Handley Page Type O

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Handley Page Type O

The Handley Page Type O was an early bomber aircraft used by Britain

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
during World War I

World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. At the time, it was the largest aircraft that had been built in the UK and one of the largest in the world. It was built in two major versions, the Handley Page O/100 (H.P.11) and Handley Page O/400 (H.P.12).

Britain entered the War in August 1914 the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
had not yet been formed and the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
and the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Handley Page Type O'

Start a new discussion about 'Handley Page Type O'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The Handley Page Type O was an early bomber aircraft used by Britain

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
during World War I

World War I

Development and design

When Britain entered the War in August 1914 the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

British Army

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
were competing for control of aircraft production. Handley Page, then established around five years, offered their services to both the army and the navy, but past difficulties over a contract to manufacture BE.2a

Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2

The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine two-seat biplane in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. About 3,500 were built, used as fighters, interceptors, light bombers, trainers and reconnaissance aircraft....
aircraft had led to some friction with the War Office

War Office

The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence ....
and Royal Aircraft Establishment

Royal Aircraft Establishment

The Royal Aircraft Establishment England, was a British research establishment latterly under the Ministry of Defence .The first site was at Farnborough Airfield in Hampshire to which was added a second site RAE Bedford in 1946....
at Farnborough. In the climate of inter-service rivalry it was natural that what the army disdained the navy would take up with alacrity, and the Director of the Navy's Air Department

Air Department

The Air Department of the United Kingdom Admiralty was established prior to World War I by Winston Churchill. Its function was to oversee the Royal Naval Air Service ....
, Captain Murray Sueter

Murray Sueter

Sir Murray Fraser Sueter was a Royal Naval officer who was noted as a pioneer of naval aviation....
, was quick to take up Handley Page's offer. Early drafts of coastal patrol models internally designated M/200 and MS/200 (for their 200 hp engines) were discussed, but Seuter's technical advisor, Harris Booth, favoured a large seaplane for coastal patrol and dockyard defence, capable also of bombing the German High Seas Fleet

High Seas Fleet

The High Seas Fleet was the main battle fleet of the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I. The fleet was based at Wilhelmshaven in the Jadebusen, and commanded by Admirals Friedrich von Ingenohl , Hugo von Pohl , Reinhard Scheer , and Franz von Hipper ....
at its base in Kiel

Kiel

Kiel is the Capital and most populous city of the northern Germany state Schleswig-Holstein.Kiel is approximately 90 km to the north of Hamburg....
, and a prototype (AD Seaplane Type 1000

AD Seaplane Type 1000

The AD Seaplane Type 1000 also known as the Admiralty Type 1000 and the AD.1 was a United Kingdom seaplane of the First World War designed to attack Germany warships....
) had already been commissioned from J Samuel White & Co. of Cowes

Cowes

Cowes is an English seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank....
.

The threat posed by German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
Zeppelin

Zeppelin

For the English rock group, please see Led Zeppelin. For other meanings please see Zeppelin .A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century, based on designs he had outlined in 1874, designs he had detailed in 1893, and that were reviewed by committee in 1894, which h...
bombers seemed very real, and the Admiralty

Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty....
had been given the task of defending Britain from air attack, something for which it was completely unprepared. Since the difficulty of intercepting the Zeppelins themselves was an unknown quantity, the Admiralty decided to focus on a strategy of attacking their bases and factories instead. In practice, this proved difficult, given the limitations in range of the aircraft of the day and the small bomb loads they could carry. It was clear that in order to be effective, the Royal Naval Air Service

Royal Naval Air Service

The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of World War I, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force....
needed a much larger aircraft. Commander Samson had called urgently from Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
for "a bloody paralyser" to hold back the German advance on Antwerp

Antwerp

||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions....
, a phrase which was relayed and became the nickname of the O/100. Against this background, then, a specification was issued in December 1914 for a long-range patrol bomber

Patrol bomber

A Maritime patrol aircraft, also simply patrol aircraft, or by the older term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol, anti-shipping, Anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue roles....
.

Handley Page responded with an enormous biplane with a wingspan of 100 feet (30 m) (the original source of the O/100 designation). The first prototype flew on December 7 1915 and featured a glazed cockpit and extensive armour around the crew compartment and engines. The aircraft proved somewhat underpowered, so the glazing and armour were deleted on the second prototype that flew the following April and formed the basis for series production of the machine. A total of 46 of the O/100s were built.

The success of the type prompted the development of an uprated version with more powerful engines and other refinements, designated the O/400. First flying in 1918, over 400 were supplied before the Armistice

Armistice

An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace....
. Another 107 were licence-built in the USA by the Standard Aircraft Corporation

Standard Aircraft Corporation

Standard Aircraft Corporation was a United States aircraft manufacturer, founded in Plainfield, New Jersey, New Jersey, in 1916 in aviationStandard Aircraft anticipated American entry into World War I, despite an expressed policy of isolationism....
(out of a total order of 1,500 by the air corps). Forty-six out of an order for fifty were built by Clayton & Shuttleworth

Clayton & Shuttleworth

Clayton & Shuttleworth was an engineering company located at Stamp End Works, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire. The company was established in 1842 when Nathaniel Clayton formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Joseph Shuttleworth ....
in Lincoln.

Operational history

The first O/100s to be deployed to France were received by 7A Squadron

No. 214 Squadron RAF

No. 214 Squadron is a former unit of the Royal Air Force....
of the RNAS's 5th Wing at Dunkirk

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is a Communes of France in the Nord Departments of France in northern France.It lies 10 kilometres from the Belgium border. Population of the city at the 1999 census was 70,850 inhabitants ....
in late 1916. Their first combat came on the night of March 16 1917 when a single aircraft was sent to bomb a railway junction at Moulins-lès-Metz

Moulins-lès-Metz

Moulins-l?s-Metz is a Communes of France in the Moselle Departments of France in Lorraine in northeastern France....
. Initially, they were also used for daylight attacks, damaging a German destroyer

Destroyer

In navy terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a Naval fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers ....
on 23 April 1917, but the loss of an aircraft to fighter attack two days later resulted in a switch to exclusive night attacks, usually by single aircraft against German occupied Channel ports, railway targets and airfields. O/100s were also used for anti-U boat patrol off the mouth of the River Tees

River Tees

The Tees is a river in Northern England. It source on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the Pennines, and flows eastwards for about 85 miles to the North Sea, between Hartlepool and Redcar....
in September 1917, while a single O/100 was flown to Moudros

Moudros

Moudros is a Communities and Municipalities of Greece on the island of Lemnos, in the Lesbos Prefecture, Greece. It covers the entire eastern peninsula of the island, with a land area of 185.127 km?....
on the Greek

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
island of Lemnos

Lemnos

Lemnos is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. It is part of the prefecture of Greece of Lesbos Prefecture and has a considerable area, about 477 km?....
, being used to carry out bombing raids on Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the empire capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire . Strategically located between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara at the point where Europe meets Asia, Byzantine Constantinople had been the capital of a Christendom empire, successor to ancient ancient Greece...
.

The improved O/400 started to enter service in April 1918, gradually allowing the re-equipment of more squadrons, being used for both support for the ground forces on the Western Front, particlularly during the German Spring Offensive

Spring Offensive

The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht and also known as the Ludendorff Offensive was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914....
, and for strategic bombing

Strategic bombing

Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces....
under the control of the Independent Air Force

Independent Air Force

The Independent Air Force , also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a World War I strategic bombing force which was part of the United Kingdom Royal Air Force and used to strike against German railways, aerodromes and industrial centr...
. In service, the O/400s could carry a new 1,650 lb (750 kg) bomb and were deployed in force, with up to 40 aircraft participating in a raid. A single O/400 also served with 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps in the Middle East.

After the war, O/400s remained in British service until replaced by the Vickers Vimy

Vickers Vimy

The Vickers Vimy was a United Kingdom heavy bomber aircraft of the World War I and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by Alcock an...
towards the end of 1919. About 10 war-surplus aircraft were converted for civilian use in the UK and India by Handley Page's pioneering airline, Handley Page Transport

Handley Page Transport

Handley Page Transport Ltd was an airline company founded in 1919 by Frederick Handley Page in the new era of civil flying after the First World War....
.

Six aircraft were assembled post-war for sale to Republican China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
under the designation O/7, principally for use as transports. These were delivered to China and re-assembled at Nanyuan

Beijing Nanyuan Airport

Beijing Nanyuan Airport is an airport in Beijing, People's Republic of China . Primarily a military airfield, it is equipped with a terminal capable of handling 1.2 million passengers per year and presently serves as the base of China United Airlines....
near Beijing

Beijing

is a metropolis in northern China and the Capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the four municipality of China, which are equivalent to province in China's Political divisions of China....
. The aircraft flew their first service, carrying both airmail

Airmail

Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send. Airmail may be the only option for sending mail to some destinations, such as overseas, if the mail cannot wait the time it would take to arrive by ship, sometimes weeks....
and passengers, between Beijing and Tientsin

Tianjin

is the third largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipality that have Political divisions of China status, reporting directly to the central government....
on 7 May 1920. These services were disrupted by the outbreak of civil war, with the aircraft being taken over by various warlords

Warlord era

The Warlord era is the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to the late-1930s, when the country was divided among Warlord, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia, Guangdong, Guangxi, Gansu, Yunnan, and Xinjiang....
. During the First Zhili-Fengtian War

First Zhili-Fengtian War

The First Zhili-Fengtian War was a 1922 conflict in the Republic of China's Warlord Era between the Zhili clique and Fengtian cliques for control of Beijing....
, O/7 bombers carried three 200 lb bombs, and played a significant role in the victory of the Zhili clique

Zhili clique

The Zhili clique was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Army during the Republic of China's warlord era....
since the opposing Fengtian clique

Fengtian clique

The Fengtian Clique was one of several mutually hostile cliques or factions that split from the Beiyang Army in the Republic of China's warlord era....
had only liaison and reconnaissance aircraft. During the Second Zhili-Fengtian War

Second Zhili-Fengtian War

The Second Zhili-Fengtian War was a 1924 conflict in the Republic of China's Warlord era between the Zhili clique and Fengtian cliques for control of Beijing....
, O/7 bombers of the Fengtian clique carried a single 500 lb bomb and played an important role in the battle of Stone Gate Camp (Shi Mei Zhai, ???) near Shanhai Pass

Shanhai Pass

Shanhaiguan or Shanhai Pass is a part of the city of Qinhuangdao, in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. In 1961, Shanhaiguan became a site of China First Class National Cultural Site....
on October 19, 1924: the O/7 bomber (piloted by a White Russian

White Russian

The term White Russian may refer to:* White Russian , an alcoholic beverage* Members of the White Movement whose military arm is known as the White Army or White Guard comprised some of the Russian forces, both political and military, which opposed the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution and fought against the Red Army during the R...
) dropped its single 500 lb bomb on the densely packed Zhili force on the ground, causing large casualties. Consequently, the enemy's morale collapsed, resulting in the Zhili clique losing the battle.

The legacy of the aircraft was such that for many years after the war, any large aircraft came to be called a "Handley Page" in Britain. Furthermore, the aircraft plays a prominent part in the short story Turnabout by William Faulkner

William Faulkner

William Faulkner was a Nobel Prize in Literature-winning United States author. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, his reputation is based on his novels, novellas and short story....
; the story provides an insider's view of what it was like to fly the Type O in combat.

The importance of the Type O to the company cannot be overestimated, establishing the firm as a maker of large multi-engine aircraft as well as establishing an uneasy relationship with the defence ministry which is credited by former employees as the reason why no Halifax

Handley Page Halifax

The Handley Page Halifax was one of the United Kingdom front-line, four-engine heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the World War II. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing....
was placed in preservation, and for the greater prominence given to the Avro Vulcan

Avro Vulcan

The Avro Vulcan is a delta wing subsonic jet bomber that was operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. The Vulcan was part of the RAF's V bomber force, which fulfilled the role of nuclear deterrence against the Soviet Union during the Cold War....
over the (technically superior) Victor

Handley Page Victor

The Handley Page Victor was a United Kingdom jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company. It was the third and final of the "V bombers" which provided Britain's nuclear deterrent....
.

Prior to 1924, Handley Page used an alphabetical system for aircraft designations and thus, the Type O followed the Type M and Type N. Nevertheless, the Type O aircraft are very frequently misnamed as "Handley Page 0/100" and "0/400" in publications, the numeral "0" replacing the letter "O". Curiously, Handley Page had previously conspicuously avoided using the designation "Type I", presumably to avoid confusion with the numeral "1" but apparently neglected to consider that "O" would create a similar problem.

Variants

O/7 - Export version for China.
O/10 and O/11 - Ten 0/400 bombers were converted into transport aircraft.
O/100 - Original version - Two 260 hp Rolls Royce Eagle II engines. (Four prototypes, 42 Production).
O/400 - More powerful version - Two 360 hp Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engines. (554 produced.)

Operators

Civil

The Government of China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
.
Indo Burmese Transport.
Handley Page Transport
Handley Page Transport

Handley Page Transport Ltd was an airline company founded in 1919 by Frederick Handley Page in the new era of civil flying after the First World War....
.
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways

Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East....
.

Military

Australian Flying Corps

No. 1 Squadron AFC
No. 1 Squadron RAAF

No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. Based at RAAF Amberley, it currently operates the General Dynamics F-111 bomber....
in Palestine
Palestine

Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is derived from a name used already much earlier for a narrower geographical region, mainly along the coastal region....
.

Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....

No. 58 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron RAF

No. 58 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force....
(O/400)
No. 70 Squadron RAF (0/400)
No. 97 Squadron RAF
No. 97 Squadron RAF

No. 97 Squadron, was a Royal Air Force squadron formed on December 1, 1917 at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, first as a training unit, until moving to Netheravon in March 1918, and re-equipping with the Handley Page Type O heavy bomber....
(0/400)
No. 100 Squadron RAF
No. 100 Squadron RAF

No. 100 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, and operates the Hawker-Siddeley Hawk....
(0/400)
No. 115 Squadron RAF
No. 115 Squadron RAF

No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers....
(0/400)
No. 116 Squadron RAF
No. 116 Squadron RAF

No. 116 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers....
(0/400)
No. 207 Squadron RAF (0/400)
No. 214 Squadron RAF
No. 214 Squadron RAF

No. 214 Squadron is a former unit of the Royal Air Force....
(0/400)
No. 215 Squadron RAF
No. 215 Squadron RAF

No. 215 Squadron was Royal Air Force aircraft squadron formed as a night bomber squadron in the First World War and Second World War later becoming a transport squadron....
(0/100 and 0/400)
No. 216 Squadron RAF
No. 216 Squadron RAF

No. 216 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed L-1011 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire....
(0/400)

Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service

The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of World War I, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force....

No. 7 Squadron RNAS (0/100)
No. 7A Squadron RNAS (0/100)
No. 14 Squadron RNAS (0/100)
No. 15 Squadron RNAS (0/100)
No. 16 Squadron RNAS (0/100 and 0/400)

Handley Page Type O

Development and design

Operational history

Variants

Operators

Civil

Military

Specifications (O/400)

See also

Bibliography

External links