The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support aircraft flown by the German aircraft manufacturer Henschel. It was the last biplane to be operated by the Luftwaffe.

The Hs 123 started development in 1933 in response to a request for a single-seat biplane dive bomber. Henschel's design team opted to produce an aircraft with all-metal construction, relatively clean lines and a high level of manoeuvrability. Its principal competitor was the Fieseler Fi 98, which was eventually cancelled when the Hs 123 proved to be more promising. On April 1st, 1935, the first prototype performed its maiden flight; a total of four prototypes were produced, the fourth of which featured strengthened centre-section struts after two of the earlier prototypes were lost due to structural failures during high speed dives.

Upon its introduction to Luftwaffe in autumn 1936, the Hs 123 quickly displaced the Heinkel He 50 biplane, but was only viewed as being a "stop-gap" measure until the arrival of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka later that same decade. In 1938, the type was dispatched to Spain to fight with the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War; the type reportedly performed well in this theatre, particularly in terms of the psychological impact of its attacks upon the enemy. The Spanish Nationalists was impressed with the type and opted to procure additional aircraft for their own use. The temporarily-organized 15th Squadron of the China Central Air Force Academy Group also flew combat missions with its Hs 123s around this time, attacking Imperial Japanese warships along the Yangtze River.

The Luftwaffe opted to dispatch the type during the early and middle portions of the Second World War, first deploying it during the Polish Campaign. In 1940, the type saw action in the blitzkrieg attacks through the Netherlands, Belgium and France and the early portion of the Balkans Campaign. Numerous Hs 123s saw combat during the start of Invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The Hs 123 proved to be relatively robust, durable and effective in combat, especially in severe conditions (such as those present in the Eastern Front); it was commonly modified in the field to carry additional machine guns, more armour, and various other changes. It continued to see front-line service until 1944, only to be withdrawn due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts (production ended in the Autumn of 1938)

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Henschel Hs 123 dive-bomber that was attached to 7./Sturzkampfgeschwader 165 "Immelmann", then deployed to Germany during 1937. Pre-order! Ship Date: 2026.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 5-3/4-inches
Length: 4-1/2-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "First Blows" - During 1936, a small pre-production batch of Hs 123A-0s was completed and used for service evaluation by the Luftwaffe. This initial group was followed by the slightly modified Hs 123A-1 series, the first production examples. The service aircraft flew with an armoured headrest and fairing in place (a canopy was tested in the Hs 123V6) as well as removable main wheel spats and a faired tailwheel. The main weapon load of four SC50 50 kg (110 lb) bombs could be carried in lower wing racks along with an additional SC250 250 kg (550 lb) bomb mounted on a "crutch" beneath the fuselage. The usual configuration was to install an auxiliary fuel "drop" tank at this station that was jettisoned in emergencies. Two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns were mounted in the nose synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.

The aircraft entered service with StG 162 in autumn 1936. Its career as a dive bomber was cut short when the unit received its first Ju 87A during the following year. The remaining Hs 123s were incorporated into the temporary Fliegergeschwader 100 at the time of the Munich Crisis. The Geschwader (wing) had been created as an emergency measure, equipped with obsolete aircraft and tasked with the ground attack role. With the signing of the Munich Agreement on September 30th, 1938, the crisis was over and the Geschwader was disbanded, the gruppen being transferred to other established units. By 1939, despite its success in Spain, the Luftwaffe considered the Hs 123 to be obsolete and the schlachtgeschwader (close-support wings) had been disbanded with only one gruppe, II.(Schl)/LG 2 still equipped with the Hs 123.