Machines - Halifax

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 The RAF's four-engine bombers became the instrument that systematically destroyed German industrial capacity. They delivered the "whirlwind" that Hitler had conjured up by "sowing the wind" in his aerial attacks on Britain. The first to go into service was the Stirling (described last week) and the most famous was the Lancaster, yet the Halifax also played a major role and deserves to be remembered.

I have to admit to a personal interest in the Halifax. My uncle Ken flew -- and died -- in a Halifax in early 1944. It was also a controversial aircraft.

Halifaxes first flew operationally in March 1941. They had an operational range of 1,860 miles,  significantly more than the Sterling, and a payload of 14,500 lbs. Early versions had a maximum speed of 265 mph at 17,500 feet, which seemed impressive. Yet, performance quickly proved disappointing, and the Halifax was upgraded five times in the course of the war. Each new "Mark" represented a significant improvement. Nevertheless, Air Marshal Harris never seemed to like them. Early on he went on record claiming he'd rather have one squadron of Lancasters than four with Halifaxes. In this instance, however, Harris did not have his way, and he appears to have modified his opinion as the later models of Halifax became operational.

In the second half of 1942, five Halifax squadrons were pulled together to form the Pathfinder force which eventually expanded to form No 8 Group. By the end of 1943, No. 4 Group was completely outfitted with Halifaxes, while No 6 Group also had a large number of Halifax squadrons. Altogether 76 squadrons of bomber command were equipped with Halifaxes, and they flew a total of 82,773 operational sorties, dropping 224,207 tons of high explosives.

In addition to service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes were employed by Coastal Command in mine-laying operations, for reconnaissance and meteorological flights. It was used in SOE operations, and as a glider tug during the invasion of Europe. 

In the course of the war, Halifax losses amounted to 1,833 aircraft, but a disproportionate number of these were in the early years with the older models of Halifax. The loss rate fell from 4.2% to 1.6% of sorties after the introduction of the more powerful Mark IIIs and Mark IVs. 

Regardless of Mark, the Halifax was designed for a crew of seven: pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer/forward gunner, wireless operator and two dedicated gunners in the dorsal and tail turrets. The navigator' and wireless operators stations were located in the nose with the bomb aimer, but the engineer had his station aft of the flight deck. The armaments also soon standardized to two guns in the dorsal turret and four in the tail. The escape hatch was located in the nose was very large. This proved to be a significant advantage. The survival rate among crews that bailed out was 25% compared to just 15% for Lancaster crews.

This may have been one factor that accounts for the popularity of Halifaxes among the men who flew them. Harry Lomas, who did an operational tour on the Halifax, recalls an instructor at the HCU putting it like this:

OK, so the Lancs get all the glory and the fancy targets and the pictures in the papers. They have the range and the bomb load, and I wouldn't deny them any credit due. But don't forget the latest Hali has better speed and better rate of climb, and is a hell of a lot tougher. I once did a crash landing in a Hali, and climbed out of it. If I'd done it in a Lanc, we would have finished up in tiny pieces. When I'm due my second tour, there's no question which one I'm choosing. [One Wing High. Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1995, 81]

Indeed, the later versions of the Halifax (also sometimes referred to by crews as the "Hallibag") could reach speeds over 300 mph and had a service ceiling of 24,000 feet. 

After the war, the Halifax bomber was retired from service, but transport versions of the aircraft remained in service with Transport command. Many former bombers were sold off to civilian freight companies as well. During the Berlin Airlift, 41 Halifax freighters flew 4,653 sorties while flying for civilian contractors. Nine of these were lost during the airlift.

My novels about the RAF in WWII are intended as tributes to the men in the air and on the ground that made a victory in Europe against fascism possible. 

Riding the icy, moonlit sky, 

they took the war to Hitler. 

Their chances of survival were less than fifty percent. 

Their average age was 21.

This is the story of just one bomber pilot, his crew and the woman he loved. 

It is intended as a tribute to them all.  

Buy now on amazon

or Barnes and Noble. 

 

Disfiguring injuries, class prejudice and PTSD are the focus of three heart-wrenching tales set in WWII by award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader. Find out more at: https://crossseaspress.com/grounded-eagles


 

  

 

 

 

 

"Where Eagles Never Flew" was the the winner of a Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction and a Maincrest Media Award for Military Fiction. Find out more at: https://crossseaspress.com/where-eagles-never-flew

For more information about all my aviation books visit: https://www.helenapschrader.com/aviation.html




Comments

  1. Mystic ScholarSeptember 7, 2022 at 7:55 PM

    Yet another step forward on the road to a better education. Thaks, Professor!

    ReplyDelete

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