The Henschel Hs 123 was a German dive-bomber and attack aircraft in service with the Luftwaffe during the 1930s and World War II. The German pilots liked this combat biplane because it was very reliable and had good handling characteristics. It was also sturdy, being able to take a lot of beating during dive-bombing and strafing operations.
Although the Henschel Hs 123 was regarded as obsolete by the late 1930s, it would play an important role in the German invasion of Poland in 1939, and Operation Barbarossa in 1941. It was an essential weapon of the Blitzkrieg, swooping down out of the sky, together with the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, to attack enemy positions and destroy command posts. However, by late 1944, this renowned biplane had already been relegated as a trainer.
The prototype of the Henschel Hs 123, the V1, first took to the air on May 8, 1935. It was flown by pilot Ernst Udet. After more than a year of flight tests, it entered service with the Luftwaffe in September 1936, in the I. Gruppe Stukageschwader 162, an squadron which was also equipped with Junkers Ju 87 and Arado Ar 65. A total of 375 aircraft were made in three versions; Hs 123A, 123B, and 123C. It first saw combat action in 1937 in the Spanish Civil War, flying combat sorties alongside the Henschel Hs 126.
Technical Description
The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat, single-engine biplane. However, technically speaking, it was in fact a sesquiplane, which means it was one-and-a-half wing aircraft rather than a biplane. This implies that the upper wing span and area were larger than the lower wing. On each side, both planes (upper and lower wing) were joined and fixed together by a single, sturdy wide strut.
The airframe of the aircraft was made of steel tubes, while the front portion of fuselage was all-metal. The Hs 123A-1 version was powered by one BMW 132Dc, 9-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine, which put out 870 horsepower. Only the prototype V1 had a smooth engine cowling, while all production Hs 123s had a cowling with 18 fairings covering the engine valves.
Specifications
Type: single-seat, dive-bomber/close-support aircraft.
Length: 8.33 m (27 feet, 4 inches)
Wing Span: 10.50 m (34 feet, 5 inches)
Wing Area: 24.85 m2 (267 square feet)
Height: 3.22 m (10 feet, 6 inches)
Power Plant: one 870-HP, BMW 132Dc, 9-cyl., radial engine.
Maximum Speed: 341 km/h (211 mph)
Rate of Climb: 900 m/minute
Service Ceiling: 9,000 m (29,500 feet)
Crew: one
Armament: two 7.92-mm MG-17 machine guns; two 20-mm MG-FF cannons; four 50-kg (110-lb) bombs under wing.
Below, three Henschel Hs 123 aircraft in flight in the Summer of 1938.
The first production 123A version of the dive-bomber parked on factory yard in 1935.
Below, two Hs 123s in Spain in 1937. It was part of the Condor Legion and had different camouflage and painting.
The German dive-bomber in July 1939 in Germany, two months before the German invasion of Poland.
Below, Hs 123 aircraft on the Russian Front in the Summer of 1941, during Operation Barbarossa.
