SERVICE HISTORY
THE HEINKEL HE 111 MEDIUM BOMBER SAW ACTION IN ALL THEATRES OF WORLD WAR II IN WHICH THE LUFTWAFFE OPERATED
The Heinkel He 111 entered civilian air service with Lufthansa in 1936. When the German war machine smashed across the Polish frontier on 1 September 1939, formations of the medium bombers flew overhead, striking both tactical and strategic targets. During the Polish Campaign, the Luftwaffe deployed about 700 operational He 111s of the early P variant, the first to include the glazed cockpit and flight deck for which the aircraft is well known.
Initial prototypes had already been sold to China during the 1930s, while the He 111 experienced its combat debut with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. More than 70 variants and subvariants of the He 111 were developed during a production run that extended to the autumn of 1944, and approximately 8,000 civilian and military aircraft were produced. The terror bombing of the Dutch city of Rotterdam on 14 May 1940 was executed by He 111s of Kampfgeschwader (Bomber Wing) 54.
By the time of the Battle of Britain in 1940, the He 111H was the primary model in service and bore the brunt of the missions. Of the 34 Luftwaffe air groups committed to the Battle of Britain, 15 were equipped with the He 111. The aircraft proved capable of taking terrific punishment and returning to base, although its defensive armament was deemed inadequate, while airspeed was slowed significantly when fully loaded.
By early 1943, the He 111 had become functionally obsolescent with the introduction of new Luftwaffe designs and growing Allied air superiority. However, the aircraft remained in service through to the end of the conflict. In addition to tactical and strategic bombing, it was employed in a torpedo configuration, towed glider aircraft, and was modified to carry the HS 293 missile. The last He 111 retired from service in Spain in 1975.
“OF THE 34 LUFTWAFFE AIR GROUPS COMMITTED TO THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN, 15 WERE EQUIPPED WITH THE HE 111”