4000lb bombs carried by early Halifax bombers

[cherisy]

Evening all

 

Ive just completed the Matchbox version of the Halifax I in the markings of tye aircraft flown by Christpher Cheshire ( MP-L). Now as for the bomb load , I was going for generic 500lb GP bombs. However the Haynes manual  for the Halifax has a photo of the same aircraft being loaded with an  early 4000lb cookie. Now I am aware that up to 2 were carried in 1942 by the early Halifax and that the bomb doors wouldnt quite shut, But Cheshires MP-L was shot down in August 41. Info I have found is conflicting as to when they were first carried. Can anyone shed any light? Thanks in advance

[Boman]

According to Wiki; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Halifax
the Halifax couldn't carry the 4000lbs cookie and was hence less favoured than the Lancaster. The same article states that the biggest single bomb possible to be carried was 2000lbs. 
FWIW, the article also includes a rendition of MP-L from ~1941

Edited December 28, 2017 by Boman

[cherisy]

So one can assume that the photo of MP-L with the cookie being loaded was done so for publicity purposes then. the Haynes manual also states that 400 of them were dropped along with one solitary 8000lb in 1942

[johnd]

There's a discussion here covering Halifax payloads that will, hopefully, answer your question.

 

John.

[Graham Boak]

I suspect that Wiki is confusing the design payload with the historic actual.  Like other RAF heavy bombers of the period, the Halifax was designed to carry a range of bombs up to and including the 2000lb SAP bomb.  Like all British aerial weapons of the period this was thin, resulting in the bombbay being split into a number of narrow cells.  (Hampden (1 bomb), Wellington, Halifax (4 bombs)  and Stirling (7 bombs).The exception was the Manchester, designed to carry two torpedoes with monoplane air tails, thus requiring a wider (and apparently deeper) bay.  In the case of the Manchester's direct competitor, the HP56, the company asked to be excused this requirement and this was accepted.  Then the HP56 was re-engined to become the HP57 Halifax, but the design change had already been done.  The 4000lb cookie simply didn't exist when these aircraft were designed, but both the Wellington and Halifax were modified to carry the 4000lb bomb at the expense of a partially open bombbay.  In the case of the Halifax, examples existed where.a canvas cover was used as a fairing to reduce the drag before the bomb was dropped.  I don't know how common this was, nor how often the Halifax carried the 8000lb bomb, but there appears to be no obvious reason why it couldn't.

[Finn]

The article here indicates the 4000lb Cookie was carried, and dropped, by the Halifax:

 

https://tailendcharlietedchurch.wordpress.com/operations/sorties-augsep-43/

 

Jari