Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Dear all

Following on from Part One, which was very well received, Air War Publications is very happy to announce the release of Part Two of Morten’s Henschel 123 eArticle. This part takes the story from September 1939 through to the end of the Hs 123’s wartime service, in January 1945 on the Eastern Front. It is remarkable that this little biplane was still flying operations against the might of the Soviets as late as then, but it is testimony to just how valuable it was as a ground-attack aircraft.

The focus of Part Two is the operational history of the Hs 123, and Morten’s article features numerous first-hand accounts, painstakingly gathered over the last decade in interviews and extensive correspondence with men who flew the Henschel 123. The aircraft was operated by an entire Gruppe in Poland and France, and then by a single Staffel in the Balkans and on the Eastern Front. Due to it generally being attached to the main army support formation, VIII. Fliegerkorps, the Hs 123 was active at many of the Eastern Front hot spots between 1941 and 1943, including the advance on Moscow, Stalingrad, the Crimea, and Kursk.

The eArticle also features a taste of Morten’s impressive Hs 123 photograph collection. It contains sixteen photos, three maps, seven tables, as well as two profiles in the camouflage appendix.

Part Two of the Hs 123 eArticle is available here: Henschel 123 – Part Two

We hope you will enjoy the eArticle.

Last, but not least - Happy New Year to everyone!!

All the best from Air War Publications

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

I very much looking forwards to the book you’re working on. Guess this will whet my appetite for now !

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Hej Orwell
My next focus is the book. The second part of the article was an exercise for me to figure out what I was missing, in order to describe the operations during the Second World War. While writing the article a good amount of material was found. The second purpose is indeed - to whet your appetite :0)

I hope you will enjoy the article. Personally I think it provides a good overview of the 'Small Soldier's path from 1939 to 1945, as well as correct some of the much repeated errors over the past many years.

Have a nice weekend
Morten
Air War Publications

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

A nice article indeed. Hope the book will follow soon.

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Good evening dear Mr Jessen,

congratulations to this new publication. I've purchased my pdf as soon as I learned about it. Scrolling through the pages makes me look forward to working it through word by word.

You may have heard that Georg Brütting in "Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939-1945" (1995) wrote on page 98 that Alfred Druschel scored seven kills with the Hs 123.
We know from Johannes Mathews that Druschel's seven kills were scored on 22. and 23. June 1941.
Your publication mentions Druschel in connection with the Bf109.
Can we safely exclude that Brütting is right ?

Have a happy and successful new year 2019,

Michael

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Hi,

a small remark to 1.9.39:
Uffz. Arthur Kracht did not fire his aircraft. After being disarmed by 18-year old Polish resident he was handed over to Polish soldiers of a tank company and taken to Tybla. Then he was transported to Wielun (he was almost lynched there) his wounds were dressed and he was sent to hospital in Lodz. There at least 4 photos showing his aircraft in quite good condition with German soldiers.

Regards

Robert

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Dear Maciej, Michael and Robert
Thanks for your comments and remarks.

@ Michael; Druschel may have scored multiple Soviet aircraft in the Hs123 on 22 and 23 June 1941, but I would assume they would be aircraft on the ground. I find aerial claims to be unlikely, until confirmation from primary sources see the light of day.
He may have flown the Hs123 on occasion and on those dates, as it seemed the pilots could be "borrowed" by some of the other Staffeln. On the other hand, as a Staffel leader I would expect him to fly and lead his Bf 109 unit into battle. What is the source of Johannes Mathews information?

@Robert; Thanks for your input. Could it be possible that he tried to set the cockpit on fire, but did not succeed? Although, the head rest looks pretty clean and undamaged on the photos I have.

For further updates about both the Hs 123 book project and Andrew's Air War Courland book project, please either subscribe to our newsletter or visit our blog once in a while.

Cheers
Morten

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Hi Morten,

he had had no time because almost after force-landing he was "captured" by this young boy. According to the doctor, who dressed his wounds his hand was almost shot away so the pain must be very big so I don`t expect that he was thinking about his plane.

Regards

Robert

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

... good point :0)

Cheers
Morten

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Good evening dear Morten,

I'm happy that you don't exclude that Druschel flew a Hs123 on these days because the possibility of a Hs123 ace is so much more appealing than another Bf109 ace.
Johannes Mathews has written this gigantic opus with John Foreman:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Luftwaffe-A.../dp/1906592187
They used primary sources, principally the listings on microfilms discovered at Bundesarchiv Militararchiv in Germany and various unit war diaries.
I think the data provided in these volume is the best ever offered.

Have a good start into a successful new week,

Michael

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Morten,

As far as I am aware Druschel's 5 kills on 21 June 1941 were in the air and in a Bf 109 E.

Russell

Keep up the good work, and encourage Andrew to finish Courland as well.

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Hi Russell,

This year should see a lot more progress than previous years!

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Good evening Russell,

do you have this info from the flight log ?

Best greetings from Brandenburg, Germany,

Michael

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Good morning Morten,

I still hope to find evidence for Druschel having scored seven Hs 123 kills. I cross-checked your Henschel Hs 123 Part two article with Jon Guttman's Luftwaffe Schlachtgruppen and the assessments of the forum members I asked. Gloomily, it rather looks as if his unit flew Bf 109's at the beginning of Barbarossa. In your article (version 1.1) Druschel is indicated as Staffelkapitän of 6./LG2 then. Is that true ? I though he led 4./LG2.

Best greetings and wishes from Switzerland, sincerely,

Michael

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Hi Michael,

Morten rarely visits the forum, so I'll reply on his behalf. All of II.(S)/Lehrgeschwader 2 was equipped with the Bf 109 at the beginning of Barbarossa, so Druschel's claims were definitely made in a Bf 109. He was not serving with the Hs 123-equipped 10. Staffel.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

Re: Part Two of Hs 123 eArticle available
 

Hi Andrew,

thanks for your answer and assessment.
It fascinates me that a biplane soldiered on for so long in the thickest thick of action.
It would be very intrigueing to provide Håkan Gustavsson's WW2 biplane aces website with a real Hs 123 ace.
In this 1976 book
https://www.amazon.de/Das-waren-deut...s%2C113&sr=8-2
Georg Brütting, a former WW2 war correspondent
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Br%C3%BCtting
indicates that Druschel has scored his seven kills in a Hs 123. I wish I knew if Brütting just erroneously believed Druschel's Staffel to have been equipped with the Hs 123 during the first days of Barbarossa or if he knew something that we don't know, e.g. that Druschel had borrowed a Hs 123 from 10. Staffel...

I wish you a good start into the new week,

Michael