The Heinkel He 111 was one of the Luftwaffe’s most important bombers during World War Two. Malcolm V Lowe looks at the early versions in the He 111H-series of this iconic warplane.
The Heinkel He 111 is undoubtedly one of the best-known symbols of Nazi Germany’s war machine. This twin-engined medium bomber was a mainstay of the Luftwaffe’s bombing campaign during the early years of World War Two, having already been in service for some time before the conflict began. The type served well into the latter stages of the war, with production finally ceasing in 1944. The most significant frontline series of the He 111 family was the He 111H, initial subtypes of which fought in the early campaigns of World War Two.
Above: This He 111H-1 of KG 26 displays the prominent fairing beneath the glazed nose that housed the type’s bombsight. Its groundcrew appear to be preparing it for flight in this apparently posed photograph. Peter Walter Collection.
The history of the bomber dated back to the early 1930s, when the Heinkel company developed a fast, streamlined and advanced passenger aircraft – the single-engined four/five-passenger monoplane Heinkel He 70 Blitz (Lightning). Its success encouraged Heinkel to look …
