Henschel Hs 126A-1

The main short-ranged reconnaissance and artillery fire correcting plane of the German Luftwaffe on the initial stage of WWII was the Henschel Hs 126.

The Hs 126 was designed by Dipl. Ing. Fr. Nicolaus of the Henschel Flugzeugwerke. The first prototype named Hs 126V1 flew for the first time early in 1937. The aircraft had excellent slow speed flight and short field characteristics.

The planes of modification Hs 126A-1 with BMW 132Dc engines were delivered to the Luftwaffe reconnaissance units early in 1938.

Hs 126 planes took part in early war Wehrmacht campaigns: Poland, France, Greece, Yugoslavia. In the Soviet-German front they were in service up to the middle of 1942.