Handley Page Halifax | Classic Warbirds (2024)

The Halifax can trace its roots back to 1935 when the Air Ministry issued a specification for a twin-engined bomber and Handley Page submitted their H.P.55 design. However, this lost out to the Vickers Warwick. Undeterred by this, they submitted their H.P.56 design when the Air Ministry issued Specification P.13/36 the following year which required a bomber to use the Rolls-Royce Vulture engine, which was still being developed.

Avro had also submitted a design to meet Specification P.13/36 and both companies had orders for prototypes placed. While Avro continued with their twin-engined prototype, which would become the Avro Manchester, Handley Page modified their design to be powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. This new design, known as the H.P.57, was sent to the Air Ministry

The Air Ministry would place an order for two H.P.57 prototypes on the 3rd September 1937, and, flying from RAF Bicester, the first prototype made its maiden flight on the 25th October 1939. The Halifax housed a crew of seven, comprising of pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb-aimer, wireless operator, mid gunner and rear gunner, with a bomb bay 22 ft in size and bomb compartments in both wings. Ten months later on the 18th August 1940 the second prototype flew.

The first production version was the Halifax B.Mk I Series I, with the first one flying on the 11th October 1940. Powered by the 1,280-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin X engine, the aircraft had a top speed of 265 mph, range of 980 miles with a service ceiling of 18,000 ft. Armament was six 0.303-in machine-guns with two located in the nose turret and the rest in the tail turret. Bomb load was 13,000lb. No. 35 Squadron, which had been reformed on the 5th November 1940 at RAF Boscombe Down, began to receive theirs on the 13th November 1940. It was with the same squadron four months later that the Halifax would be used operationally for the first time when on the 10th March 1941 six took part in an attack on Le Havre, France. A daylight raid over Hamburg, Germany followed on the 13th March 1941.

The Halifax B.Mk II Series I followed, powered by the 1,390-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine, it featured increased fuel capacity and a dorsal turret with two 0.303-in machine-guns was installed. The aircraft's top speed was 254 mph, range 1,900 miles and a service ceiling of 22,000 ft. Armament consisted of eight 0.303-in machine-guns, two each in the nose and dorsal turrets and four in the tail turret. Bomb load was 13,000lb. The downside to these changes meant an increase in the aircraft's weight, affecting its operational performance.

This led to the Halifax B.Mk II Series IA which had a number of changes, most notably the nose turret was removed and replaced with perspex and a new dorsal turret with two extra 0.303-in machine-guns, bringing the total to four and keeping the Halifax's overall armament to eight 0.303-in machine-guns. Thanks to these changes and the installation of 1,620-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 24 engines, the aircraft's top speed increased by 10%.

There was, however, one drawback with the Halifax and this was discovered after the loss of aircraft that were fully loaded. This was to do with the original triangular shape of the fins which could result in the aircraft entering a uncontrollable spin and as a result of much testing these fins were replaced with rectangular and larger fins. So from aircraft produced after the early part of 1943 these new fins were used.

The Halifax B.Mk III followed and would be the most produced variant. This featured an 5 ft 4 in increase in wingspan and would be powered by the 1,650-hp Bristol Hercules XVI engine. This gave the aircraft a top speed of 282 mph, range of 1,860 miles with a service ceiling of 24,000 ft. Armament was eight 0.303-in machine-guns, four each in dorsal and tail turrets, with a bomb load of 13,000lb. On the 29th August 1943 the first production version flew for the first time, and three months later on the 3rd November 1943 it entered service with No. 433 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, formed on the 25th September 1943 at RAF Skipton-on-Swale, when they received their first example, and on the same day No. 466 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, based at RAF Leconfield took delivery of six and began replacing their Vickers Wellington B Mk Xs.

The next intended variant was the Halifax Mk B.IV which was to be powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin 65 engine, but none were built. So the Halifax Mk B.V was next, powered by the 1,220-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine, it had a top speed of 307 mph, range of 1,260 miles and a service ceiling of 22,000 ft. Armament consisted of eight 0.303-in machine-guns, four in the dorsal turret and four in the tail turret. Bomb load was 13,000lb.

The Halifax Mk B.VI followed and was powered by the 1,800-hp Bristol Hercules 100 engine. This had a top speed of 312 mph, a range of 1,260 miles with a service ceiling of 22,000 ft. Armament was eight 0.303-in machine-guns, four each in dorsal and tail turrets. Bomb load was 12,000lb.

The next variant, the Halifax Mk B.VII, was powered by the 1,675-hp Bristol Hercules XVI engine. This gave the aircraft a top speed of 277 mph, range of 2,500 miles and a service ceiling of 20,000 ft. Armament consisted of eight 0.303-in machine-guns, with four in the dorsal turret and four in the tail turret. Bomb load was 12,000 lb.

The Halifax C.VIII was a military transport aircraft used by two Polish squadrons, Nos 301 and 304, who both replaced their Vickers Warwicks with the type. Both squadrons were based at RAF Chedburgh and used the aircraft until both squadrons were disbanded on the 10th December 1946.

Transport Command and the Airborne Forces used Halifax Mk A.IXs for various roles including glider tugs, in fact the Halifax was the only aircraft able to tow the General Aircraft Hamilcar glider, and paratroop transports.

Serving mainly with the Royal Air Force, there would be at least 34 squadrons operating the Halifax at the height of its operational service with Bomber Command and it would fly over 75,500 sorties during 1941 - 1945. Two notable achievements for the aircraft included taking part in some of the first Pathfinder operations during August 1942 and the H2S blind bombing radar would first be used aboard a Halifax. Coastal Command also used the Halifax for a range of operations, including anti-submarine patrols. In total nine Coastal Command squadrons would be equipped with the type. Two Special Duties squadrons, Nos. 138 and 161, based at RAF Tempsford, used the aircraft to drop agents and supplies into occupied territory.

The last Bomber Command losses of the Second World War (1939 - 1945) were Halifax crews, when two from No. 199 Squadron where involved in a mid-air collision on the 3rd May 1945, leaving only 3 survivors of the 16 airmen aboard both aircraft. After the Japanese surrender the types service with Bomber Command came to an end, although it remained in service with Coastal Command and a small number would take part in the Berlin Airlift (26th June 1948 - 30th September 1949).

In total 6,178 were built.