World War 2 In Review No. 56: Heinkel He 111

By Merriam Press

Merriam Press World War 2 In Review. The following articles on the German Heinkel He 111 bomber of World War II are in this issue: (1) German Heinkel He 111 Medium Bomber (2) Flying the Heinkel He 111. Perhaps the best-recognized German bomber due to the distinctive, extensively glazed “greenhouse” nose of later versions, the Heinkel He 111 was the most numerous Luftwaffe bomber during the early stages of World War II. The He 111 was used in a variety of roles on every front in the European theatre. It was used as a strategic bomber during the Battle of Britain, a torpedo bomber in the Atlantic and Arctic, and a medium bomber and a transport aircraft on the Western, Eastern, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African Front theatres. 253 B&W/color photos/illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780359280391

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World War 2 In Review No. 56: Heinkel He 111

World War 2 In Review No. 56: Heinkel He 111

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Hoosick Falls, New York

2018

First eBook Edition

Copyright © 2018 by Merriam Press

Additional material copyright of named contributors.

All rights reserved.

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The views expressed are solely those of the author.

ISBN 978-0-359-28039-1

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Mission Statement

This series presents articles and pictorials on topics covering many aspects of World War 2. In addition to new articles and pictorials on topics not previously covered, future volumes may include additional material on the subjects covered in this volume. The volumes in this series will comprise a single source for innumerable articles and tens of thousands of images of interest to anyone interested in the history and study of World War 2. While no doubt some of these images and other materials could be found online, countless hours could be spent searching thousands of web sites to find at least some of this material.

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These photos are seventy-plus years old, were taken under less than ideal conditions, and some were taken by individuals who were neither professional photographers nor using professional equipment. Thus, the quality of the original image may be less than perfect. While Merriam Press tries to obtain the best quality images possible, the quality of the images in this publication will no doubt vary greatly.

This series of publications utilizes the editor’s collection of tens of thousands of photographs and other illustrative material acquired since 1968. Hundreds of sources over the years have been searched for material on every subject.

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Merriam Press welcomes any contributions of photographs

of this or any subject for future volumes in this series.

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Welcome to No. 56 of the World War 2 In Review Series

The following articles on the Heinkel He 111 are in this issue of World War 2 In Review:

(1) German Heinkel He 111 Medium Bomber

(2) Flying the Heinkel He 111

with 253 B&W and color photographs, maps and illustrations.

Watch for future issues of this series with more articles on the history of World War II.

German Heinkel He 111 Medium Bomber

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Heinkel He 111 A1+BT, Kampfgeschwader 53 (KG 53), September 1940.

The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development it was described as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany after the First World War prohibiting bombers, it masqueraded as a civil airliner, although from conception the design was intended to provide the nascent Luftwaffe with a fast medium bomber.

Perhaps the best-recognized German bomber due to the distinctive, extensively glazed greenhouse nose of later versions, the Heinkel He 111 was the most numerous Luftwaffe bomber during the early stages of World War II. The bomber fared well until the Battle of Britain, when its weak defensive armament was exposed. Nevertheless, it proved capable of sustaining heavy damage and remaining airborne. As the war progressed, the He 111 was used in a variety of roles on every front in the European theatre. It was used as a strategic bomber during the Battle of Britain, a torpedo bomber in the Atlantic and Arctic, and a medium bomber and a transport aircraft on the Western, Eastern, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African Front theatres.

The He 111 was constantly upgraded and modified, but became obsolete during the latter part of the war. The German Bomber B project was not realized, which forced the Luftwaffe to continue operating the He 111 in combat roles until the end of the war. Manufacture of the He 111 ceased in September 1944, at which point piston-engine bomber production was largely halted in favor of fighter aircraft. With the German bomber force virtually defunct, the He 111 was used for logistics.

Production of the Heinkel continued after the war as the Spanish-built CASA 2.111. Spain received a batch of He 111H-16s in 1943 along with an agreement to licence-build Spanish versions. Its airframe was produced in Spain under licence by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA. The design differed significantly in powerplant only, eventually being equipped with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. The Heinkel’s descendant continued in service until 1973.

After its defeat in World War I, Germany was banned from operating an air force by the Treaty of Versailles. German re-armament began earnestly in the 1930s and was initially kept secret because it violated the treaty. The early development of military bombers was disguised as a development program for civilian transport aircraft.

Among the designers seeking to benefit from German re-armament was Ernst Heinkel. Heinkel decided to create the world’s fastest passenger aircraft, a goal met with skepticism by Germany’s aircraft industry and political leadership. Heinkel entrusted development to Siegfried and Walter Günter, both fairly new to the company and untested.

In June 1933 Albert Kesselring visited Heinkel’s offices. Kesselring was head of the Luftwaffe Administration Office: at that point Germany did not have a State Aviation Ministry but only an aviation commissariat, the Luftfahrtkommissariat. Kesselring was hoping to build a new air force out of the Flying Corps being constructed in the Reichswehr, and required modern aircraft. Kesselring convinced Heinkel to move his factory from Warnemünde to Rostock — with its factory airfield in the coastal Marienehe region of Rostock (today Rostock-Schmarl) and bring in mass production, with a force of 3,000 employees. Heinkel began work on the new design, which garnered urgency as the American Lockheed 12, Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2 began to appear.

Features of the He 111 were apparent in the Heinkel He 70. The first single-engined He 70 Blitz (Lightning) rolled