Henschel Hs 129

The Henschel Hs 129 was a ground-attack aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Henschel Flugzeugwerke AG. Fielded by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, it saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front.

During the latter half of 1930s, influenced by the experiences of German Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM; "Reich Aviation Ministry") sought a new ground-attack aircraft. The specification required protection from ground-based small arms fire, for which Henschel's design (which was initially designated at the P 46) incorporated a steel "bathtub" with angled fuselage sides and a compact canopy that was fitted with tiny windows. A further requirement of the specification was that the aircraft be powered by engines that were not in demand for other types; accordingly, the Hs 129 was designed to be equipped with low-power German Argus As 410 engines, which were only capable of 465 PS (459 hp; 342 kW).

On 29 May 1939, the prototype Hs 129 performed its maiden flight. Early flight testing was largely unsatisfactory, the aircraft proving to be underpowered and overweight while offering poor visibility to the pilot. These problems were addressed with a new canopy with more glazing and the more powerful French Gnome-Rhône 14M engine, which could produce up to 700 PS (690 hp; 515 kW). As such, the Hs 129 A-0 was promptly succeeded by the Hs 129 A-1 and Hs 129 B-1. While Henschel faced competition to fulfil the requirement in the form of the Focke-Wulf Fw 189, the Hs 129 was both smaller and cheaper, and thus continued to hold the RLM's favour. Quantity production of the type was achieved during early 1942.

The Hs 129 was relatively effective when introduced to Luftwaffe service in April 1942. It served on the Eastern Front in a variety of frontline roles. As the conflict progressed, an emphasis on anti-tank support saw the aircraft being continually up-gunned, eventually mounting a 75 mm anti-tank cannon. Only a small number of these Hs 129 B-3 aircraft were produced to see action relatively late in the war. Production of the type peaked in 1943 and finished in September 1944 alongside Nazi Germany's declining military position, although use of the HS 129 continued into the closing months of the conflict.