Handley Page Hampden
Encyclopedia
Handley Page Aircraft Company
Handley Page Limited was founded by Frederick Handley Page in 1909 as the United Kingdom's first publicly traded aircraft manufacturing company. It went into voluntary liquidation and ceased to exist in 1970...
HP.52 Hampden was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
twin-engine medium bomber
Medium bomber
A medium bomber is a bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium bombloads over medium distances; the name serves to distinguish them from the larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers...
of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
serving in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. With the Whitley
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...
and Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and the first 1,000-plane raid on Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden, known as the "Flying Suitcase" because of its cramped crew conditions, was still unsuited to the modern air war and, after operating mainly at night, it was retired from Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
service in late 1942.
Design and development
Handley Page designed the Hampden to the same specification as the Wellington (Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
Specification B.9/32) for a twin-engined day bomber. One prototype HP.52 was ordered which first flew on 21 June 1936. The first production batch of 180 Mk I Hampdens was built to a production Specification 30/36 with the first aircraft flying on 24 May 1938.
The Mk I had a crew of four: pilot, navigator/bomb aimer, radio operator and rear gunner. Conceived as a fast, manoeuvrable, "fighting bomber", the Hampden had a fixed .303 in
.303 British
.303 British, or 7.7x56mmR, is a .311 inch calibre rifle and machine gun cartridge first developed in Britain as a blackpowder round put into service in December 1888 for the Lee-Metford rifle, later adapted to use smokeless powders...
(7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun
Vickers K machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers K machine gun, known as the Vickers Gas Operated in British service, was a rapid-firing machine gun developed and manufactured for use in aircraft by Vickers-Armstrongs...
in the forward fuselage. To avoid the weight penalties of powered-turrets, the Hampden had a curved Perspex nose fitted with a manual .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K gun and two more single .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K installations in the rear upper and lower positions. The layout was similar to the all-guns-forward cockpits introduced about the same time in the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
s own medium bombers, notably the Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
. The guns were thoroughly inadequate for defence, consequently, by 1940, the single guns had been replaced by twin Vickers K guns.
The Hampden used a stressed skin design reinforced with a mixture of bent and extruded sections with the wing having a single main spar. Construction was from sections prefabricated then joined. The fuselage was in three major sections - front, centre and rear. The centre and rear sections were themselves made of two halves. This meant the sections could be fitted out in part in better working conditions before assembly. In a similar way, the wings were made up of three large units: centre section, port outer wing and starboard outer wing, which were in turn subdivided.
A total of 1,430 Hampdens were built: 500 by Handley Page, 770 by English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
at Samlesbury
Samlesbury
Samlesbury is a small village and civil parish in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England. Samlesbury Hall, a historic house, is located in the village as well as Samlesbury Aerodrome...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
; and in 1940–41, 160 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
by the Canadian Associated Aircraft
Canadian Associated Aircraft
Canadian Associated Aircraft was a joint Canadian-United Kingdom project to build Handley Page Hampden aircraft in the late 1930s.During the build-up to the Second World War, Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. had joined together with five other aviation companies in setting up Canadian Associated Aircraft Ltd...
consortium (although some were retained in Canada, 84 were shipped by sea to the United Kingdom).
Operational history
No. 49 Squadron RAF
No. 49 Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1965. They received their first Hampdens in September 1938.They were a famous Hampden squadron; with the only Victoria Cross awarded Rod Learoyd amongst the ones who served on the type....
received the first Hampdens in September 1938. By the end of 1938 both 49 and 83 Squadron
No. 49 Squadron RAF
No. 49 Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1965. They received their first Hampdens in September 1938.They were a famous Hampden squadron; with the only Victoria Cross awarded Rod Learoyd amongst the ones who served on the type....
at RAF Scampton
RAF Scampton
Royal Air Force Station Scampton is a Royal Air Force station situated north of Lincoln in England, near the village of Scampton, on the site of an old First World War landing field.-First World War:...
had re-equipped.
A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with eight squadrons by the start of the Second World War. Despite its speed and agility, in operational use, the Hampden was no match for Luftwaffe fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
s. Consequently, its career as a day bomber was brief, but Hampdens continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
-laying (code-named "gardening") in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and the French Atlantic ports.
Flight Lieutenant Rod Learoyd
Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd
Wing Commander Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:Born in Folkestone in February 1913...
of 49 Squadron was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for the attack that he led on the Dortmund-Ems aqueduct on 12 August 1940. Sergeant John Hannah
John Hannah (VC)
John Hannah VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
was the wireless operator/air gunner of an 83 Squadron
No. 83 Squadron RAF
No. 83 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:...
Hampden; he 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.
Almost half of the Hampdens built, 714, were lost on operations, taking with them 1,077 crew killed and another 739 missing. German flak accounted for 108; one became the victim of a German barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
; 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. Guy Gibson
Guy Gibson
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, RAF , was the first CO of the Royal Air Force's 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam Busters" raid in 1943, resulting in the destruction of two large dams in the Ruhr area...
spent most of the first two years of his wartime service flying Hampdens, and his book Enemy Coast Ahead gives a strong flavour of the trials and tribulations of taking these aircraft into action.
After being withdrawn from Bomber Command in 1942, it operated with RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
through 1943 as a long-range torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
, (the Hampden TB Mk I with a Mk XII torpedo in an open bomb bay and a single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb under each wing) and as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
. No. 144 Squadron RAF
No. 144 Squadron RAF
No. 144 Squadron, RAF, was a British aviation and missle squadron during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.-World War I:No. 144 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Port Said, Egypt, on 20th March 1918...
and No. 455 Squadron RAAF
No. 455 Squadron RAAF
No. 455 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force torpedo bomber squadron during World War II and became famous as part of the so-called ANZAC Strike Wing.-History:No. 455 Squadron was formed at Williamtown, New South Wales on 23 May 1941...
were involved in the escort of Arctic Convoy
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
PQ-18 operating out of Soviet airbases and left their 23 aircraft in the USSR afterward. These were then used by the 3rd Squadron of the 24 MTAP (Anti-shipping Wing) of the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
until at least 1943. The Hampden was also used by the RCAF and the RNZAF.
The Hampden in RCAF service included the 160 examples manufactured in Canada by the Victory Aircraft 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
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
. 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 coordinate, often in adverse and unforecast inclement weather. Due to heavy attrition from accidents, about 200 "war weary" Hampdens were later flown from the U.K. to Pat Bay as replacements.
Variants
The Hampden was powered by two 980 hp (730 kW) Bristol Pegasus XVIII nine-cylinder radial engines. A Mk II variant was developed as the HP.62 by converting two Hampdens to use the 1,000 hp (750 kW) Wright CycloneWright Cyclone
Wright Cyclone was the name given to a family of air-cooled radial piston engines designed by Curtiss-Wright and used in numerous American aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s.-Background:...
engine in 1940 but no more was done of the project.
Interest in the HP.52 by the Swedish for placing a potential order led to the HP.53 prototype, which was subsequently used as a testbed for a pair of 1,000 hp (750 kW) Napier Dagger
Napier Dagger
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
VIII 24-cylinder H-block
H-block
H-block or h-block can refer to:* H engine, with cylinders in an H pattern* Maze , Belfast, where the prison blocks were built to a uniform H-shaped plan** Anti H-Block, 1981 Irish Republican election label...
air-cooled inline engines.
In 1936, the RAF ordered 150 Dagger-engined Hampdens as the Hereford. Problems with engine cooling resulted in most of those built (by Short & Harland
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
) being re-engined as Hampdens. The surviving Herefords served in training units only.
H.P. Hampden
:- Royal Australian Air ForceRoyal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
- No. 455 Squadron RAAFNo. 455 Squadron RAAFNo. 455 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force torpedo bomber squadron during World War II and became famous as part of the so-called ANZAC Strike Wing.-History:No. 455 Squadron was formed at Williamtown, New South Wales on 23 May 1941...
Used between July 1941 and December 1943, Codeletters UB
- No. 455 Squadron RAAF
Canada:
- Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
- No. 408 (Goose) Squadron RCAF Used between July 1941 and September 1942, Codeletters EQ
- No. 415 (Swordfish) Squadron RCAFNo. 415 Squadron RCAFNo. 415 Squadron RCAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force that first saw service during the Second World War. After unification of Canada's armed forces in 1968, the squadron continued to provide service within the Canadian Forces....
Used between February 1942 and November 1943, Codeletters GX - No. 420 (Snowy Owl) Squadron RCAFNo. 420 Squadron RCAFNo. 420 "City of London" Squadron RCAF was a squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force which existed from late December 1941 forwards. The Squadron's nickname was "Snowy Owl". Their motto was Pugnamus Finitum, Latin for We Fight To The Finish. No. 420 Squadron is no longer active.-History:No...
Used between December 1941 and August 1942, Codeletters PT - No. 32 Operational Training Unit RCAF Used between May 1942 and February 1944, Codeletters DK, LB, OP and RO
:
- Royal New Zealand Air ForceRoyal New Zealand Air ForceThe Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
- No. 489 Squadron RNZAF Used between February 1942 and November 1943, Codeletters XA
:
- Soviet Naval AviationSoviet Naval AviationSoviet Naval Aviation was a part of the Soviet Navy.- Origins :...
- No. 24 MTAP
:
- Swedish Air ForceSwedish Air ForceThe Swedish Air Force is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces.-History:The Swedish Air Force was created on July 1, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the escalating international tension during the 1930s the Air Force was reorganized and expanded...
- Reconnaissance Wing F 11 based at NyköpingNyköpingNyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,427 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
operated a single HP.52 for evaluation under designation P 5. After the war, the aircraft was sold to SAABSaabSaab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
where it was operated for testing avionics.
- Reconnaissance Wing F 11 based at Nyköping
:
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 7 Squadron RAFNo. 7 Squadron RAFNo. 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire.-Formation and early years:No. 7 Squadron was formed at Farnborough Airfield on 1 May 1914 as the last squadron of the RFC to be formed before the First World War, but has been disbanded and reformed...
- April 1939 to April 1940, Codeletters LT (pre-War) and MG (Wartime) - No. 44 Squadron RAFNo. 44 Squadron RAFNo. 44 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is no longer operational. For most of its history it served as a heavy bomber squadron.-History:...
- February 1939 and December 1941, Codeletters JW (pre-War) and KM (Wartime) - No. 49 Squadron RAFNo. 49 Squadron RAFNo. 49 Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1965. They received their first Hampdens in September 1938.They were a famous Hampden squadron; with the only Victoria Cross awarded Rod Learoyd amongst the ones who served on the type....
- October 1938 and April 1942, Codeletters XU (pre-War) and EA (Wartime) - No. 50 Squadron RAFNo. 50 Squadron RAFNo. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War. It disbanded for the last time in 1984....
- December 1938 and April 1942, Codeletters QX (pre-War) and VN (Wartime) - No. 61 Squadron RAF - February 1939 and October 1941, Codeletters LS (pre-War) and QR (Wartime)
- No. 76 Squadron RAFNo. 76 Squadron RAFNo. 76 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during World War I as a home defence fighter squadron and in its second incarnation during World War II flew as a bomber squadron, first as an operational training unit and later as an active bomber squadron...
- March 1939 and April 1940, Codeletters NM (pre-War) and MP (Wartime) - No. 83 Squadron RAFNo. 83 Squadron RAFNo. 83 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:...
- November 1938 and January 1942, Codeletters QQ (pre-War) and OL (Wartime) - No. 97 Squadron RAFNo. 97 Squadron RAFNo. 97 Squadron, was a Royal Air Force squadron formed on December 1, 1917 at Waddington, Lincolnshire, first as a training unit, until moving to Netheravon in March 1918, and re-equipping with the Handley Page O/400 heavy bomber. The squadron served in France for the remainder of the war...
- July/August 1941, Squadron code OF - No. 106 Squadron RAFNo. 106 Squadron RAFNo. 106 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1919. It was also operative during World War II and in the post war period until 1963.- Establishment and early service :...
- March 1939 to March 1942, Codeletters XS (pre-War) and ZN (Wartime) - No. 144 Squadron RAFNo. 144 Squadron RAFNo. 144 Squadron, RAF, was a British aviation and missle squadron during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.-World War I:No. 144 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Port Said, Egypt, on 20th March 1918...
- March 1939 to October 1942, Codeletters NV (pre-War) and PL (Wartime) - No. 185 Squadron RAFNo. 185 Squadron RAFNo. 185 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed in World War I and reformed as a bomber and fighter unit in World War II. It then reformed in Malta in the post war period as a jet fighter squadron.-Formation and World War I:No...
- June 1939 to April 1940, Codeletters ZM (pre-War) and GL (Wartime) - No. 207 Squadron RAF - July/August 1941, Squadron Code EM
- No. 517 Squadron RAFNo. 517 Squadron RAFNo. 517 Squadron RAF was a meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:No. 517 Squadron was formed on 11 August 1943 at RAF St Eval, Cornwall when 1404 Meteorological Flight was re-numbered. It was equipped with Lockheed Hudsons and Handley Page Hampdens,...
- August to November 1943, - No. 519 Squadron RAFNo. 519 Squadron RAFNo. 519 Squadron RAF was a 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 1406 Flight, equipped with Handley Page Hampdens and Supermarine Spitfires. It was tasked with collecting meteorological data...
- August to November 1943, Codeletters Z9 - No. 521 Squadron RAFNo. 521 Squadron RAFNo. 521 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Second World War meteorological observation unit operating from Norfolk.-First formation:The Squadron began on 4 February 1941 as No. 401 Flight of RAF Bomber Command. When all the meteorological flights were put under RAF Coastal Command it became...
- September to December 1943, Codeletters 5O - No. 5 (C)OTU RAF Used between July 1942 and September 1943, Only individual Codeletters and numbers
- No. 14 Operational Training Unit Used between 5 May 1940 and December 1942, Codeletters AM, GL and VB
- No. 16 Operational Training Unit Used between 18 April 1940 and September 1942, Codeletters GA, JS and XG
- No. 25 Operational Training Unit Used between February and December 1941, Codeletters ZP
- No. 1401 (Meteorological) Flight RAF at RAF Bircham NewtonRAF Bircham NewtonRAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:...
/RAF DockingRAF DockingRAF Docking was a RAF Station of the Second World War a few miles from Bircham Newton in Norfolk.It was a satellite airfield for the RAF Coastal Command station at RAF Bircham Newton and was mostly used for overflow from there.... - 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 at Reykjavik
- No. 7 Squadron RAF
H.P. Hereford
:- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 185 Squadron RAFNo. 185 Squadron RAFNo. 185 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed in World War I and reformed as a bomber and fighter unit in World War II. It then reformed in Malta in the post war period as a jet fighter squadron.-Formation and World War I:No...
at CottesmoreRAF CottesmoreRAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
used in April 1940. - No. 14 Operational Training Unit at Cottesmore used from April 1940.
- No. 16 Operational Training Unit at Upper Heyford, OxfordshireUpper Heyford, OxfordshireUpper Heyford is a village and civil parish about northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire, England.-Location:Upper Heyford is on the east bank of the River Cherwell. "Upper" distinguishes it from Lower Heyford which is about "lower", downstream along the Cherwell valley...
, used from 7 May 1940. - Torpedo Development Unit at GosportGosportGosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
operated one aircraft.
- No. 185 Squadron RAF
Survivors
- 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 CosfordRoyal Air Force Museum CosfordThe Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is a museum dedicated to the history of aviation, and the Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and a registered charity...
. During the Second World War, it served with No. 144 Squadron RAFNo. 144 Squadron RAFNo. 144 Squadron, RAF, was a British aviation and missle squadron during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.-World War I:No. 144 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Port Said, Egypt, on 20th March 1918...
, part of Coastal Command. In September 1942, the squadron was transferred to the Kola PeninsulaKola PeninsulaThe Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
in northern Russia to help protect the Arctic convoysArctic convoys of World War IIThe Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
. While in transit over Finland, P1344 accidentally flew close by a German airfield and was shot down by two scrambled Messerschmitt Bf 109Messerschmitt Bf 109The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s. It crashed in a wooded area of the Kola Peninsula, three crew members were killed and two taken prisoner. After its recovery by another party, the RAF Museum gained ownership of the aircraft in 1992.- 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 InletSaanich InletSaanich Inlet is a body of salt water that lies between the Saanich Peninsula and the Malahat highlands of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Located just northwest of Victoria, the inlet is 24 km long , has a surface area of 65 km2 , and its maximum depth is 225 m . Great...
on Vancouver IslandVancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in 1989. Along with recovered components from two other Hampden crashes in Canada, as of 2007, the reconstruction was about 97 per cent complete. The aircraft was to become the showpiece exhibit at the Canadian Museum of FlightCanadian Museum of Flightthumb|right|De Havilland DH100 Vampire Mk.3 at Canadian Museum of FlightThe Canadian Museum of Flight is an aviation museum at the Langley Regional Airport in Langley, British Columbia, Canada...
at Langley, British ColumbiaLangley, British Columbia (district municipality)The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the U.S. border, and west of the City of Abbotsford...
, in the Fraser Valley, east of VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
- 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 on to 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 been eroded, so it did not possess the structural integrity of the original aircraft. The museum is currently seeking donations to repair the aircraft.As of 2011, the repair includes the mating of the wing and propeller to the fuselage and engine.
- The Wings Aviation Museum in the United Kingdom owns the wings and tail of "P1273"; the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage CentreLincolnshire Aviation Heritage CentreLincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, England, was founded in 1988 by Lincolnshire farmers Fred and Harold Panton, as a memorial to their brother Pilot Officer Christopher Panton, who along with 55,000 other aircrew of RAF Bomber Command lost his life during World War II...
is currently restoring the forward fuselage of AE436. 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 PetsamoPetsamoPetsamo may refer to:*A former area of Finland, which is now Pechengsky District and part of Kolsky District of Russia*Finnish name for the urban-type settlement of Pechenga, Russia...
. The latter was lost over Sweden, its remains discovered in a remote region by hikers in 1976.
The Hampden in popular culture
The HP Hampden had a featured role in the Big Blockade (1941) starring Michael RennieMichael Rennie
Michael Rennie was an English film, television, and stage actor, perhaps best known for his starring role as the space visitor Klaatu in the 1951 classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, he appeared in over 50 other films since 1936, many with Jean Simmons and other...
, a Second World War propaganda film showing "blockade" bombing and its effects on the German war industry.
The trials of flying Hampdens in the early years of the Second World War are also described in the 2002 book Damned Good Show by Derek Robinson.
There is also an issue of the comic Combat which focuses around a Hampden and its crew.