Handley Page Halifax MkIII: In Wartime Service: WPA 50 (Due late November)

Arguably the most highly regarded of all Halifax variants, the Mk.III’s origins lay in the need for an insurance against the possible interruption of the supply of Merlin engines.

The big radial Hercules engine proved to be the key which finally unlocked the Halifax’s full potential, and in February 1943 the Ministry of Aircraft Production cancelled the two-stage Merlin powered Halifax Mk.IV project and instead ordered the HP.61 Halifax Mk.III. Structural changes eventually permitted the maximum take off weight to be increased to 65,000 lb, and the more powerful engines (and on later Mk.IIIs increased wingspan) significantly improved performance.

The Halifax Mk.III entered service in October 1943 and was produced in larger numbers than any other mark or variant, ultimately equipping some forty-nine RAF squadrons. The introduction of the Mk.III finally gave Bomber Command the Halifax which Handley Page had always promised and restored the type’s reputation as one of World War Two’s most capable and versatile heavy bombers.

Pages: 72

Illustrations: Black / White photographs and colour illustrations