The Hs 126 that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122. The pilot was seated in a protected cockpit under the parasol wing and the gunner in an open rear cockpit. In the autumn of 1936, the first prototype made its maiden flight; it was soon followed by two more prototypes and a batch of pre-production aircraft. During early 1938, the Hs 126 underwent service evaluation; it was well received for its good short takeoff performance and low-speed flight characteristics, attributes that proved to be frequently useful during its operational history.
The origins of the Hs 126 that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122, which did not advance beyond pre-production after flight testing demonstrated the type to offer no meaningful improvement over the existing Heinkel He 46.[1] During 1936, Heinkel's chief designer, Friedrich Nicolaus, commenced work on a more advanced version of the Hs 122; this was later redesignated as the Hs 126. While it retained the same basic configuration of the Hs 122, however, it differed by its redesigned parasol wing, cantileverundercarriage, and a semi-enclosed cockpit.[1] The Hs 126 also featured all-metal stressed skin construction.[1]
By the end of 1937, a pre-production batch of HS 126A-0s had been completed; these were broadly similar to the third prototype.[4] The first production standard Hs 126A-1s came of Henschel's production line in early 1938; this model differed from the pre-production aircraft mainly in terms of their fitout, being powered by a BMW 132Dc radial and equipped with a single fixed Zeiss camera in the rear fuselage bay as well as provisions for armaments, including a pair of machine guns and a Hardpoint#Bomb_rack.[5] During early 1938, several Hs 126s were delivered to the reconniassance Lehrgruppe for service evaluation. During these evaluation flight, it was determined that the type possessed favourable flying characteristics and extremely good short-field performance.[5]
During mid 1939, the improved Hs 126B-1 commenced production; this variant was powered by a Bramo 323 radial and accordingly possessed greater performance when flown at high altitudes along with improved short-field performance, as well as VHF radio apparatus.[6] A total of 257 Hs 126s had been delivered to the Luftwaffe by the start of the Second World War.[7] Production of the Hs 126 was terminated during January 1941.[8]
Operational history
By the time the Hs 126 A-1 was introduced to service with the Luftwaffe in 1938, the re-equipping of reconnaissance formations was already well advanced. The majority of aircraft operated by its short-range reconnaissance units comprised the Heinkel He 45 and Heinkel He 46; in comparison to the Hs 126, both of these aircraft were slower, more vulnerable to ground fire and inclement weather conditions alike, and had limited altitude capability.[1] Accordingly, the Hs 126 had almost entirely replaced both of these aircraft in Luftwaffe service by May 1940.[7]
During late 1938, six Hs 126s were dispatched to Spain, where it replaced the He 45s being flown by the Legion Condor; it saw live combat during the latter portion of the Spanish Civil War.[5] The type's performance in this theatre was reportedly satisfactory; following the end of the civil war, several Hs 126s were transferred to the Spanish Air Force.[5]
By the start of the Second World War in September 1939, the Hs 126 served with Aufkl.Gr 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 23, 31, 32 und 41.[7] The type was used to great effect during the Invasion of Poland where it proved itself as a reliable observation and liaison aircraft. Virtually every corps of the German Army was working in coordination with its own army cooperation reconnaissance unit.[7] Daylight reconnaissance flights by the Hs 126 were typically flown beneath an altitude of 2,000 meters; at night time, this decreased further to almost tree-top level. Information gathered was typically conveyed during a debriefing after the aircraft's return; however, direct reports using the onboard radio were possible.[9]
The Hs 126 was active during the Invasion of France in May 1940. Numerous aircraft were lost due to interception by Allied fighter aircraft: between 10 and 21 May 1940, 20 Hs 126s were lost alone.[citation needed] Nevertheless, losses of the type in this theatre were not considered to be high.[10]
At the start of the Invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, a total of 47 army cooperation squadrons equipped with Hs 126s participated.[10] A higher loss rate was incurred on the Eastern Front, to the extent that fighter aircraft were more commonly used to protect the type during missions.[10] Additionally, the Hs 126 was used in North Africa, such as with the 2./Aufklärungsgruppe (H)/14; it was eventually withdrawn in favour of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 towards the end of 1942.[10]
The successor to the Hs 126, the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu, entered service with the Luftwaffe during 1940. Despite this, the Hs 126 remained the principal short range reconnaissance aircraft with frontline units until early 1942.[10]
Late in the conflict, the Hs 126 was used in glider tug and night ground attack roles.[10] The Hs 126 was withdrawn from virtually all front line use during 1943.[11] On 12 September 1943, a number of Hs 126s were used to tow ten DFS 230 attack gliders from Pratica Di Mare airfield near Rome to the Gran Sasso on a raid to rescue Benito Mussolini. Mussolini had been imprisoned there after being deposed by the Grand Council of Fascism, followed by a decree from the King of Italy. The Henschel was a smaller tow plane compared the usual Junkers Ju 52 three-engine tow plane and struggled to gain altitude to clear the mountains on the way. This led to confusion when the lead Kette of three gliders turned to gain altitude allowing Otto Skorzeny's group of three gliders to assume the lead.[12]
Greece
At the outbreak of Greco-Italian War of 1940–41, the Royal Hellenic Air Force (Ellinikí Vasilikí Aeroporía, RHAF) had in service 16 Henschels, with 3 Observation Mira, under III Corps, based in Thessaloniki and Veria. Two days after the start of the conflict, on 30 October, there was the first air battle between Italian Regia Aeronautica and the RHAF when some Henschel Hs 126 of 3/2 Flight from 3 Observation Mira took off to locate Italian Army columns. However, they were intercepted and attacked by Fiat CR.42s of 393aSquadriglia. A first Henschel was hit and crashed, killing its observer, Pilot Officer Evanghelos Giannaris, the first Greek aviator to die in the war. A second Hs 126 was downed over Mount Smolikas, killing Pilot Officer Lazaros Papamichail and Sergeant Constantine Yemenetzis.[13]
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies, is an all-metal four-engined monoplane designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Focke-Wulf. It was the first heavier-than-air craft to fly nonstop between Berlin and New York City, about 4,000 miles (6,400 km), making the flight from Berlin-Staaken to Floyd Bennett Field on 10/11 August 1938 in 24 hours and 56 minutes.
The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber produced by Dornier Flugzeugwerke for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. Designed in the early 1930s as a Schnellbomber intended to be fast enough to outrun opposing aircraft, the lightly built craft had a twin tail and "shoulder wing". Sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift or the Eversharp, it was popular among its crews due to its handling, especially at low altitude, which made the Do 17 harder to hit than other German bombers.
The Junkers Ju 388Störtebeker is a World War II German Luftwaffe multi-role aircraft based on the Ju 88 airframe by way of the Ju 188. It differed from its predecessors in being intended for high altitude operation, with design features such as a pressurized cockpit for its crew. The Ju 388 was introduced very late in the war, and production problems along with the deteriorating war conditions meant that few were built.
The Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz (Goldfinch) is a twin-seat biplane designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Focke-Wulf. It was the company's first major international success.
The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (Owl) is a twin-engine twin-boom tactical reconnaissance and army cooperation aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Focke-Wulf. It was one of the Luftwaffe's most prominent short range reconnaissance platforms during the Second World War.
The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support aircraft flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to middle of World War II. It proved to be robust, durable and effective especially in severe conditions. It continued to see front-line service until 1944, only to be withdrawn due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts.
The Henschel Hs 132 was a World War II dive bomber and interceptor aircraft of the German Luftwaffe that never saw service. The unorthodox design featured a top-mounted BMW 003 jet engine and the pilot in a prone position. The Soviet Army occupied the factory just as the Hs 132 V1 was nearing flight testing, the V2 and V3 being 80% and 75% completed.
The Messerschmitt Me 321 Gigant was a large German cargo glider developed and used during World War II. Intended to support large-scale invasions, the Me 321 had very limited use due to the low availability of suitable tug aircraft, high vulnerability whilst in flight, and its difficult ground handling, both at base and at destination landing sites. The Me 321 was developed, in stages, into the six-engined Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant, which removed some of the problems with ground handling, although the payload was reduced. Vulnerability to ground fire and aerial attack remained a constant problem during operations of all variants.
The Junkers Ju 290 was a large four-engine long-range transport and maritime patrol aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers.
The Junkers Ju 86 is a monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers.
The Arado Ar 232 Tausendfüßler, sometimes also called Tatzelwurm, was a cargo aircraft that was designed and produced in small numbers by the German aircraft manufacturer Arado Flugzeugwerke. It was designed during the first half of the Second World War in response to a request by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium for a successor or supplemental transport aircraft to the Luftwaffe's obsolescent Junkers Ju 52/3m. The Ar 232 introduced, or brought together, almost all of the features now considered to be standard in modern cargo transport aircraft designs, including a box-like fuselage slung beneath a high wing; a rear loading ramp, a high-mounted twin tail for easy access to the hold and features for operating from rough fields. It was initially requested to be powered by a pair of BMW 801A/B radial engines, however, an alternative arrangement of four BMW Bramo 323 engines was adopted instead due to a lack of capacity.
The Heinkel He 116 was an extremely long-range mail plane designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Heinkel.
The Heinkel He 45 was a light bomber produced in Germany in the early 1930s, one of the first aircraft adopted by the newly formed Luftwaffe. Its appearance was that of a conventional biplane and included seating for pilot and gunner in tandem, open cockpits. Developed in parallel with the He 46, it appeared in 1931 as a general-purpose biplane and was employed mainly as a trainer, but was also used by the Luftwaffe for reconnaissance and light bombing duties. Production of this plane totalled 512 aircraft, including those built under licence by Gotha, Focke-Wulf, and BFW.
The Henschel Hs 130 was a German high-altitude reconnaissance and bomber aircraft developed in World War II. It suffered from various mechanical faults and was never used operationally, only existing as prototype airframes.
The Heinkel He 46 was a German World War II-era monoplane designed in 1931 for the close reconnaissance and army co-operation roles. While it served with the Luftwaffe's front-line units only briefly at the start of World War II, the He 46 served as late as 1943 as a nighttime nuisance bomber and with the Hungarian Air Force.
The Heinkel He 50 was a biplane dive bomber designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Heinkel. Although not build in large numbers, it served in the Second World War.
The Henschel Hs 122 was a German army cooperation/reconnaissance aircraft of the mid-1930s, radial-engined and with a parasol wing. Though only pre-production variants entered service, the Hs 122 led on to the Hs 126 which was produced in large numbers.
Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers, 1970 (fourth impression 1979). ISBN0-356-02382-6.
Lapierre, P. & Taghon, P. (June 2000). "Henschel 126 "contre" l'Angleterre" [Henschel 126 Against Britain]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (87): 26–35. ISSN1243-8650.
Lawrence, Joseph (1945). The Observer's Book Of Airplanes. London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co.
Luranc, Zbigniew. Henschel Hs 126 - Skrzydła w Miniaturze (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: Wydawnictwo Avia-Press, 1995. ISBN83-902964-0-3.
Nowarra, Heinz J. Nahaufklärer, 1910-1945: Die Augen des Heeres (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag, 1981. ISBN3-87943-808-0.
Pęczkowski, Robert and Robert Panek. Henschel Hs 126. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2008. ISBN83-89450-40-2.
Smith, John Richard; Kay, Anthony L.; Creek, Eddie J. (1972). German Aircraft of the Second World War. London, UK: Putnam and Company Ltd. ISBN978-1-55750-010-6.
Wood, Tony and Bill Gunston. Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial History and Technical Encyclopedia of Hitler's Air Power in World War II. London, UK: Salamander Books Ltd., 1977. ISBN0-86101-005-1.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
