HALIFAX — An Illustrated History of a Classic World War II Bomber
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Characteristics
| ISBN-10 | 0711007675 |
| Book cover finish(es) | Hardcover ( square back binding ) |
| Special Features | • Dust jacket |
| Condition | VG |
| Author(s) | K.A. Merrick |
| Publisher | Ian Allan Ltd. |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Published date | 1980 |
| Language(s) | English |
| Size | 18 x 24 x 2 cm |
| Categorie(s) | • AVIATION MILITAIRE • APPAREILS - CONSTRUCTEURS • SECONDE GUERRE MONDIALE |
Description
Spitfire over Hurricane, Fortress over Liberator, Lancaster over Halifax — the ranking of wartime aircraft in postwar mythology inexorably glamourises the one and denigrates the other, invariably to an excessive extent. The Lancaster may well have been a better heavy bomber than the Halifax (but try telling Halifax crews that) yet it was nothing like as versatile nor as robust. Indeed the total contribution to the war effort of the Halifax, with its multifarious roles, probably exceeded that of the over-specialised Lancaster.
In this book K. A. Merrick, who has spent many years researching his subject, attempts to set the record straight. As he puts it himself: 'Like the Lancaster, the Halifax was born a mutation of its original concept. Unlike the Lancaster it suffered an initial defect that was accepted as a justifiable risk in those desperate days when the whole future of Bomber Command hung in the political balance. The almost daily need to add extra equipment, bomb loads and tasks upon the whole of Bomber Command's meagre force of "heavies" combined with that initial fault to cause losses that might otherwise not have occurred: at least not in the same proportion.'
'The result was an initially bad reputation that lingered long after it had ceased to be in any way true. In more peaceful times the fault would have been rectified before the Halifax entered service and the historical record may well have been less prejudiced. Whatever its reputation, the record stands: a most distinguished one for all who built the Halifax, maintained it and flew in it.'