment of the joint Anglo-Canadian
Canadian Associated Aircraft
Canadian Associated Aircraft was a joint Canadian-United Kingdom project to build Handley Page Hampden aircraft in the late 1930s.
History
During the build-up to the Second World War, Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. had joined together with five othe ...
company, which promptly received an initial order from the RAF for 80 Hampdens to be completed in Canada; this facility would effectively act as a
shadow factory
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two- dimensional silhouette, ...
during wartime.
On 1 September 1938, in response to interest expressed by the
Royal Swedish Air Force
The Swedish Air Force ( sv, Svenska flygvapnet or just ) is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the es ...
(RSAF) in the Hampden, including in a potential
licence production arrangement for 70 aircraft to be built in Sweden, a single production Hampden was supplied to Sweden. Designated ''P.5'' by the RSAF, it was operated by the service through to November 1945, after which it was sold to
Svenska Aeroplan AB (SAAB) to serve as a flying testbed before being retired in late 1947.
On 22 February 1940, the first Preston-built Hampden, ''P2062'', conducted its maiden flight. English Electric would go on to manufacture a total of 770 Hampdens, more than any other company, prior to delivering its final aircraft on 15 March 1942.
In July 1940, Handley-Page terminated its own production line for the Hampden upon the completion of its 500th aircraft.
[Moyes 1965, p. 7.] On 9 August 1940, the first Canadian-built Hampden, ''P5298'', made its first flight; by October 1940, Canadian production had risen to 15 aircraft per month.
A total of 160 Hampdens were completed by Canadian Associated Aircraft, many of which were ferried to the United Kingdom for wartime service. The final Canadian-built aircraft was delivered in late 1941.
[Moyes 1965, pp. 7–8.]
Design
The Hampden Mk I had a pilot, navigator/bomb aimer, radio operator and rear gunner. Conceived as a fast, manoeuvrable "fighting bomber", the Hampden had a fixed forward-firing
.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine gun in the upper part of the fuselage nose. To avoid the weight penalties of powered turrets, the Hampden had a curved
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 fitted with a manual .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 ...
and a .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K installation in the rear upper and lower positions. The layout was similar to the all-guns-forward cockpits introduced about the same time in ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' medium bombers, notably the
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber produced by Dornier Flugzeugwerke for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. Designed in the early 1930s as a '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") intended to be fast enough to outrun opposing a ...
. During the
Norwegian Campaign, these guns proved to be thoroughly inadequate for self-defence in daylight; the single guns were replaced by twin Vickers K guns, a process led by Air Vice Marshal
Arthur Harris of
No. 5 Group RAF
No. 5 Group was a Royal Air Force bomber group of the Second World War, led during the latter part (February 1943 – 1945) by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane.
History
Overview
The Group was formed on 1 September 1937, with its headquarters at RAF Mild ...
in 1940.
[Moyes 1965, pp. 6–7.]
The Hampden had a 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 ...
ted stressed skin, reinforced with a mixture of bent and extruded sections in an all-metal
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
design.
A split-assembly construction technique was employed: sections were prefabricated and then joined, to enable rapid and economic manufacture.
The fuselage was in three big sections – front, centre and rear – that were built using
jig
The jig ( ga, port, gd, port-cruinn) is a form of lively folk dance in compound metre, as well as the accompanying dance tune. It is most associated with Irish music and dance. It first gained popularity in 16th-century Ireland and parts of ...
s.
[Moyes 1965, p. 10.] The centre and rear sections were made of two halves, which meant that the sections could be fitted out in part under better working conditions prior to assembly. All possible assembly work was performed at the benches prior to installation upon each aircraft.
![Hampden cockpit WWII IWM CH 1207](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Hampden_cockpit_WWII_IWM_CH_1207.jpg)
The wings were made up of three large units: centre section, port outer wing and starboard outer wing, which were also subdivided. Each section was built around a main girder spar,
leading edge
The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...
section and
trailing edge
The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 199 ...
section.
The wing made use of
wingtip slots and hydraulically-actuated trailing edge
flaps; the flaps and
ailerons had stress-bearing ''D''-spars.
According to Moyes, the configuration of the wing was a key feature of Hampden, being highly
tapered and designed to exert low levels of
drag; these attributes were responsible for the aircraft's high top speed for the era of while retaining a reasonably low landing speed of .
The Hampden's flying qualities were typically described as being favourable; Moyes described it as being "extraordinarily mobile on the controls".
Pilots were provided with a high level of external visibility, assisting the execution of steep turns and other manoeuvres. The control layout required some familiarisation, as some elements such as the
hydraulic
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 ...
controls were unobtrusive and unintuitive.
Upon introduction, the Hampden exhibited greater speeds and initial climb rates than any of its contemporaries while still retaining favourable handling qualities.
The slim and compact fuselage of the aircraft was quite cramped, being wide enough only for a single person. The navigator sat behind the pilot and access in the cockpit required folding down the seats. Once in place, the crew had almost no room to move and were typically uncomfortable during long missions.
Aircrews referred to the Hampden by various nicknames due to this, such as ''Flying Suitcase'', ''Panhandle'', and ''Flying Tadpole''.
The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden was often referred to by aircrews as the "Flying Suitcase" because of its cramped crew conditions, or more plausibly, because of the unusually thin, deep, slab-sided and rectangular shape of the fuselage was reminiscent of that of a suitcase.
Operational history
UK service
![British WW2 medium bombers comparison](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/British_WW2_medium_bombers_comparison.png)
In September 1938,
No. 49 Squadron received the first Hampdens; by the end of the year, both 49 and
83 Squadrons at
RAF Scampton
Royal Air Force Scampton or RAF Scampton is a Royal Air Force station located adjacent to the A15 road near to the village of Scampton, Lincolnshire, and north-west of the city of Lincoln, England.
RAF Scampton stands on the site of a Firs ...
had re-equipped with the type.
[''Air International'' November 1984, p. 248.] A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with ten squadrons by the start of the Second World War, with six forming the operational strength of
5 Group 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 ...
based in
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
.
[Richards 1995, pp. 17–18.]
With the outbreak of war in 1939, Hampdens were initially used to perform armed
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of i ...
missions, observing German naval activity during daylight.
[Moyes 1965, p. 6.] However, despite its speed and manoeuvrability, the Hampden proved to be no match for ''Luftwaffe'' fighters; in December 1939, Bomber Command is claimed to have discarded the belief that aircraft such as the Hampden could realistically operate by day and instead chose to predominantly employ them under the cover of darkness during nighttime operations.
During 1940, Hampdens of 5 Group conducted 123 nighttime
airborne leaflet propaganda missions, losing only a single aircraft in the process.
On 13 April 1940, days after
Germany's invasion of Norway, a large number of Hampdens were dispatched on night-time
mine
Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to:
Extraction or digging
* Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging
*Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine
Grammar
*Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun
...
-laying (code-named "gardening") flights in 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 ...
in areas deemed unapproachable by British shipping. According to Moyes, this activity proved highly effective, experiencing a low casualty rate of less than 1.9 aircraft per mission.
The Hampden also saw a return to its use as a daytime bomber during the
Norwegian Campaign, but quickly proved to be under-gunned in the face of German fighters.
On 19 March 1940, Hampdens took part in the first deliberate bombing of German soil in a nighttime raid upon the seaplane hangars and slipways in
Hörnum
( Sölring Frisian: ''Hörnem'', Danish: ''Hørnum'') is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the southern headland of the island of Sylt. The municipality is part of the '' Amt'' ...
,
Sylt
Sylt (; da, Sild; Sylt North Frisian, Söl'ring North Frisian: ) is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian ...
.
The type continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany. Flight Lieutenant
Rod Learoyd of 49 Squadron was awarded the
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 ...
for a low-level attack on the
Dortmund-Ems canal on 12 August 1940 where two of five aircraft failed to return.
On 25 August 1940, Hampdens from various squadrons participated in the RAF's first bombing raid on
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
.
Sergeant
John Hannah was the wireless operator/air gunner of an
83 Squadron Hampden and was awarded the Victoria Cross on 15 September 1940, when he fought the flames of the burning aircraft, allowing the pilot to return it to base.
In April 1942, the Hampden-equipped
144 Squadron and
455 Squadron RAAF were transferred from Bomber Command to
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 ...
to perform the
torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...
role. Later that year, detachments from both squadrons were dispatched to
Vaenga airfield,
Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...
, Russia, to help safeguard the
Arctic convoys
The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...
in the vicinity.
A total of four squadrons assigned to Coastal Command would be equipped with Hampdens. These squadrons continued to use the type into late 1943; the last Coastal Command squadron transitioned from the type on 10 December 1943.
[Moyes 1965, pp. 8–9.]
Almost half of the Hampdens built, 714, were lost on operations, with 1,077 crew killed and 739 reported as missing. German ''Flak'' accounted for 108, one hit a German
barrage balloon, 263 Hampdens crashed because of "a variety of causes" and 214 others were classed as "missing". ''Luftwaffe'' pilots claimed 128 Hampdens, shooting down 92 at night.
The last Bomber Command sorties by Hampdens were flown on the night of 14/15 September 1942 by 408 Squadron, RCAF against
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsh ...
.
[''Air International'' November 1984, p. 251.] After being withdrawn from Bomber Command in 1942, it operated with
RAF 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 ...
through 1943 as a long-range
torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...
(the Hampden TB Mk I with a Mk XII torpedo in an open bomb bay and a bomb under each wing) and as a maritime
reconnaissance aircraft.
Non-UK service
![455 Squadron RAAF Hampden at RAF Wigsley circa 1942 AWM SUK10370](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/455_Squadron_RAAF_Hampden_at_RAF_Wigsley_circa_1942_AWM_SUK10370.jpg)
The Hampden was also used by 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),
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF),
''Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota'' (AV-MF: Maritime Military Fleet Aviation) of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and the Swedish
''Flygvapnet'' (Air Force).
The Hampden in RCAF service included the 160 examples manufactured in Canada by the
Canadian Associated Aircraft
Canadian Associated Aircraft was a joint Canadian-United Kingdom project to build Handley Page Hampden aircraft in the late 1930s.
History
During the build-up to the Second World War, Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. had joined together with five othe ...
consortium. Of the total built, 84 were shipped by sea to Great Britain, while the remainder came to Patricia Bay (Victoria Airport) B.C., to set up
No. 32 OTU (RAF) used for bombing and gunnery
training
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
. Typical exercises at 32 OTU consisted of patrolling up the West Coast of Vancouver Island at night or flying out into the Pacific to a navigational map co-ordinate, often in adverse and un-forecast inclement weather. Due to attrition from accidents, about 200 "war weary" Hampdens were later flown from the U.K. to Patricia Bay as replacements.
In
Operation Orator, during September 1942, the crews of 32 Hampden TB.1 torpedo bombers from
No. 144 Squadron RAF
No. 144 Squadron RAF was a Squadron (aviation), squadron of the British Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 during the First World War, operating as a bomber squadron in the Middle East. It reformed in 1937, serving in the bomber and ant ...
and
No. 455 Squadron RAAF flew to
Northwest Russia
Northwest Russia, or the Russian North is the northern part of western Russia. It is bounded by Norway, Finland, the Arctic Ocean, the Ural Mountains and the east-flowing part of the Volga. The area is roughly coterminous with the Northwestern ...
, to protect
arctic convoy
The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...
PQ 18 from German surface vessels, such the
battleship ''Tirpitz''. The Hampden crews flew from
Sumburgh
Sumburgh is a small settlement in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Sumburgh is located at the south end of the Mainland on Sumburgh Head. Sumburgh Airport is just outside the village to the north. Sumburgh has a population of approximately 100. Ja ...
in the
Shetland Islands to
Vaenga (Vayenga; later known as Severomorsk) in
Murmansk Oblast,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
. This was a hazardous route, often subject to poor weather and spanning more than , partly over enemy-occupied territory in Norway and Finland. Eight Hampdens were lost or damaged beyond repair en route.
[''Forced Landing Collection'', 2012, "1942-09-05 Handley-Page HP 52 Hampden TB 1 – Serial # P5304"](_blank)
(19 November 2016).[Kjell Sorenson, 2011, ''Handley Page HP52 Hampden Tsatsa, Sarek Sweden'' (19 November 2016).] 144 and 455 Squadrons flew a small number of sorties from Vaenga. While it was originally intended that the Hampdens would be flown back to Scotland, the prevailing west-east headwinds on such a flight might have pushed the Hampdens beyond their maximum endurance and it was decided to transport the wing's personnel back to Britain by sea and gift the Hampdens to the
Soviet Navy.
Aircrews and mechanics from
Maritime Military Fleet Aviation (''Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota''; VMF) were trained by members of 144 and 455 Squadrons, before their return to Britain in October.
[Geoff Raebel, 2010, ''RAAF in Russia'' <> (19 November 2016).] The 3rd Squadron,
24th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment (24 Минно-торпедный авиаполк; ''24 MTAP'') operated the "
balalaika
The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the thir ...
" – the Russian nickname for the Hampden, in reference to its unusual shape – until mid-1943, when losses, a lack of replacements and a shortage of spares forced its retirement. ''24 MTAP'' then reverted to the
Ilyushin DB-3/
Ilyushin Il-4.
In Sweden, the ''Flygvapnet'' assigned an HP.52 to
Reconnaissance Wing F 11 at
Nyköping
Nyköping () is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,759 inhabitants as of 2017. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.
Including Arnö, the locality on the southern shore of th ...
for evaluation, under the designation P5. After the war, the aircraft was sold to
SAAB
Saab or SAAB may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Saab Group, a Swedish aerospace and defence company, formerly known as SAAB, and later as Saab AB
** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab AB
* Saab Automobile, a fo ...
where it was used as an avionics testbed.
Variants
The Hampden was powered by two
Bristol Pegasus XVIII nine-cylinder radial engines. A Mk II variant, designated the HP.62, was developed by converting two Hampdens to use the
Wright Cyclone
Wright Cyclone was the name given to a family of air-cooled radial piston engines designed by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and used in numerous American aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s.
Background
The Wright Aeronautical Corporation wa ...
engine in 1940, but no further work was done on that project.
[Moyes 1965, p. 8.]
Interest in the HP.52 by the
Swedish Air Force led to the creation of the HP.53 prototype, which was subsequently used as a testbed for a pair of
Napier Dagger
The Napier Dagger was a 24-cylinder H-pattern ''(or H-Block)'' air-cooled engine designed by Frank Halford and built by Napier before World War II. It was a development of the earlier Napier Rapier.
Design and development
The H-Block has a ...
VIII 24-cylinder
H-block
Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sept ...
air-cooled inline engines.
In August 1936, the Air Ministry placed an order for 100 Hampdens equipped with the Dagger engine. Those aircraft subsequently received the designation ''HP.53'', along with the name ''Hereford''.
Manufactured by
Short & Harland in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
, their performance was almost identical to that of their Hampden cousins, but there were problems with the engines.
[Moyes 1965, pp. 9–10.] From the outset, the Dagger engine proved to be problematic, being both noisy and unreliable. In particular, cooling problems plagued the engine while being run on the ground, resulting in distortions and premature failures.
[Moyes 1965, pp. 10, 12.] The problems were not satisfactorily resolved, with the result that most of the Herefords on order were converted to Hampdens instead, while those that were constructed were often re-engined to become Hampdens. A limited number of Herefords did enter squadron service, but were only used as crew trainers by training units.
Operators
Hampden
;:
*
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
**
No. 455 Squadron RAAF Used between July 1941 and December 1943, Codeletters UB.
;:
*
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. 408 (Goose) Squadron RCAF Used with RAF Bomber Command between July 1941 and September 1942, Codeletters EQ
**
No. 415 (Swordfish) Squadron RCAF Used as a torpedo bomber with RAF Coastal Command between February 1942 and November 1943, Codeletters GX
**
No. 420 (Snowy Owl) Squadron RCAF Used with RAF Bomber Command between December 1941 and August 1942, Codeletters PT
**
No. 32 Operational Training Unit RAF/RCAF Used in Canada between May 1942 and February 1944, Codeletters DK, LB, OP and RO
;:
*
Royal New Zealand Air Force
**
No. 489 Squadron RNZAF Used between February 1942 and November 1943, Codeletters XA
;:
*
Soviet Naval Aviation
Soviet Naval Aviation (AV-MF, for ''Авиация военно-морского флота'' in Russian, or ''Aviatsiya voyenno-morskogo flota'', literally "aviation of the military maritime fleet") was the naval aviation arm of the Soviet Na ...
**
24th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment (''24 MTAP'')
;:
*
Swedish Air Force
**
Reconnaissance Wing F 11 based at
Nyköping
Nyköping () is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,759 inhabitants as of 2017. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.
Including Arnö, the locality on the southern shore of th ...
operated a single HP.52 for evaluation under designation P 5. After the war, the aircraft was sold to
SAAB
Saab or SAAB may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Saab Group, a Swedish aerospace and defence company, formerly known as SAAB, and later as Saab AB
** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab AB
* Saab Automobile, a fo ...
where it was operated for testing avionics.
;:
![RAF Bomber Command 1940 HU104656](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/RAF_Bomber_Command_1940_HU104656.jpg)
*
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. 7 Squadron RAF
No. 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC6 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire.
History
Formation and early years
No. 7 Squadron was formed at Farnborough Airfield on 1 May 1914 as the last squadron of the Royal Flying Corp ...
– April 1939 to April 1940, code letters LT (pre-war) and MG (wartime)
**
No. 44 Squadron RAF – February 1939 and December 1941, code letters JW (pre-war) and KM (wartime)
**
No. 49 Squadron RAF – October 1938 and April 1942, code letters XU (pre-war) and EA (wartime)
**
No. 50 Squadron RAF – December 1938 and April 1942, code letters QX (pre-war) and VN (wartime)
**
No. 61 Squadron RAF
No. 61 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed as a fighter squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It was reformed in 1937 as a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force and served in t ...
– February 1939 and October 1941, code letters LS (pre-war) and QR (wartime)
**
No. 76 Squadron RAF – March 1939 and April 1940, code letters NM (pre-war) and MP (wartime)
**
No. 83 Squadron RAF – November 1938 and January 1942, code letters QQ (pre-war) and OL (wartime)
**
No. 97 Squadron RAF – July/August 1941, squadron code OF
**
No. 106 Squadron RAF – March 1939 to March 1942, code letters XS (pre-war) and ZN (wartime)
**
No. 144 Squadron RAF
No. 144 Squadron RAF was a Squadron (aviation), squadron of the British Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 during the First World War, operating as a bomber squadron in the Middle East. It reformed in 1937, serving in the bomber and ant ...
– March 1939 to October 1942, code letters NV (pre-war) and PL (wartime)
**
No. 185 Squadron RAF – June 1939 to April 1940, code letters ZM (pre-war) and GL (wartime)
**
No. 207 Squadron RAF – July/August 1941, squadron code EM
**
No. 517 Squadron RAF – August to November 1943,
**
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 ...
– August to November 1943, code letters Z9
**
No. 521 Squadron RAF – September to December 1943, code letters 5O
**
No. 5 (C)OTU RAF Used between July 1942 and September 1943, Only individual code letters and numbers
**
No. 14 Operational Training Unit RAF Used between 5 May 1940 and December 1942, code letters AM, GL and VB
**
No. 16 Operational Training Unit RAF Used between 18 April 1940 and September 1942, code letters GA, JS and XG
**
No. 25 Operational Training Unit RAF
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, ...
Used between February and December 1941, code letters ZP
**
No. 1401 (Meteorological) Flight RAF at
RAF Bircham Newton
Royal Air Force Bircham Newton or more simply RAF Bircham Newton is a former Royal Air Force station located south east of Docking, Norfolk and north east of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England.
History
The site was first used during the First Wo ...
/
RAF Docking
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) and ...
**
No. 1402 (Meteorological) Flight RAF at Aldergrove
**
No. 1403 (Meteorological) Flight RAF at Gosport/Bircham Newton/Gibraltar
**
No. 1404 (Meteorological) Flight RAF at St. Eval
**
No. 1406 (Meteorological) Flight RAF at Wick
**
No. 1407 (Meteorological) Flight RAF
No. 251 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Squadron which operated during the First World War and the Second World War. The Squadron was disbanded in 1945 and remains inactive.
History
No. 251 Squadron RAF was first formed in August 1918 from Nos. ...
at Reykjavik
Hereford
;:
*
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. 185 Squadron RAF at
Cottesmore used in April 1940.
**
No. 14 Operational Training Unit at Cottesmore used from April 1940.
**
No. 16 Operational Training Unit at
Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire
Upper Heyford is a village and civil parish about northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,295. The village is just east of the River Cherwell. "Upper" distinguishes it from Lower ...
, used from 7 May 1940.
**
Torpedo Development Unit at
Gosport operated one aircraft.
Survivors
![Hampden in Vancouver](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Hampden_in_Vancouver.jpg)
No Hampdens remain in flying condition today, although examples do remain on display or undergoing restoration:
* Hampden I ''P1344''
:Recovered from a crash-site in Russia in 1991, the aircraft is being reconstructed at the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the
Royal Air Force Museum Cosford
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, located in Cosford in Shropshire, is a free (currently, 2022) museum dedicated to the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is part of the Royal Air Force Museum, a non-departme ...
. During the Second World War, it served with
No. 144 Squadron RAF
No. 144 Squadron RAF was a Squadron (aviation), squadron of the British Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 during the First World War, operating as a bomber squadron in the Middle East. It reformed in 1937, serving in the bomber and ant ...
, part of
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 ...
. In September 1942, the squadron was transferred to the
Kola Peninsula
sjd, Куэлнэгк нёа̄ррк
, image_name= Kola peninsula.png
, image_caption= Kola Peninsula as a part of Murmansk Oblast
, image_size= 300px
, image_alt=
, map_image= Murmansk in Russia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Murmansk Oblas ...
in northern Russia to help protect the
Arctic convoys
The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...
. While in transit over Finland, P1344 accidentally flew close by a German airfield and was shot down by two scrambled
Messerschmitt Bf 109s. It crashed in a wooded area of the Kola Peninsula, with three crew members killed and two taken prisoner. After its recovery by another party, the RAF Museum gained ownership of the aircraft in 1992. It was reported in 2016 that, with the help of volunteers, work on the fuselage could be completed by 2018.
:An update in October 2020 stated that "aircraft now has all four fuselage components fully assembled, attached and painted in its original 144 Squadron colour scheme and serial number". It was expected to be moved to the RAF Museum London.
* Hampden, ''P5436''
: This aircraft has been reconstructed largely from parts of the last Canadian-built example, ditched on a training flight in November 1942 when the pilot lost control after a practice torpedo drop. The remains were recovered from 600 ft of water in
Saanich Inlet
, image = Saanich Inlet from Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, Canada 13.jpg
, image_size = 260px
, caption = Saanich Inlet from Gowlland Tod Provincial Park
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Northwest o ...
on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
in 1989. Along with recovered components from two other Hampden crashes in Canada, reconstruction was about 97 per cent complete by 2007. The restored aircraft became the showpiece exhibit at the
Canadian Museum of Flight
The Canadian Museum of Flight (formally the Canadian Museum of Flight Association since 1998) is an aviation museum at the Langley Regional Airport in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. The museum has over 25 civilian and military jets, pisto ...
at
Langley, British Columbia, in the Fraser Valley, east of
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
.
[Handley Page Hampden](_blank)
/ref>
:In January 2009, a heavy snowfall snapped off the aircraft's left wing. Despite the efforts of Museum staff to clear the accumulating snow, the wing's internal structure failed and the wing separated from the fuselage, falling onto a display case containing one of the aircraft's original engines. The wing suffered considerable damage and there was additional damage to the tail and propeller. The wing had largely been restored using wood parts because most of the metal parts of the wing structure had corroded so it did not possess the structural integrity of the original aircraft. The museum is currently seeking donations to repair the aircraft. The repairs, in 2011, included the mating of the wing and propeller to the fuselage and engine. As of November 2013, the repairs to the CMF Handley Page Hampden have been completed. The wing has been re-secured and the complete aircraft has been repainted.[CMF update]
"Canadian Museum of Flight: Collection: Handley Page Hampden"
/ref> By 20 April 2015 the two gunner sections were open.
* The Wings Aviation Museum in the United Kingdom owns the wings and tail of "P1273"; the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre
The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre is an aviation museum in East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, England. It was opened to the public in 1988 by Lincolnshire farmers Fred and Harold Panton, as a memorial to their older brother, Christopher Whitton P ...
is currently restoring AE436 to flying condition. Both of these were also 144 Squadron aircraft, lost during the transfer to Russia. The former, "P1273" was shot down by mistake by Soviet fighters over Petsamo. The latter was lost over Sweden, its remains discovered in a remote region by hikers in 1976.[Simpson, Andrew]
"Individual History, Handley Page Hampden TB1 P1344/9175M."
''RAF Museum''. Retrieved: 26 September 2010.
In popular culture
The HP Hampden had a featured role in ''The Big Blockade
''The Big Blockade'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war propaganda film in the style of dramatised documentary. It is directed by Charles Frend and stars Will Hay, Leslie Banks, Michael Redgrave and John Mills. It was produced by Michael Bal ...
'', a 1941 Second World War propaganda film showing "blockade" bombing and its effects on the German war industry, with Michael Rennie
Michael Rennie (born Eric Alexander Rennie; 25 August 1909 – 10 June 1971) was a British film, television and stage actor, who had leading roles in a number of Hollywood films, including his portrayal of the space visitor Klaatu in the s ...
and John Mills
Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portra ...
as two of its four-man crew. The trials of flying Hampdens in the early years of the Second World War are also described in the 2002 novel '' Damned Good Show'' by Derek Robinson. There is also an issue of the comic ''Combat'' about a Hampden and its crew.
Guy Gibson's autobiography, '' Enemy Coast Ahead'' (1946), details his early RAF flying career in a Hampden squadron in text and photographs.
Robert Kee
Robert Kee (5 October 1919 – 11 January 2013) was a British broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and Ireland.
Life and career
He was educated at Stowe School, Buckingham, and read history ...
's war memoir, ''A Crowd Is Not Company'', begins by describing the mission in which he was shot down in a Hampden while trying to drop a sea mine off the coast of the Netherlands.
Specifications (Hampden Mk I)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Barnes, C.H. and Derek N. James. ''Handley Page Aircraft since 1907''. London: Putnam & Company, 1987. .
* Bowyer, Chaz. ''Hampden Special''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1976. .
* Clayton, Donald C. ''Handley Page, an Aircraft Album''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. .
* Crosby, Francis. ''The World Encyclopedia of Bombers''. London: Anness Publishing Ltd., 2007. .
* Day, Jerry. "Hurt Hampden." ''Air Classics'', Volume 45, Issue 4, April 2009
* Donald, David and Jon Lake, eds. ''Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft''. London: AIRtime Publishing, 1996. .
* Green, William. ''Famous Bombers of the Second World War''. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1977. .
* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: RAF Bombers, Part 2''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 2nd edition revised 1981. .
* Gunston, Bill. ''Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways''. London: Osprey, 1995. .
* "Hampden: Defender of Liberty". '' Air International'', Vol. 27, No. 5, November 1984. pp. 244–252.
* Mondey, David. ''The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II''. London: Hamlyn/Aerospace, 1982. .
* Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1964 (2nd edition 1976). .
* Moyes, Philip J.R. ''The Handley Page Hampden (Aircraft in Profile 58)''. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.
* Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Royal Air Force Bombers of World War Two, Volume Two''. Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, UK: Hylton Lacy Publishers, 1968. .
* Moyle, Harry. ''The Hampden File''. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1989. .
* Postlethwaite, Mark. ''Hampden Squadrons in Focus''. Walton on Thames, UK: Red Kite, 2003. .
* Richards, Denis. ''The Hardest Victory: RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War''. London: Cornet, 1995. .
*
* Roberts, Nicholas. ''Crash Log: Handley Page Hampden & Hereford''. Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1980. .
* Thetford, Owen. ''Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918–1957''. London: Putnam, 1957.
*
* Eden, Paul (Ed.). ''Encyclopedia of Aircraft of World War II''. London: Amber Books, 2004. .
External links
*
*
*
*
Hampden at the Canadian Museum of Flight
{{Authority control
1930s British bomber aircraft
World War II British bombers
Hampden
Aircraft first flown in 1936
Mid-wing aircraft
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