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Mushroom Model
Publishing offers a
splendid book on the
Hs 123, with modellers
in mind. Henschel Hs
123, by Robert Panek
(ISBN: 978-83-61421-
48-1), Orange Series
No. 8115, guides the
reader through all
the sub-types, with
concise and helpful
text, 1/72 scale line
drawings, factory
illustrations, colour
artwork and many
period photos.
Splendid reference
for anyone building an
Hs 123, regardless of
manufacturer or scale!
http://www.mmpbooks.bizFind
123A-0s were built for service
evaluation by the Luftwaffe.
These were soon joined by
slightly modified A-1 production-
standard examples. The type
entered official Luftwaffe service
in autumn 1936, though its
career as a dive-bomber seemed
destined to be short-lived with
the arrival the following year of
the first examples of the Ju 87.Iberian adventure
It was during the Spanish Civil
War (July 1936 to April 1939) as
part of the Condor Legion, that
the Henschel found its niche,
where a handful of aircraftwere deployed as tactical
bombers. Unsurprisingly, their
short range and small bomb
load proved insufficient for the
task, and they were employed
instead in the ground support
role. Upon the outbreak of war
in Europe, the 39 remaining
airframes continued in their role
of ‘flying artillery’ in support
of the advancing army and
they proved themselves again
to be devastatingly effective.
By the beginning of Operation
Barbarossa – the invasion of
Russia in June 1941 – just 22
Hs 123s remained in service,
but they had lost none of their
effectiveness. Their ability to
operate from rough, unprepared
airstrips, and absorb copious
amounts of punishment, made
them ideal attack aircraft to
support the armies advancing
across the great open steppes.
By January 1942, Henschels
were used to form the nucleus of
a new, dedicated army support
wing: Schlachtgeschwader 1
(SchlG 1), and went on to support
operations in the Crimea, the
Second Battle of Kharkov and
the attack on Stalingrad. No
greater tribute could have been
paid to the effectiveness of
the Henschel than the request
by Generaloberst Wolfram von
Richthoffen, Commander-in-
Chief of Luftflotte 4 (and brother
to the legendary World War One
ace Manfred), than his impossible
request in January 1943 that
production of the Hs 123 be
restarted. The end finally came in
the spring of 1944, when 7./SG 1
exchanged its last Henschels
for Ju 87s.The Hs 123’s role as a dive-bomber is exemplified here, although
the type was usurped relatively quickly in this task by the infamous
Ju 87 Stuka. (All photos Key Collection)
Above: The Hs 123’s earlier paint scheme is shown to good effect in this well-known
Luftwaffe propaganda image.