Dear Elger, I was on the recovery team for the salavge of NA337 from Lake Mjosa, Norway in '95. This aircraft dropped weapons containers to the Norwegians before ditching.
We received a weapons container which NA337 dropped from the Norway Museum from Major Glenne, which went to the rebuild shop in Canada , for a display item.
They were only of moderate size and the Halifax could easily accomodate these containers, but I think there were only 4 or max 6 containers in each Halifax in the main bomb-bay.
Contact the Norwegian aviation museum (Major Roar Glenne or his replacement as he may have retired) to get details on the Halifax containers. If not bounce back to me at this forum if you need more info.
Cheers, Karl Kj.
www.57rescuecanada.com
P.S. we have a new Halifax salvage project which you can read about at the above website
Re: were changes to the halifax bomb bay necessary to transport weapon containers?
December 28 2008, 10:11 AM
I have just spoken with a man who was a Halifax pilot from 161 Special Duties
Squadron.
He recalls that the containers were designed to be very similar in size to a 1000 lb bomb and carried in the bomb bay in the same manner. The Halifax could carry up to 15 of them.
He says that if there was any modification to the bomb bay it would have been very minor.
Hope this helps.
you might like to take a look at my Tempsford Special Duties Squadrons site which may be found at:
644 sqdn, 38group used Halifax's to drop containers of equipment and supplies to the french and other underground fighters.They also dropped agents by parachute.
The halifax's of this group had the mid upper turret removed, the space below allowed the containers/agents to travel and then where dropped thro'
a opening in the bottom of the fuslage [ a glory hole].
The only item carried in the bomb bay was a jeep on four parachutes when they dropped a four man SAS unit behind the lines.
My father in law was a wop/ag in 644 sqdn during 1944.
