View source for Handley Page Hampden

{{Short description|British twin-engine medium bomber}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = HP.52 Hampden
|image = Handley Page Hampden in the air.jpg
|caption = Hampden Mk.I of [[No. 455 Squadron RAAF]] (May 1942)
|type = [[Medium bomber]]
|manufacturer = [[Handley Page Aircraft Company|Handley Page]] (UK) <br> [[Canadian Associated Aircraft]] (Canada)
|designer = [[Gustav Lachmann]]
|first_flight = 21 June 1936
|introduction = [[1938 in aviation|1938]]
|retired = [[1943 in aviation|1943]]
|status =
|primary_user = [[Royal Air Force]]
|more_users = [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]<br>[[Soviet Naval Aviation]]<br>[[Royal Australian Air Force]]
|produced = 1936–1941
|number_built = 1,430
|unit cost =
|variants =
}}
The '''Handley Page HP.52 Hampden''' is a British twin-engine [[medium bomber]] that was operated by the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF). It was part of the trio of large twin-engine bombers procured for the RAF, joining the [[Armstrong Whitworth Whitley]] and [[Vickers Wellington]].  The Hampden was powered by [[Bristol Pegasus]] [[radial engines]] but a variant known as the '''Handley Page Hereford''' had [[inline engine (aeronautics)|in-line]] [[Napier Dagger]]s.
The Hampden served in the early stages of the [[Second World War]], bearing the brunt of the early bombing war over [[Europe]], taking part in the [[Bombing of Berlin in World War II|first night raid on Berlin]] and the [[Bombing of Cologne in World War II#First 1,000 bomber raid|first 1,000-bomber raid]] on [[Cologne]]. 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 By 1943, the rest of the trio were being superseded by the larger four-engined [[Heavy bomber#World War II 2|heavy bombers]] such as the [[Avro Lancaster]].
==Development==
===Origins===
In 1932, the [[Air Ministry]] issued [[List Of Air Ministry Specifications|Specification B.9/32]] seeking a twin-engined [[day bomber]] with higher performance than any preceding bomber aircraft.<ref name = "moyes 3">Moyes 1965, p. 3.</ref> [[Handley Page]] and [[Vickers]] both designed aircraft to meet this specification, the Vickers design became the Wellington. The Handley Page design team, led by [[George Volkert]], drafted a radical aircraft, initially centering upon the politically favoured [[Rolls-Royce Goshawk]] engine. By mid-1934 development of the Goshawk looked less promising and the Air Ministry  relaxed the [[tare weight]] (unloaded weight) requirement of the specification, allowing for the use of heavier and more powerful [[radial engine]]s such as the [[Bristol Perseus]] 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.<ref name = "moyes 3"/>
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&nbsp;ft wide, [[C. G. Grey]], founder of ''[[Aeroplane (magazine)|The Aeroplane]]'' magazine, remarked "it looks like a flying suitcase", a nickname that stuck with the aircraft for its lifetime.<ref>Eden, 2004, p.220</ref> On 21 June 1936, the prototype, powered by a pair of Bristol Pegasus P.E.5S(A) engines, conducted its [[maiden flight]] from [[Radlett Aerodrome]], [[Hertfordshire]], piloted by Handley-Page chief test pilot Major James Cordes.<ref name = "moyes 3"/> In late June 1936, the prototype was put on public display in the New Types Park, [[Hendon Air Show]], [[London]]. 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 [[List Of Air Ministry Specifications|Specification B.30/36]]; concurrently, a second order for 100 aircraft powered by the [[Napier Dagger]] was issued to [[Belfast]]-based [[Short Brothers|Short & Harland]].<ref name = "moyes 3 4">Moyes 1965, pp. 3–4.</ref>
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]] being repositioned below the fuselage, a more rounded [[Anatomical terms of location#Dorsal and ventral|ventral]] defensive gun position, and a slightly modified nose.<ref name = "moyes 4">Moyes 1965, p. 4.</ref> ''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.<ref name = "moyes 4"/> ''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.<ref name = "moyes 4"/>
On 24 June 1938, ''L4032'' was officially [[Naming ceremony|christened]] by Lady Katharine Mary Montagu-Douglas-Scott, [[Viscount Hampden|Viscountess Hampden]], at a ceremony held in Radlett Aerodrome, the same day on which its first flight took place.<ref name = "moyes 3 4"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Latest bomber type christened 1938 |url=http://www.britishpathe.com/video/latest-type-bomber-christened |publisher=British Pathe}}</ref> Viscountess Hampden's speech invoked "the spirit of [[John Hampden]], the defender of civil liberties" to inspire future crews of his namesake aircraft.<ref>{{cite news |title=Britain's New Bomber|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19380625/089/0007 |work=[[Aberdeen Press and Journal]] |date=25 June 1938|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref> ''L4032'' and ''L4033'', which was the second production-standard Hampden to be produced, would be later assigned to the [[Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment]] at [[RAF Martlesham Heath]], [[Suffolk]].<ref name = "moyes 4 5">Moyes 1965, pp. 4–5.</ref> On 20 September 1938, the third production Hampden, designated ''L4034'', following the completion of handling trials conducted by the [[Central Flying School]] at [[RAF Upavon|Upavon Aerodrome]], [[Wiltshire]], become the first aircraft to enter RAF squadron service, being delivered to [[No. 49 Squadron RAF|No. 49 Squadron]].<ref name = "moyes 5">Moyes 1965, p. 5.</ref>
===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 [[subcontractor|subcontract]] by [[English Electric]] at its factory in [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]], [[Lancashire]]; on 6 August 1938, English Electric was awarded an initial contract to manufacture 75 Hampdens.<ref name = "moyes 5"/> In addition, Canadian interest in domestic production of the type had resulted in the establishment of the joint Anglo-Canadian [[Canadian Associated Aircraft]] 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 [[British shadow factories|shadow factory]] during wartime.<ref name = "moyes 5"/> On 1 September 1938, in response to interest expressed by the [[Royal Swedish Air Force]] (RSAF) in the Hampden, including in a potential [[licensed production|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 until November 1945, after which it was sold to [[Saab Group|Svenska Aeroplan AB]] (SAAB) to serve as a flying testbed before being retired in late 1947.<ref name = "moyes 5"/>
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, before delivering its final aircraft on 15 March 1942.<ref name = "moyes 7"/> In July 1940, Handley-Page terminated its own production line for the Hampden upon the completion of its 500th aircraft.<ref name = "moyes 7">Moyes 1965, p. 7.</ref> On 9 August 1940, the first Canadian-built Hampden, ''P5298'', made its debut flight; by October 1940, Canadian production had risen to 15 aircraft per month.<ref name = "moyes 7"/> 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.<ref name = "moyes 7 8">Moyes 1965, pp. 7–8.</ref>
==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 British|.303 in]] (7.7&nbsp;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]] nose fitted with a manual .303&nbsp;in (7.7&nbsp;mm) [[Vickers K machine gun]] and a .303&nbsp;in (7.7&nbsp;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]]'' medium bombers, notably the [[Dornier Do 17]]. 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]] in 1940.<ref name = "moyes 6 7">Moyes 1965, pp. 6–7.</ref>
The Hampden had a flush-[[rivet]]ted stressed skin, reinforced with a mixture of bent and extruded sections in an all-metal [[monocoque]] design.<ref name = "moyes 10"/> A split-assembly construction technique was employed: sections were prefabricated and then joined, to enable rapid and economic manufacture.<ref name = "moyes 4"/> The fuselage was in three big sections – front, centre and rear – that were built using [[Jig (tool)|jig]]s.<ref name = "moyes 10">Moyes 1965, p. 10.</ref> 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.<ref name = "moyes 4"/>
[[File:Hampden cockpit WWII IWM CH 1207.jpg|thumb|right|Hampden cockpit]]
The wings were made up of three large units: centre section, port outer wing and starboard outer wing, which were also subdivided.<ref>''Flight'' May 1939</ref> Each section was built around a main girder spar, [[leading edge]] section and [[trailing edge]] section.<ref name = "moyes 10"/> The wing made use of [[Leading edge slot|wingtip slots]] and hydraulically actuated trailing edge [[Flap (aeronautics)|flaps]]; the flaps and [[aileron]]s had stress-bearing ''D''-spars.<ref name = "moyes 10"/> According to Moyes, the configuration of the wing was a key feature of Hampden, being highly [[Wing configuration#Chord variation along span|tapered]] and designed to exert low levels of [[Drag (physics)|drag]]; these attributes were responsible for the aircraft's high top speed for the era of {{convert|265|mph|kn km/h|abbr=on}} while retaining a reasonably low landing speed of {{convert|73|mph|kn km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name = "moyes 4"/>
The Hampden's flying qualities were typically described as being favourable; Moyes described it as being "extraordinarily mobile on the controls".<ref name = "moyes 12"/> 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 [[hydraulics|hydraulic]] controls were unobtrusive and unintuitive.<ref name = "moyes 12"/> Upon introduction, the Hampden exhibited greater speeds and initial climb rates than any of its contemporaries while still retaining favourable handling qualities.<ref name = "moyes 4"/>
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.<ref name = "moyes 12"/> Aircrews referred to the Hampden by various nicknames due to this, such as ''Flying Suitcase'', ''Panhandle'', and ''Flying Tadpole''.<ref name = "moyes 4"/> Wilfred John Lewis wrote:
{{blockquote|I did my first flight and first tour on Hampdens. A beautiful aeroplane to fly, terrible to fly in! Cramped, no heat, no facilities where you could relieve yourself. You got in there and you were stuck there. The aeroplane was like a fighter. It was only 3 feet wide on the outside of the fuselage and the pilot was a very busy person. There were 111 items for the pilot to take care of because on the original aircraft he had not only to find the instruments, the engine and all that, but also he had all the bomb switches to hold the bombs.<ref>[http://www.rafbombercommand.com/personals_1_earlydays.html#stories_earlydays.html "Before the Lancs"], Early Days, Personal Stories, The Bomber Command Association</ref>}}
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,<ref>Crosby 2007, p. 104.</ref> or more plausibly, because of the unusually thin, deep, slab-sided and rectangular shape of the fuselage was reminiscent of that of a suitcase.<ref>Eden 2004, p.220, 221</ref>
==Operational history==
===UK service===
[[File:British WW2 medium bombers comparison.png|thumb|Scale [[comparison diagram]] of the trio of British twin-engined medium bombers at the outbreak of the Second World War; the Hampden (yellow), the [[Vickers Wellington]] (blue) and the [[Armstrong Whitworth Whitley]] (pink)]]
In September 1938, [[No. 49 Squadron RAF|No. 49 Squadron]] received the first Hampdens; by the end of the year, both 49 and [[No. 83 Squadron RAF|83 Squadrons]] at [[RAF Scampton]] had re-equipped with the type.<ref name="ai nov84 p248">''Air International'' November 1984, p. 248.</ref> 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 [[No. 5 Group RAF|5 Group]] of [[RAF Bomber Command|Bomber Command]] based in [[Lincolnshire]].<ref name="ai nov84 p248"/><ref name="hard p17-8">Richards 1995, pp. 17–18.</ref>
With the outbreak of war in 1939, Hampdens were initially used to perform armed [[aerial reconnaissance]] missions, observing German naval activity during daylight.<ref name = "moyes 6">Moyes 1965, p. 6.</ref> 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.<ref name = "moyes 6"/> During 1940, Hampdens of 5 Group conducted 123 nighttime [[airborne leaflet propaganda]] missions, losing only a single aircraft in the process.<ref name = "moyes 6"/>
On 13 April 1940, days after [[German occupation of Norway#German invasion|Germany's invasion of Norway]], a large number of Hampdens were dispatched on night-time [[Naval mine|mine]]-laying (code-named "gardening") flights in the [[North Sea]] 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.<ref name = "moyes 6"/> 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.<ref name = "moyes 6 7"/>
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]], [[Sylt]].<ref name = "moyes 7"/> The type continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany. Flight Lieutenant [[Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd|Rod Learoyd]] of 49 Squadron was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for a low-level attack on the [[Dortmund-Ems canal]] on 12 August 1940 where two of five aircraft failed to return.<ref name="BCDbob">{{citation |archive-url=  http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070706011932/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary_bob.html |archive-date=6 July 2007 |date=6 April 2005 |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary_bob.html |work=Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary |title=Campaign Diary: The Battle of Britain (June–October 1940) }}</ref><ref name="Bk-Bowman">{{cite book|last=Bowman|first=Martin|date=2015|title=RAF Night Operations|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=9781783831944|oclc=923645398|pages=24–25}}</ref> On 25 August 1940, Hampdens from various squadrons participated in the RAF's first bombing raid on [[Berlin]].<ref name = "moyes 8"/> Sergeant [[John Hannah (VC)|John Hannah]] was the wireless operator/air gunner of an [[No. 83 Squadron RAF|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.<ref name="BCDbob" />
In April 1942, the Hampden-equipped [[No. 144 Squadron RAF|144 Squadron]] and [[No. 455 Squadron RAAF|455 Squadron RAAF]] were transferred from Bomber Command to [[RAF Coastal Command|Coastal Command]] to perform the [[torpedo bomber]] role. Later that year, detachments from both squadrons were dispatched to [[Vaenga airfield]], [[Murmansk]], Russia, to help safeguard the [[arctic convoys of World War II|Arctic convoys]] in the vicinity.<ref name = "moyes 8"/> 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.<ref name = "moyes 8 9">Moyes 1965, pp. 8–9.</ref>
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.<ref>Moyle 1989, p. 20</ref>
The last Bomber Command sorties by Hampdens were flown on the night of 14/15 September 1942 by 408 Squadron, RCAF against [[Wilhelmshaven]].<ref name="ainov84 p251">''Air International'' November 1984, p. 251.</ref> After being withdrawn from Bomber Command in 1942, it operated with [[RAF Coastal Command]] until 1943 as a long-range [[torpedo bomber]] (the Hampden TB Mk I with a Mk XII torpedo in an open bomb bay and a {{convert|500|lb|kg|adj=on}} bomb under each wing) and as a maritime [[reconnaissance aircraft]].
===Non-UK service===
[[File:455 Squadron RAAF Hampden at RAF Wigsley circa 1942 AWM SUK10370.jpg|thumb|A RAAF Hampden of No. 455 Squadron at [[RAF Wigsley]], [[Nottinghamshire]], circa 1942]]
The Hampden was also used by the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF), [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF), [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]] (RNZAF), [[Soviet Naval Aviation|''Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota'']] (AV-MF: Maritime Military Fleet Aviation) of the [[Soviet Union]] and the Swedish [[Swedish Air Force|''Flygvapnet'']] (Air Force).
The Hampden in RCAF service included the 160 examples manufactured in Canada by the [[Canadian Associated 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 [[List of Royal Air Force Operational Training Units|No. 32 OTU (RAF)]] used for bombing and gunnery [[Trainer (aircraft)|training]]. 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.<ref>[http://www.canadianflight.org/content/handley-page-hampden "Handley Page Hampden."] ''The Canadian Museum of Flight.'' Retrieved: 9 October 2011.</ref>
In [[Operation Orator]], during September 1942, the crews of 32 Hampden TB.1 torpedo bombers from [[No. 144 Squadron RAF]] and [[No. 455 Squadron RAAF]] flew to [[Northwest Russia]], to protect [[Arctic convoys of World War II|arctic convoy]] [[Convoy PQ 18|PQ 18]] from German surface vessels, such the [[German battleship Tirpitz|battleship ''Tirpitz'']]. The Hampden crews flew from [[Sumburgh Airport|Sumburgh]] in the [[Shetland Islands]] to [[Severomorsk|Vaenga]] (Vayenga; later known as Severomorsk) in [[Murmansk Oblast]], [[Russia]]. This was a hazardous route, often subject to poor weather and spanning more than {{convert|2,100|nmi|km}}, partly over enemy-occupied territory in Norway and Finland. Eight Hampdens were lost or damaged beyond repair en route.<ref name="flc">{{cite web |url=http://www.forcedlandingcollection.se/RAF/RAF025-P5304.html |work=Forced Landing Collection |date=2012 |title=1942-09-05 Handley-Page HP 52 Hampden TB 1 – Serial # P5304 |access-date=19 November 2016 |language=sv }}</ref><ref name="walling">{{cite book |first=Michael G. |last=Walling |title=Forgotten sacrifice: the Arctic convoys of World War II |date= 2011  |location=Oxford, UK |publisher=Osprey Publishing |pages=201–9}}</ref><ref name="sorenson">{{Cite web |url=https://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/tsatsa.html  |first=Kjell |last=Sorenson |title=144 Squadron RCAF attached to Coastal Command serial AE436 code PL-J 04.09 1942 |access-date=22 November 2016 |archive-date=18 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118042232/http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/tsatsa.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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]].
[[File:Командир 2-й эскадрильи 24 минно-торпедного авиаполка Александр Захарович Стоянов с экипажем.jpg|thumb|Aleksandr Zakharovich Stoyanov, commander of the 2nd Squadron, 24th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment, with his crew by one of the Soviet Hampdens]]
Aircrews and mechanics from [[Soviet Naval Aviation|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.<ref name="Raebel">Geoff Raebel, 2010, ''RAAF in Russia'' <{{cite web |url=http://www.argo.net.au/andre/raaf1942ENFIN.htm |title= Vladimir Kroupnik. RAAF in Russia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015003838/http://www.argo.net.au/andre/raaf1942ENFIN.htm |archive-date= 15 October 2009|df=dmy-all }}> (19 November 2016).</ref> The 3rd Squadron, [[24th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment]] (24 Минно-торпедный авиаполк; ''24 MTAP'') operated the "[[balalaika]]" – the Russian nickname for the Hampden, in reference to its unusual shape – until mid-1943,<ref>[http://www.ww2.dk/new/navy/9gvmrap.htm "9th Guards Kirkenesskiy Red Banner Maritime Missile Aviation Regiment."] ''ww2.dk.'' Retrieved: 8 October 2011.</ref> 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]] for evaluation, under the designation P5. After the war, the aircraft was sold to [[Saab AB|SAAB]] where it was used as an avionics testbed.
==Variants==
The Hampden was powered by two {{convert|980|hp|abbr=on}} [[Bristol Pegasus]] XVIII nine-cylinder radial engines. A Mk II variant, designated the HP.62, was developed by converting two Hampdens to use the {{convert|1000|hp|abbr=on}} [[Wright Cyclone]] engine in 1940, but no further work was done on that project.<ref name = "moyes 8">Moyes 1965, p. 8.</ref>
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 {{convert|1000|hp|abbr=on}} [[Napier Dagger]] VIII 24-cylinder [[H engine|H-block]] 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''.<ref name = "moyes 3 4"/> Manufactured by [[Short Brothers|Short & Harland]] in [[Belfast]], their performance was almost identical to that of their Hampden cousins, but there were problems with the engines.<ref name = "moyes 9 10">Moyes 1965, pp. 9–10.</ref> The Dagger engine proved to be noisy and unreliable. Cooling problems plagued the engine while being run on the ground, resulting in distortions and premature failures.<ref name = "moyes 10 12">Moyes 1965, pp. 10, 12.</ref> The problems were not satisfactorily resolved, with the result that most of the Herefords on order were converted to Hampdens, 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 by training units.<ref name = "moyes 10"/>
==Operators==
===Hampden===
;{{AUS}}:
* [[Royal Australian Air Force]]
** [[No. 455 Squadron RAAF]] Used between July 1941 and December 1943, Code letters UB.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.adf-serials.com.au/hampden.htm |date=4 April 2015 |journal=ADF-Serials |title=RAAF Handley Page HP.52 Hampden Mk.I & TB.I 455 Sqn, RAAF}}</ref>
;{{flag|Canada|1921}}:
* [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]
** [[No. 408 Squadron RCAF|No. 408 (Goose) Squadron RCAF]] Used with RAF Bomber Command between July 1941 and September 1942, Code letters EQ
** [[No. 415 Squadron RCAF|No. 415 (Swordfish) Squadron RCAF]] Used as a torpedo bomber with RAF Coastal Command between February 1942 and November 1943, Code letters GX
** [[No. 420 Squadron RCAF|No. 420 (Snowy Owl) Squadron RCAF]] Used with RAF Bomber Command between December 1941 and August 1942, Code letters PT
** [[No. 32 Operational Training Unit RAF/RCAF]] Used in Canada between May 1942 and February 1944, Code letters DK, LB, OP and RO
;{{NZL}}:
* [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]]
** [[No. 489 Squadron RNZAF]] Used between February 1942 and November 1943, Code letters XA
;{{USSR}}:
* [[Soviet Naval Aviation]]
** [[24th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment]] (''24 MTAP'')
;{{SWE}}:
* [[Swedish Air Force]]
** [[Reconnaissance Wing F 11]] based at [[Nyköping]] operated a single HP.52 for evaluation under designation P 5. After the war, the aircraft was sold to [[Saab AB|SAAB]] where it was operated for testing avionics.
;{{UK}}:
[[File:RAF Bomber Command 1940 HU104656.jpg|thumb|Handley Page Hampden of No. 83 Squadron with crew, seated on a loaded bomb trolley at [[RAF Scampton|Scampton]], October 1940]]
[[File:Loading bombs onto a World War II Handley Page Hampden (4821425043).jpg|thumb|Hampden in the process of being loaded with bombs by ground crew]]
[[File:Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1939-1941. C1179.jpg|thumb|Aircrews of No. 50 Squadron in front of their Hampdens at [[Waddington, Lincolnshire|Waddington]], [[Lincolnshire]], shortly after returning from a raid on the German fleet in the [[Bergen Fjord]], [[Norway]], on 9 April 1940]]
* [[Royal Air Force]]
** [[No. 7 Squadron RAF]]  – 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]] – 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]] – 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]] – August to November 1943, code letters Z9
** [[No. 521 Squadron RAF]] – September to December 1943, code letters 5O
** [[No. 5 (Conversion) Operational Training Unit|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]] Used between February and December 1941, code letters ZP
** [[No. 1401 (Meteorological) Flight RAF]] at [[RAF Bircham Newton]]/[[RAF Docking]]
** [[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
===Hereford===
;{{UK}}:
* [[Royal Air Force]]
** [[No. 185 Squadron RAF]] at [[RAF Cottesmore|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]], used from 7 May 1940.
** [[Torpedo Development Unit]] at [[Gosport]] operated one aircraft.
==Survivors==
[[File:Hampden in Vancouver.jpg|thumb|Hampden ''P5436'' at the [[Canadian Museum of Flight]] at Langley, British Columbia c.2006]]
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]]. During the Second World War, it served with [[No. 144 Squadron RAF]], part of [[Coastal Command]]. In September 1942, the squadron was transferred to the [[Kola Peninsula]] in northern Russia to help protect the [[Arctic convoys of World War II|Arctic convoys]]. While in transit over Finland, P1344 accidentally flew close by a German airfield and was shot down by two scrambled [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]]s. 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.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Hampden restoration hastens  |url=http://www.aviation-news.co.uk/ |magazine=Aviation News |publisher=Key Publishing Ltd. |date= July 2016}}</ref>
: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.<ref>[https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/whats-going-on/news/aircraft-conservation-work-goes-on-sho/ Aircraft conservation work goes on show 14 October 2020]</ref>
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]] on [[Vancouver Island]] 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]] at [[Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)|Langley, British Columbia]], in the Fraser Valley, east of [[Vancouver]].<ref name="Handley Page Hampden">[http://www.canadianflight.org/content/handley-page-hampden Handley Page Hampden]</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.<ref>Day 2009, p. 20.</ref> 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.<ref>Niles, Russ. [http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/SnowfallSnapsWingOffRareVintagePlane_199510-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS "Snowfall Snaps Wing Off Rare Vintage Plane."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612014916/http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/SnowfallSnapsWingOffRareVintagePlane_199510-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS |date=12 June 2011 }} ''avweb.co,'' 4 January 2009. Retrieved: 29 July 2011.</ref> The repairs, in 2011, included the mating of the wing and propeller to the fuselage and engine.<ref>[http://www.canadianflight.org/content/press "Press: Hampden repair progresses."] ''Canadian Museum of Flight,'' 5 March 2011.</ref> 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.<ref>CMF update. [http://www.canadianflight.org/content/handley-page-hampden "Canadian Museum of Flight: Collection: Handley Page Hampden"]</ref> By 20 April 2015 the two gunner sections were open.{{citation needed|date = April 2015}}
The Wings Aviation Museum in the United Kingdom owns the wings and tail of "P1273"; the [[Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre]] 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 [[Pechengsky District|Petsamo]]. The latter was lost over Sweden, its remains discovered in a remote region by hikers in 1976.<ref name="RAF museum">Simpson, Andrew. [http://www.aircraftconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/1994-1340-A-HP-Hampden-P1344.pdf "Individual History, Handley Page Hampden TB1 P1344/9175M."] ''RAF Museum''. Retrieved: 26 September 2010.</ref>
==In popular culture==
The HP Hampden had a featured role in ''[[The Big Blockade]]'', a 1941 Second World War propaganda film showing "blockade" bombing and its effects on the German war industry,<ref name="C4Wauto-5365475">{{cite web |url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/148338 |title=The Big Blockade |work=ftvdb.bfi.org.uk |date=16 March 2014 <!-- No date available; last modification date used. --> |access-date=16 March 2014 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316193225/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/148338 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> with [[Michael Rennie]] and [[John Mills]] as two of its four-man crew.<ref name="C4Wauto-5601674">{{cite web |url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/148338?view=cast |title=Cast: The Big Blockade |work=ftvdb.bfi.org.uk |date=16 March 2014 <!-- No date available; last modification date used. --> |access-date=16 March 2014 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316194457/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/148338?view=cast |archive-date=16 March 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
==Specifications (Hampden Mk I)==
[[File:Handley Page Hampden.svg|3-view drawing Hampden Mark I, with side view of the Hereford Mark I|thumb]]
[[File:Bristol Pegasus engine from crashed Hampden Flickr 7326134956.jpg|thumb|Bristol Pegasus engine from a crashed Hampden]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Hampden: Defender of Liberty,<ref name="ai nov84 p249">''Air International'' November 1984, p. 249.</ref> The Handley Page Hampden (Aircraft in Profile 58)<ref name = "moyes 12">Moyes 1965, p. 12.</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
General characteristics
-->
|crew=4 (pilot, navigator/bomb aimer, radio operator/dorsal gunner, ventral gunner)
|length ft=53
|length in=7
|length note=
|span ft=69
|span in=2
|span note=
|height ft=14
|height in=11
|height note=
|wing area sqft=668
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil='''root:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA 2317]]; '''tip:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA 2311]]<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=12764
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=22500
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Bristol Pegasus XVIII]]
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines
|eng1 hp=1000
|eng1 note=at {{cvt|3000|ft}}
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=variable-pitch propellers
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
Performance
-->
|max speed mph=247
|max speed note=at {{cvt|13800|ft}}
|cruise speed mph=206
|cruise speed note=at {{cvt|15000|ft}}
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed note=
|range miles=1720
|range note= maximum fuel and {{cvt|2000|lb}} bombs at {{cvt|206|mph|kn km/h|0}}
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=19000
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/weight=
|more performance=<!--
* '''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Take-off distance to {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Landing run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Landing distance from {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}-->
<!--
Armament
-->
|guns=<br/>
** 1 × fixed forward firing [[.303 British|.303 in]] (7.7 mm) [[M1919 Browning machine gun]] in nose
** 3–5 [[Vickers K machine gun]]s: one flexibly mounted in the nose, one or two each in dorsal and ventral positions
|bombs={{cvt|4000|lb|}} bombload or 1 × [[British 18 inch torpedo|18 in (457 mm) torpedo]] or [[naval mine|mines]]
}}
==See also==
{{External media|topic= |width=20% |float=right |video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sf-roQIHKY Period Aircraft Identification film on the Hampden] |video2=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsGrEl4uEQM Colour Footage of Hampden operations]}}
{{aircontent
<!-- designs which were developed into or from this aircraft: -->
|related=
<!-- aircraft similar in appearance or function to this design: -->
|similar aircraft=
* [[Armstrong Whitworth A.W.23]]
* [[Blackburn Botha]]
* [[Bristol Beaufort]]
* [[Bristol Blenheim]]
* [[Dornier Do 17]]
* [[Douglas A-20 Havoc]]
* [[Fiat BR.20]]
* [[Fokker T.V]]
* [[Ilyushin DB-3]]
* [[Junkers Ju 88]]
* [[Lioré et Olivier LeO 45]]
* [[Martin B-10]]
* [[Martin Baltimore]]
* [[Petlyakov Pe-2]]
* [[PZL.37 Łoś]]
* [[Savoia-Marchetti SM.79]]
* [[Tupolev SB]]
* [[Vickers Wellington#Design and development|Vickers Crecy]]
* [[Yokosuka P1Y]]
<!-- any lists that are appropriate: -->
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of bomber aircraft]]
* [[List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force]]
* [[List of aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and Royal New Zealand Navy]]
<!-- other articles that could be useful to connect with: -->
|see also=
}}
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==Bibliography==
* Barnes, C.H. and Derek N. James. ''Handley Page Aircraft since 1907''. London: Putnam & Company, 1987. {{ISBN|0-85177-803-8}}.
* Bowyer, Chaz. ''Hampden Special''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1976. {{ISBN|0-7110-0683-0}}.
* Clayton, Donald C. ''Handley Page, an Aircraft Album''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. {{ISBN|0-7110-0094-8}}.
* Crosby, Francis. ''The World Encyclopedia of Bombers''. London: Anness Publishing Ltd., 2007. {{ISBN|1-84477-511-9}}.
* 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. {{ISBN|1-880588-24-2}}.
* Eden, Paul (Ed.). ''Encyclopedia of Aircraft of World War II''. London: Amber Books, 2004. {{ISBN|1-904687-83-0}}.
* Green, William. ''Famous Bombers of the Second World War''. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1977. {{ISBN|0-356-08333-0}}.
* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: RAF Bombers, Part 2''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 2nd edition revised 1981. {{ISBN|0-7106-0118-2}}.
* Gunston, Bill. ''Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways''. London: Osprey, 1995. {{ISBN|1-85532-526-8}}.
* "Hampden: Defender of Liberty". ''[[Air International]]'', Vol. 27, No. 5, November 1984. pp.&nbsp;244–252.
* Mondey, David. ''The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II''. London: Hamlyn/Aerospace, 1982. {{ISBN|0-600-34951-9}}.
* Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1964 (2nd edition 1976). {{ISBN|0-354-01027-1}}.
* 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. {{ISBN|0-85064-000-8}}.
* Moyle, Harry. ''The Hampden File''. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1989. {{ISBN|0-85130-128-2}}.
* Postlethwaite, Mark. ''Hampden Squadrons in Focus''. Walton on Thames, UK: Red Kite, 2003. {{ISBN|978-0953806164}}.
* Richards, Denis. ''The Hardest Victory: RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War''. London: Cornet, 1995. {{ISBN|0-340-61720-9}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=Roba|first1=Jean-Louis|last2=Cony|first2=Christophe|name-list-style=amp |title=Donnerkeil: 12 février 1942 |journal=Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire |date=October 2001 |issue=103 |pages=25–32|trans-title=Operation Donnerkeil: 12 February 1942 |language=fr |issn=1243-8650}}
* Roberts, Nicholas. ''Crash Log: Handley Page Hampden & Hereford''. Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1980. {{ISBN|0-904597-34-2}}.
* Thetford, Owen. ''Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918–1957''. London: Putnam, 1957.
* {{cite magazine|last=Warner|first=Guy|title=From Bombay to Bombardier: Aircraft Production at Sydenham, Part One|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=July–August 2002|issue=100 |pages=13–24 |issn=0143-5450}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1938/1938%20-%201879.html |journal=Flight |date=30 June 1938 |title='Hampden'—New H.P. Bomber Christened and Launched}}
* {{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939%20-%201315.html |journal=Flight |date=4 May 1939 |title=Fast and Formidable: The Handley Page Hampden Bomber — a Special Drawing by Max Millar. |pages=444–445}}
* {{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939%20-%201328.html |date=4 May 1939 |journal=Flight |title=A Very Remarkable Aeroplane|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305025019/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939%20-%201328.html}}
* {{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1940/1940%20-%201448.html |journal=Flight |date=1940 |title=The O/400 Tradition}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205215/http://www.mablehome.com/aviation/museums/langley/hampden.htm Hampden at the Canadian Museum of Flight]
{{Handley Page aircraft}}
{{RAF WWII Strategic Bombing}}
{{Fairchild aircraft}}
{{Lockheed Martin aircraft}}
{{Aircraft manufactured in Canada}}
{{Swedish military aircraft designations}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1930s British bomber aircraft]]
[[Category:World War II British bombers]]
[[Category:Handley Page aircraft|Hampden]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1936]]
[[Category:Mid-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]