Henschell Hs-123

The Henschel Hs 123 was designed as the first dive bomber to equip the new Luftwaffe. It was first tested in 1935 and entered service in the autumn of 1936. During the Spanish Civil War the Hs 123 was used with great success in the close support role and gained great popularity for their reliability and rugged construction. When the Second World War broke out the Hs 123 had been almost completely replaced by the Ju87B and only one group was available for the Polish campaign. These remaining aircraft were so effective that they were retained for use in the battles in Belgium and France. With the attack on Russia the elderly biplanes were again in action, often operating when conditions were so bad that more modern aircraft were grounded. The Henchel Hs 123 normally carried four 110lb bombs and two fixed machine guns. The 870 h.p. BMW engine gave a maximum speed of 212 m.p.h. Wing span was 34ft 5ins and length 27ft 4ins.