@@s_e-LBR OH I get it. 2nd place guy at air superiority doesn't get to go home. It's just... I mean... it was 42 years from Kittyhawk to the Trinity test. Forty- two years ago Michael Jackson released Thriller and Argentina borrowed the Falklands for a couple weeks
@@danweyant4909 i mean it wasnt ALL war that entire period, but i could imagine the couple of wars in that time sped up development of aircraft by alot
The 30's biplanes were, in my eye, some of the most beautiful planes ever made. They just seemed "right." The compactness and the look of the engine fairings just looks good.
Airplanes from the 1930s are some of the most beautiful airplanes ever designed, just a marvelous blend of form, function, and Art Deco design. The 1930s haven't been called "The Golden Age of Aviation" for nothing.
As a maritime historian, it seems to me that biplanes are to aviation as tall ships are to naval architecture. After their short period of dominance, they ceded to new technology that was much more effective and efficient and devoid of their soul.
I guess they were pretty much the pinnacle of the design and monoplanes were the natural next step. They, of course, were designed by eye and slide rule, rather than wind tunnel and computer, so the 'If it looks right, it is right' notion applied.
My Grandfather stated the Hs123 was the original aircraft for the inception of the Sturzkampfgeschwader model as well as the He70 Blitz while he was with I./St.G.165 in Kitzingen in 1936. The He70 Blitz was quickly dropped out of service due to performance was not up to par with the tactical needs which were probably the steep dives. He felt Hubertus Hitschold who pioneered several facets of the dives and tactical assembly used the Hs123 as the test platform. It may even been Hitschold who was commanding St.G 2 by 1939 that had my Grandfather transferred from St.G 77 to St.G2 for a few weeks during the invasion of Poland.
@@derekbowbrick6233 Thanks...... with his respect for Hubertus Hitschold, he greatly felt Günter Schwartzkopff was the father of the Stukas. He and others very much disliked Oskar Dinort (Iron Oskar) for being a harsh martinet to everyone. I was lucky to have the inkling to have my Grandfather write out our his memoir a few months before he died in 1985. An early 1914 birth year I felt he did not have much time left with several strokes and the final looming. Once he got word about my interest in his story he got the typewriter out and typed it out with one finger and one eyeglass missing from his eyeglass frames. Hunt and peck. It is abbreviated memoir as he probably could have produced something remarkable about the forming of the early prewar Sturzkampfgeschwader's tech issues and modifications and his time being volunteered as a cargo specialist during the airlift in Stalingrad. By all odds on the gambit, he should not have have survived Stalingrad and disappeared without a trace.
Sorry, but the He70 'B;itz' was never used as a dive bomber. It was originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft and mail carrier, carrying 4 passengers and the pilot in 1934 for DLH. It was incorporated into the LW as a reconnaissance and communication aircraft and served in the Condor Legion in Spain. During the war it served with the LW as a liaison and was sold to other airforces, including the Hungarians. You are probably mising it with the He50, which was developed as a biplane dive bomber, not adopted by the LW but sold to the Japanese navy amongst other foreign forces. The rivals to the JU87 in the 1936 LW stuka evaluation were the He118, Ar82 and Ha137. The Hs123 was developed prior to the 1936 competition as an interim solution pending the result of the 1936 evaluations, but was adopted due to it's need and design.
Sir may I suggest you rewrite your Honored grandfathers memoirs as an account of the time that others and posterity might share. It's clear you have both the interest and the sensitivity to interpret his story, and make it part of larger history. These firsthand accounts are rare and should be preserved, both for the story they tell and the wisdom inherent in the telling.
@@MightyHuzarion For short-field operations it's hard to beat biplanes and the extra lift you get from two wings. Those AN-2's hung around for so long for some good reasons.
I have a book about both the history of the Luftwaffe and the aircraft. Includes most of the planes they used, and some of the prototypes. I knew of the Hs 123, but it's been a while, so I could only remember it was a Henschel.
Stuka pilots called the radiator the "bullet magnet" One pilot told me that the Soviet tactic of mass infantry fire was always going to get the radiator. He was always hoping that after he got a hole in his radiator, that he was close enough to German lines to get home before the engine seized.
The Ju87 and Hs123 were for different roles. Akin to artillery and mortars. The Ju87 would be tasked for missions against specific targets by a higher level whilst the Hs123 was locally tasked by regimental level units for individual small targets. When properly used the two complemented each other. The key to Ju87 success was Intelligence derived targeting whilst the Hs123 key was ground troop marking and wanted ground air radio contact. The HS123 was less of an interim dive bomber but rather came in as an examination of the ground attack role on the Great War schlact model. The Ju87 was vulnerable in the dive and had to begin quite high up to do it’s accurate task whilst the Hs 123 relied upon keeping at low level to reduce the warning and time for the enemy to react. At ground level a difficult target to notice and acquire. In effect the Stuka was the counterpart to modern mobile heavy artillery in striking accurately at a distance whilst the Hs123 was the period attack helicopter. Not entirely unlike the way the Swordfish was the counterpart to the modern ASW Helicopter.
In Italian service, the Fiat CR-42 "Falco" flew against France, Britain, Greece, and operated in North Africa. The "Falco" was also used by the air forces of Hungary, Sweeden, and Belgium. Hungary used the "Falco" in the ground attack role, against Stalin's USSR, during 1941.
Being a scale modeller I knew of the aircraft (Airfix has an old, but still reasonably good kit in 1/72 scale) but I didn't know it was such a good and rugged aircraft. Great video, very informative.. :) As for other biplanes shown in this video, the Swedish Air Force also operated the Fiat CR.42 Falco, between 1940 - 1945, designating it the J11. The Italians were one of very few willing to supply aircraft to Sweden during WWII, when others refused. Hence Swedens decision to develop it's own fighters post war, resulting in some of the best jet fighters made (J29 Tunnan, J35 Draken, J37 Viggen) and continuing even today with the JAS-39 Gripen.
Do not forget that Sweden did make J22 during the war, a a mediocre fighter plane, J21 a excellent fighter that was not delivered in number before the war ended.
Yes, I'm well aware of the J22, the fastest fighter in the world, allegedly, for its engine size. At certain conditions it even outperformed the P-51 Mustang, apparently. A beautiful little fighter, but no doubt it would not have lasted long in a hot situation of actual war. Still, better than nothing.. @@kirgan1000
The Swordfish wasn't used for so long because it was that good, but because the RN just didn't have anything else. It's initial replacements didn't even offer anything better in performance because the Fleet Air Arm was bottom last in priorities in getting new aircraft. Luckily for the RN the USN was not dead last in priorities and the new Corsairs, Avengers and Hellcats saw extensive service with the RN in the latter half of the war. The Swordfish low landing speed did make it very useful for small escort carriers in the battle of the Atlantic.
Indeed, it is very fortunate for the Royal Navy that it didn't face the full might of the Imperial Japanese Navy's modern carrier forces early in the Pacific War. It is one thing to catch lone German ships with limited AA weaponry or Italian ships at anchor and quite another to face entire fleets with coordinated AA and CAP.
My previous reply seems to have gone missing. In summary the Swordfish was in terms of tonnage sunk in WW2 a class leader. From early in the war Swordfish were equipped with radar and the RN owned the night. Taranto was a night action remember.
The plane was only 3 years old when war broke out in 1939. And it had decent avionics for a 1936 aircraft. Every task asked of the plane it accomplished. Can't ask much more than that.
@@genericpersonx333 When the IJN and the RN were operating off Ceylon early in the war Somerville was endeavouring to meet them in a night action. RN radar and gunnery from ships like Warspite would have caused great damage on the back of torpedo strikes. The Japanese didn't have the night air capability and their radar capability was not as good. So your comments about CAP are a bit off the mark. Plus the RN carriers had armoured decks. Have a read up about the British Pacific Fleet later in the war.
The HS 123 shown at 5:41 and 5:58, and other times throughout has the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen (Infantry Assault Badge) painted on the right engine cowling. One can assume this nose art demonstrates the pilot's relationship with- and belief that his role is support of the infantryman or front-line ground soldier. Much like the USMC pilots wearing camo covers on their flight helmets. Great video Dr. Felton.
Thank you for all of your great content all these years. Always the highest quality, informative and entertaining. In the 60s, I had many models of aeroplanes from history dangling from my bedroom ceiling. I even made a Hindenburg model with my own materials.
Mr. Felton, if you ever travel to the US, particularly the state of Michigan, I humbly recommend visiting the Kalamazoo Air and Space Museum while you're there. (It is referred to as the "Air Zoo" for short). It isn't the largest or most famous museum in the United States but it is laid out rather well with quite the collection of historically significant aircraft and spacecraft.
He could make trip out of it and fly into Chicago. See U-505 at the museum of science and industry. Take the Amtrack Wolverine to Kalamazoo and visit the Air Zoo. Hop back on the train to Dearborn, MI rent a car and visit the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village and Yankee air museum at Willow Run. Drive down I-75 to Dayton, OH and visit the Air Force Museum. Then depart back home from Cincinnati, OH.
I've always been fascinated by the exploits of Hans Ulrich Rudel, who would not give up on the ''obsolete'' JU87 and repurposed it as a ground attack aircraft with legendary results.
I never thought that German biplanes were flying on the Eastern Front battlefields. Mark, it would be interesting to research and make a video about pre-dreadnought and dreadnought ship's service in WW2.
The only pre-dreadnought era ship I'm aware of that fought in WW2 was the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein, one of the few, if not the only battleship the German Navy was allowed to keep after WW1. There's famous film footage of the S-H shelling shore targets during the invasion of Poland in 1939.
Another example of Mark Felton’s superb research and presentation! A subject so obscure that when revealed almost seems like an alternative history of WWII is being presented. So well done! ❤
Nice to see the Henschel Hs 123 receiving some recognition. It's an aircraft I've known about since building the Airfix kit as a kid (I spied the great Roy Cross artwork for that kit in your video). Those models were quite educational.
North Korea used Polikarpov biplanes during the war of 1950-53 and being mainly cloth and wood radar waves went through them and they couldn't be detected, in a way an early "stealth" plane. High performance US planes had trouble flying slow enough to engage them without stalling. In 1967 two North Vietnamese Soviet made biplanes were shot down by US Navy Phantom jets of squadron VF114 operating from the USS Kitty Hawk, aircraft carrier, in what must have been the most unusual air combat of the 20th century.
Even more unusual was how during the Korean war a north korean PO-2 biplane was credited with a jet kill, as an american F-94 starfire slowed down to intercept it, stalled and crashed.
That is not quite true about the radar. 1950s Radars, especially American designs, generally could detect even small birds with surprising efficiency. it is more the biplanes were usually smaller airframes that flew low and slow by default, so they were under most radar systems and/or radar operators failed to recognize the biplanes because they were looking for faster and bigger contacts. The biplanes were not "literally" invisible, but less visible and acting different than "normal planes" so they were often misidentified by radar operators. Now, cool fact, that is the principle behind ACTUAL stealth planes like the F117, which is not INVISIBLE to radar, but has such a small radar cross-section that it is only seen as a bird-sized object by most radars, so most radar operators ignore them. It is not about being invisible, but not being paid attention to. However, F117s and B2s have been "seen" by smart operators who noticed a "bird" moving above Mach 1 on straight paths, leading them to question if that "bird" was actually a bird.
Another excellent episode. I thank you for your efforts and time to bring to light all this wonderful information and many times about near forgotten stories and happenings. Kudos to
Once again, Dr. Felton has done an outstanding job of recreating WW2 history. You know, the big debate is which piston - driven fighter was the fastest and I believe, technically, that it was the Dornier - 335 twin propellered plane. Anyway ,I just wanted to thank Dr. Felton for a job well done 😂
Once again Dr. Felton you bring something into the limelight that most of us pseudo WW2 historians had no knowledge of Thank You. The pilots flying in an open cockpit in that Russian cold is an amazing feat.
Biplanes were still remarkably maneuverable compared to monoplanes of the time. Trying to attack them at low altitudes was very difficult. You're not going to be able to catch them in a turn. Granted, that kind of defense requires a very skilled pilot. But at the beginning of the war, you're going to have a lot of experienced biplane pilots.
The only real advantage a monoplane of the time had over a biplane was speed. Of course by WW2 for most aerial combat speed was the name of the game, a few extra knots could mean the difference between life and death.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Monoplanes could carry heavier armament. Although not every nation exploited this fact to save on cost and weight until war experiences showed it was necessary to upgrade. In addition, the superior speed of Monoplanes meant that diving or 'boom and zoom' tactics by Monoplanes could prove deadly against the much slower Biplanes.
@@madgavin7568 Right. "Boom and zoom" also proved effective in monoplane vs. monoplane combat, it was the tactic used by the Flying Tigers in their P-40's against the Japanese Zero.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 That is true yes. It was an effective tactic in monoplane vs monoplane fights but in biplane vs monoplane fights, deadly to the slower biplanes.
A more recent analogue to this aircraft is the Douglas AD or A-1 Skyraider, which saw its production restarted late in the Korean War because it was so useful, and later found itself serving in Vietnam at the same time as both its intended replacement (the A-4) and that aircraft’s replacement (the A-7).
The story goes, when diving down for strafing vehicle convoys the propeller could reach such high rpm that the blade-tips produce sonic bangs like machine-gun fire. Which would cause the convoy to break up in confusion to avoid bullets that weren't even shot. Don't know if that's a true story, but I remember having read about in some WWII book...
I am no historian but I thought I had heard of, and read about, most Ww2 aircraft. The Hs 123 is a new one on me! Tough bird. Cant wait to research it. Those pilots flying open cockpit during a Russian winter must of been miserable. Thanks for the presentation Mark
The Japanese were paying attention when the British Swordfishes attacked those warships in Italy. It was the beginning of the development of the torpedoes that could be used for attacks in shallower water like at Pearl Harbor.
You are correct. Adolf Galland also flew the HE-51 biplane fighter against the Spanish Marxists. Of course, he finished WW-II flying the ME-262 jet fighter. I met General Galland at an aviation event in 1991, in San Jose, CA. He signed my copy of his book "The First and the Last". The RAF ace J.E. Johnson was also there. The event was sponsored by "Virginia Bader Fine Arts" Virginia Bader, herself, was a cousin to the RAF ace Douglas Bader. A good book about General Galland is "Adolf Galland", by David Baker
@@Thorr-kl6jl, I was a long time pen pal of Galland. He signed quite a number of photos for me, including a large original photo of an Hs 123. J. E. Johnson, I met a few times. First time was in Toronto when he attended a Canadian Fighter Pilots Assn. reunion in 1986. He invited me up to his hotel room and we chatted for about half an hour. He gave me an 8X10 signed photo of self sitting in his Spit. His son lived in Georgetown, Ontario, a few miles from Toronto.
Steve, that's great! At the 1991 event that I attended, J.E. Johnson signed my copy of his book "Wing Leader". In 1998, I met U-Boat "ace", and later Rear Admiral, Erich Topp. He signed my copy of his book "The Odyssey of a U-Boat Commander".@@stevemartin6144
I remember this aeroplane because in the early 70's I got a few years of, free, Airfix plastic model catalogues. The paintings by Roy Cross fuelled both my interest and imagination. The Airfix illustration you used made me learn about the He 123; and then about the Spanish Civil War.
The Hs 123, along with the He 45, He 46, He 50, and He 51, actually served with distinction as a night harassment bomber in a role similar to the Polikarpov Po-2 on the Eastern Front.
Thanks for the information on this rare fighter. Would you consider a story/ video on the battles that took place in Eastern Africa between Italian and allied forces. It's a theatre of the war that could be interesting to highlight again. Both sides also used biplanes in most of the battles.
It was a wonderful video about double wings HS 123 stuka utilized by Luftwafa as a dive bomber during WW2. It's the first time labeled to that unique information... Thank you for sharing
The use of the "Infantry Assault badge" emblem on the fuselage highlights the airplanes dominate role in ground support. The badge was earned by infantry for three assaults and is roughly equivalent to the US Army's CIB (combat infantry badge). I have yet to uncover if German pilots had a requirement of engagements to paint this insignia on their plane. The insignia was also used on the HS129 which was designed solely as a tank hunter.
Just guessing, but I wonder if a German infantry regiment CO sent the Henschel squadron an "Infantry Assault Badge" as a "thank you" resulting in the squadron painting the badge on their planes, even though for obvious reasons the pilots couldn't wear a badge of that type themselves? Like I said, just a guess.
That is a good guess. I have collected and studied German military awards for over fifty years. While the "crossover" wear of Wehrmacht (Luft, Army, Navy, WSS) decoration is found on the rare occasion. The regulations for the award of the badges were quite strict. I have never found an account or documentation of how this iconic badge was authorized by those units. Your guess sounds correct as local commanders had a big say in "unofficial" stuff. Also, it seems to be on all the planes, so not just reflecting the pilot's awards. In general Knights Cross holders would paint that decoration on their tail, but only if they had won it.
Such an interesting YT channel, thank you Dr Felton. Perhaps interesting would be the Cold War dogfights between Soviet Block pilots and USAF fighters. I think there was one over what is now the Czech Rep in the 80s.
Mister Felton, your talent and the hight quality of your texts and images deserve a better microphone. Please, think about this. And congratulations for your splendid work
I knew of Hs-123 from a aircraft book I bought at K-mart as a teenager. They had drawings and about a paragraph or two on the planes. Never knew the extent of it’s actual combat service though. It actually was a nice looking aircraft. Thanks.
I am a lifelong bipane pilot, and I am very familiar with their flying characteristics. Consequently, I very much enjoyed this video. One suggestion I would like to make is with regard to biplane fighters still in use during WWII. I understand that a few may have scored shootdowns during combat during that period. An episode discussing the combat record of biplane fighters during WWII could be interesting.
Wow! Thanks for bringing this obscure plane to light. I don't recall ever hearing about it before. Would be something if a wreck could be discovered one day.
Open cockpit. Eastern Front. Winter. Three phrases a pilot didn't want to hear together.
Yes, the famous night witches, all female crews, and groundstaff too
Winter isn’t a phrase…
well men were built deferent back then
@@Mrtweet81 🤓
I will never not find it wild how WWII opened with biplanes and ended with the advent of jets.
The brief span between the Wright Brothers and Atomic bomb just amazes me. Yes, it is astonishing
@@danweyant4909 guess thats what happens when you're in a war and you needa develop sht quickly...
@@s_e-LBR OH I get it. 2nd place guy at air superiority doesn't get to go home. It's just... I mean... it was 42 years from Kittyhawk to the Trinity test. Forty- two years ago Michael Jackson released Thriller and Argentina borrowed the Falklands for a couple weeks
@@danweyant4909 i mean it wasnt ALL war that entire period, but i could imagine the couple of wars in that time sped up development of aircraft by alot
How about 6 years between the panzer I and the panzer VI King Tiger?
The 30's biplanes were, in my eye, some of the most beautiful planes ever made. They just seemed "right." The compactness and the look of the engine fairings just looks good.
Airplanes from the 1930s are some of the most beautiful airplanes ever designed, just a marvelous blend of form, function, and Art Deco design.
The 1930s haven't been called "The Golden Age of Aviation" for nothing.
As a maritime historian, it seems to me that biplanes are to aviation as tall ships are to naval architecture. After their short period of dominance, they ceded to new technology that was much more effective and efficient and devoid of their soul.
@@RobMacKendrick great way to put it.
@@RobMacKendrick Very poetic! I like that!
I guess they were pretty much the pinnacle of the design and monoplanes were the natural next step. They, of course, were designed by eye and slide rule, rather than wind tunnel and computer, so the 'If it looks right, it is right' notion applied.
My Grandfather stated the Hs123 was the original aircraft for the inception of the Sturzkampfgeschwader model as well as the He70 Blitz while he was with I./St.G.165 in Kitzingen in 1936. The He70 Blitz was quickly dropped out of service due to performance was not up to par with the tactical needs which were probably the steep dives.
He felt Hubertus Hitschold who pioneered several facets of the dives and tactical assembly used the Hs123 as the test platform.
It may even been Hitschold who was commanding St.G 2 by 1939 that had my Grandfather transferred from St.G 77 to St.G2 for a few weeks during the invasion of Poland.
I like to hear stories like this, they are unique and a nice change of pace compared to the usual I like this. Thank-you
@@derekbowbrick6233 Thanks...... with his respect for Hubertus Hitschold, he greatly felt Günter Schwartzkopff was the father of the Stukas. He and others very much disliked Oskar Dinort (Iron Oskar) for being a harsh martinet to everyone.
I was lucky to have the inkling to have my Grandfather write out our his memoir a few months before he died in 1985. An early 1914 birth year I felt he did not have much time left with several strokes and the final looming. Once he got word about my interest in his story he got the typewriter out and typed it out with one finger and one eyeglass missing from his eyeglass frames. Hunt and peck.
It is abbreviated memoir as he probably could have produced something remarkable about the forming of the early prewar Sturzkampfgeschwader's tech issues and modifications and his time being volunteered as a cargo specialist during the airlift in Stalingrad. By all odds on the gambit, he should not have have survived Stalingrad and disappeared without a trace.
@@ericscottstevensyou should find some way to publish/share his story. It would be very unique to say the least.
Sorry, but the He70 'B;itz' was never used as a dive bomber. It was originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft and mail carrier, carrying 4 passengers and the pilot in 1934 for DLH. It was incorporated into the LW as a reconnaissance and communication aircraft and served in the Condor Legion in Spain. During the war it served with the LW as a liaison and was sold to other airforces, including the Hungarians. You are probably mising it with the He50, which was developed as a biplane dive bomber, not adopted by the LW but sold to the Japanese navy amongst other foreign forces. The rivals to the JU87 in the 1936 LW stuka evaluation were the He118, Ar82 and Ha137. The Hs123 was developed prior to the 1936 competition as an interim solution pending the result of the 1936 evaluations, but was adopted due to it's need and design.
Sir may I suggest you rewrite your Honored grandfathers memoirs as an account of the time that others and posterity might share. It's clear you have both the interest and the sensitivity to interpret his story, and make it part of larger history. These firsthand accounts are rare and should be preserved, both for the story they tell and the wisdom inherent in the telling.
I always love seeing biplanes at airshows. Thanks for this enlightening piece on their continued use in ww2. I'd never heard of the Hs123.
@@MightyHuzarion For short-field operations it's hard to beat biplanes and the extra lift you get from two wings. Those AN-2's hung around for so long for some good reasons.
I have a book about both the history of the Luftwaffe and the aircraft. Includes most of the planes they used, and some of the prototypes. I knew of the Hs 123, but it's been a while, so I could only remember it was a Henschel.
Hungary used An-2 and I guess you may find them in agricultural services also even today.@@MightyHuzarion
"Old designs still prove useful": the B-52.
Never heard of the Hs 123: yet another Dr. Felton gem.
Healthcare is pretty useful too
The Henschel 123 is a gorgeous craft indeed.
Thank you Dr Felton!
I fully concur, one of my absolute favorites. Thank you, Dr Felton, once again!
Stuka pilots called the radiator the "bullet magnet" One pilot told me that the Soviet tactic of mass infantry fire was always going to get the radiator. He was always hoping that after he got a hole in his radiator, that he was close enough to German lines to get home before the engine seized.
The Ju87 and Hs123 were for different roles. Akin to artillery and mortars. The Ju87 would be tasked for missions against specific targets by a higher level whilst the Hs123 was locally tasked by regimental level units for individual small targets. When properly used the two complemented each other. The key to Ju87 success was Intelligence derived targeting whilst the Hs123 key was ground troop marking and wanted ground air radio contact. The HS123 was less of an interim dive bomber but rather came in as an examination of the ground attack role on the Great War schlact model. The Ju87 was vulnerable in the dive and had to begin quite high up to do it’s accurate task whilst the Hs 123 relied upon keeping at low level to reduce the warning and time for the enemy to react. At ground level a difficult target to notice and acquire. In effect the Stuka was the counterpart to modern mobile heavy artillery in striking accurately at a distance whilst the Hs123 was the period attack helicopter. Not entirely unlike the way the Swordfish was the counterpart to the modern ASW Helicopter.
Would it be safe to conclude that the Hs 123's true successor in its role was actually the Hs 129 and not the Ju 87?
@@madgavin7568 No, one is a dive bomber, the other a ground attack plane.
Fascinating little known anecdote of history. Thank you.
LETS GO NEW MARK FELTON VIDEOOOOO
It's an old 1
the Fiat Falco also had an impressive record in Belgian service, non lost to air combat against 7 kills, including 2BF109's!
In Italian service, the Fiat CR-42 "Falco" flew against France, Britain, Greece, and operated in North Africa. The "Falco" was also used by the air forces of Hungary, Sweeden, and Belgium. Hungary used the "Falco" in the ground attack role, against Stalin's USSR, during 1941.
Being a scale modeller I knew of the aircraft (Airfix has an old, but still reasonably good kit in 1/72 scale) but I didn't know it was such a good and rugged aircraft. Great video, very informative.. :) As for other biplanes shown in this video, the Swedish Air Force also operated the Fiat CR.42 Falco, between 1940 - 1945, designating it the J11. The Italians were one of very few willing to supply aircraft to Sweden during WWII, when others refused. Hence Swedens decision to develop it's own fighters post war, resulting in some of the best jet fighters made (J29 Tunnan, J35 Draken, J37 Viggen) and continuing even today with the JAS-39 Gripen.
Do not forget that Sweden did make J22 during the war, a a mediocre fighter plane, J21 a excellent fighter that was not delivered in number before the war ended.
Yes, I'm well aware of the J22, the fastest fighter in the world, allegedly, for its engine size. At certain conditions it even outperformed the P-51 Mustang, apparently. A beautiful little fighter, but no doubt it would not have lasted long in a hot situation of actual war. Still, better than nothing.. @@kirgan1000
The Swordfish wasn't used for so long because it was that good, but because the RN just didn't have anything else. It's initial replacements didn't even offer anything better in performance because the Fleet Air Arm was bottom last in priorities in getting new aircraft. Luckily for the RN the USN was not dead last in priorities and the new Corsairs, Avengers and Hellcats saw extensive service with the RN in the latter half of the war. The Swordfish low landing speed did make it very useful for small escort carriers in the battle of the Atlantic.
Indeed, it is very fortunate for the Royal Navy that it didn't face the full might of the Imperial Japanese Navy's modern carrier forces early in the Pacific War. It is one thing to catch lone German ships with limited AA weaponry or Italian ships at anchor and quite another to face entire fleets with coordinated AA and CAP.
My previous reply seems to have gone missing. In summary the Swordfish was in terms of tonnage sunk in WW2 a class leader. From early in the war Swordfish were equipped with radar and the RN owned the night. Taranto was a night action remember.
The plane was only 3 years old when war broke out in 1939. And it had decent avionics for a 1936 aircraft. Every task asked of the plane it accomplished. Can't ask much more than that.
@@genericpersonx333 When the IJN and the RN were operating off Ceylon early in the war Somerville was endeavouring to meet them in a night action.
RN radar and gunnery from ships like Warspite would have caused great damage on the back of torpedo strikes.
The Japanese didn't have the night air capability and their radar capability was not as good. So your comments about CAP are a bit off the mark.
Plus the RN carriers had armoured decks. Have a read up about the British Pacific Fleet later in the war.
@adenosine2electricboogaloo647I mean they had to bomb the Tirpitz like 5+ different times
The HS 123 shown at 5:41 and 5:58, and other times throughout has the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen (Infantry Assault Badge) painted on the right engine cowling. One can assume this nose art demonstrates the pilot's relationship with- and belief that his role is support of the infantryman or front-line ground soldier. Much like the USMC pilots wearing camo covers on their flight helmets. Great video Dr. Felton.
A nice easy 1/72 scale Airfix kit of it that’s been around for decades. Loved the inclusion of the Roy Cross artwork in your video!
I have the Italiari 1:48th scale model, one of my favourites.
THAT model is in the 1936 chapter of "Luftwaffe Commander", the game from 1999. The intro TO that game is on my channel.
Thank you for all of your great content all these years. Always the highest quality, informative and entertaining.
In the 60s, I had many models of aeroplanes from history dangling from my bedroom ceiling. I even made a Hindenburg model with my own materials.
Mr. Felton, if you ever travel to the US, particularly the state of Michigan, I humbly recommend visiting the Kalamazoo Air and Space Museum while you're there. (It is referred to as the "Air Zoo" for short). It isn't the largest or most famous museum in the United States but it is laid out rather well with quite the collection of historically significant aircraft and spacecraft.
He could make trip out of it and fly into Chicago. See U-505 at the museum of science and industry. Take the Amtrack Wolverine to Kalamazoo and visit the Air Zoo. Hop back on the train to Dearborn, MI rent a car and visit the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village and Yankee air museum at Willow Run. Drive down I-75 to Dayton, OH and visit the Air Force Museum. Then depart back home from Cincinnati, OH.
@@Alex-ib4np In addition to the U-505 the museum also has Ju 87 R-2/Trop. Werk Nr. 5954, in its transportation gallery.
And a gorgeous trip up the shores of Lake Michigan to Muskegon to see LST 393 and the submarine USS Silversides submarine museum.
..and finally finishing the trip off with a visit to the famous Deja Vu Showgirls stripclub in Chicago...
I would also recommend the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. It's free & you can see the only XB-70 to still exist.
I've always been fascinated by the exploits of Hans Ulrich Rudel, who would not give up on the ''obsolete'' JU87 and repurposed it as a ground attack aircraft with legendary results.
He also got a special knights cross made just for him and awarded to no one else
@@MangoTroubles-007 Right, the Knights Cross with GOLDEN Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
Soviet tank crews feared the JU-87.
Did you read his book?
Was there a reason why he didn't switch to the Hs 129?
Thanks! (My signet ring from my Master's degree program is still stinging from the "pour" spelling last week.) ☺
I never thought that German biplanes were flying on the Eastern Front battlefields. Mark, it would be interesting to research and make a video about pre-dreadnought and dreadnought ship's service in WW2.
I think Drachinifel would probably have made a video about such ships.
There was a group of soviet female biplane bomber pilots.
@@Theshropshireratter, unit called the "Night Witches" for its night operations with the Po-2 biplane.
The only pre-dreadnought era ship I'm aware of that fought in WW2 was the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein, one of the few, if not the only battleship the German Navy was allowed to keep after WW1.
There's famous film footage of the S-H shelling shore targets during the invasion of Poland in 1939.
@@desubtilizer Thanks! I'll have to dig out my copy of "Conway's Fighting Ships" and have look for any others.
these were tough,effective airplanes,another sterling video.Thank you,Dr Felton.
Much awaited, much appreciated looking forward to excellent insights as always from you
Another example of Mark Felton’s superb research and presentation! A subject so obscure that when revealed almost seems like an alternative history of WWII is being presented. So well done! ❤
Thanks Dr. Felton!
Nice to see the Henschel Hs 123 receiving some recognition. It's an aircraft I've known about since building the Airfix kit as a kid (I spied the great Roy Cross artwork for that kit in your video). Those models were quite educational.
One of my favorite WW2 biplanes. Thanks for the excellent video, Mr. Felton!
Thanks!
North Korea used Polikarpov biplanes during the war of 1950-53 and being mainly cloth and wood radar waves went through them and they couldn't be detected, in a way an early "stealth" plane. High performance US planes had trouble flying slow enough to engage them without stalling. In 1967 two North Vietnamese Soviet made biplanes were shot down by US Navy Phantom jets of squadron VF114 operating from the USS Kitty Hawk, aircraft carrier, in what must have been the most unusual air combat of the 20th century.
Even more unusual was how during the Korean war a north korean PO-2 biplane was credited with a jet kill, as an american F-94 starfire slowed down to intercept it, stalled and crashed.
That is not quite true about the radar. 1950s Radars, especially American designs, generally could detect even small birds with surprising efficiency.
it is more the biplanes were usually smaller airframes that flew low and slow by default, so they were under most radar systems and/or radar operators failed to recognize the biplanes because they were looking for faster and bigger contacts. The biplanes were not "literally" invisible, but less visible and acting different than "normal planes" so they were often misidentified by radar operators.
Now, cool fact, that is the principle behind ACTUAL stealth planes like the F117, which is not INVISIBLE to radar, but has such a small radar cross-section that it is only seen as a bird-sized object by most radars, so most radar operators ignore them. It is not about being invisible, but not being paid attention to.
However, F117s and B2s have been "seen" by smart operators who noticed a "bird" moving above Mach 1 on straight paths, leading them to question if that "bird" was actually a bird.
Most radars also determine speed of target to improve discrimination of small reflectors.
Awesome channel Mark!
Third actually
Thank you for your wonderful videos
I always look forward to Mark Felton Productions!
Thank you Dr Felton.
These documentaries are incredible, thank you for all your hard work!
Another excellent episode. I thank you for your efforts and time to bring to light all this wonderful information and many times about near forgotten stories and happenings. Kudos to
1,400 views IN 8 MINUTES! Dr Felton's viewers are FIERCE.
2:48 Roy Cross's fabulous artwork for the 1/72nd scale Airfix kit of the Hs.123.
Amazing content as always!
Great work as usual mark!
Once again, Dr. Felton has done an outstanding job of recreating WW2 history. You know, the big debate is which piston - driven fighter was the fastest and I believe, technically, that it was the Dornier - 335 twin propellered plane. Anyway ,I just wanted to thank Dr. Felton for a job well done 😂
Three cheers for Dr. Felton! I look forward to your podcasts, sir.
Once again Dr. Felton you bring something into the limelight that most of us pseudo WW2 historians had no knowledge of Thank You. The pilots flying in an open cockpit in that Russian cold is an amazing feat.
Airfix box art at 2:49 - lovely!
Another treasure of a lecture! Cheers, Mark!
As always brilliant, informative and perfectly presented-Thanking you but I want MORE!
That is a rare one, for sure. Interesting to see the rocker arm humps for each cylinder. Very cool.
Great video. As a student of WW2, this is news to me.
Biplanes were still remarkably maneuverable compared to monoplanes of the time. Trying to attack them at low altitudes was very difficult. You're not going to be able to catch them in a turn. Granted, that kind of defense requires a very skilled pilot. But at the beginning of the war, you're going to have a lot of experienced biplane pilots.
The only real advantage a monoplane of the time had over a biplane was speed. Of course by WW2 for most aerial combat speed was the name of the game, a few extra knots could mean the difference between life and death.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Monoplanes could carry heavier armament. Although not every nation exploited this fact to save on cost and weight until war experiences showed it was necessary to upgrade. In addition, the superior speed of Monoplanes meant that diving or 'boom and zoom' tactics by Monoplanes could prove deadly against the much slower Biplanes.
@@madgavin7568 Right. "Boom and zoom" also proved effective in monoplane vs. monoplane combat, it was the tactic used by the Flying Tigers in their P-40's against the Japanese Zero.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 That is true yes. It was an effective tactic in monoplane vs monoplane fights but in biplane vs monoplane fights, deadly to the slower biplanes.
Another great post Mark. Thank you very much.
I have a lot of respect for the 123! Thank you for covering this lesser know plane!
Another great video. Thank you, Mark Felton!
Thank you for featuring one of my favourite German WW2 aircraft.
Never thought I learn something new about WW2 but you got me here, Dr. Felton. Thanks.
A more recent analogue to this aircraft is the Douglas AD or A-1 Skyraider, which saw its production restarted late in the Korean War because it was so useful, and later found itself serving in Vietnam at the same time as both its intended replacement (the A-4) and that aircraft’s replacement (the A-7).
I love this channel because the fact that he uses iMovie to make his videos shows how quality content outstrips flashy editing any day.
Great looking plane. Thanks Mark!
The story goes, when diving down for strafing vehicle convoys the propeller could reach such high rpm that the blade-tips produce sonic bangs like machine-gun fire. Which would cause the convoy to break up in confusion to avoid bullets that weren't even shot. Don't know if that's a true story, but I remember having read about in some WWII book...
I am no historian but I thought I had heard of, and read about, most Ww2 aircraft. The Hs 123 is a new one on me! Tough bird. Cant wait to research it. Those pilots flying open cockpit during a Russian winter must of been miserable.
Thanks for the presentation Mark
The Japanese were paying attention when the British Swordfishes attacked those warships in Italy. It was the beginning of the development of the torpedoes that could be used for attacks in shallower water like at Pearl Harbor.
Every time I see a Hs 123 I always think of the vintage AIRFIX kit and the excellent box artwork! :)
Once again thanks mark.
Another gem 💎 from Dr Felton 👍
I liked the 1:48 reboxed Revell kit as your title card, Mark...
Thank you for all your content its a pleasure to watch
Always learn something new with these Videos!
I am surprised that not mentioned is that Adolf Galland piloted the Hs 123 in a ground attack role throughout the Polish Campaign in 1939.
Wow, I'd forgotten that.
You are correct. Adolf Galland also flew the HE-51 biplane fighter against the Spanish Marxists. Of course, he finished WW-II flying the ME-262 jet fighter. I met General Galland at an aviation event in 1991, in San Jose, CA. He signed my copy of his book "The First and the Last". The RAF ace J.E. Johnson was also there. The event was sponsored by "Virginia Bader Fine Arts" Virginia Bader, herself, was a cousin to the RAF ace Douglas Bader. A good book about General Galland is "Adolf Galland", by David Baker
and with the Condor Legion in Spain.
@@Thorr-kl6jl, I was a long time pen pal of Galland. He signed quite a number of photos for me, including a large original photo of an Hs 123. J. E. Johnson, I met a few times. First time was in Toronto when he attended a Canadian Fighter Pilots Assn. reunion in 1986. He invited me up to his hotel room and we chatted for about half an hour. He gave me an 8X10 signed photo of self sitting in his Spit. His son lived in Georgetown, Ontario, a few miles from Toronto.
Steve, that's great! At the 1991 event that I attended, J.E. Johnson signed my copy of his book "Wing Leader". In 1998, I met U-Boat "ace", and later Rear Admiral, Erich Topp. He signed my copy of his book "The Odyssey of a U-Boat Commander".@@stevemartin6144
Superb post Dr Felton on a little known machine that bucked the trend against cutting edge technology
Once again a really good video. Very informative. Thanks
Mark. Thanks for providing me with my Sunday night entertainment!
Now - after this very impressing report, I see the He 123 with other eyes. Really amazing!
I remember this aeroplane because in the early 70's I got a few years of, free, Airfix plastic model catalogues. The paintings by Roy Cross fuelled both my interest and imagination. The Airfix illustration you used made me learn about the He 123; and then about the Spanish Civil War.
Brilliant, as always!
The Hs 123, along with the He 45, He 46, He 50, and He 51, actually served with distinction as a night harassment bomber in a role similar to the Polikarpov Po-2 on the Eastern Front.
HeHeHeHe
Thanks for the information on this rare fighter. Would you consider a story/ video on the battles that took place in Eastern Africa between Italian and allied forces. It's a theatre of the war that could be interesting to highlight again. Both sides also used biplanes in most of the battles.
my fave plane of ww2! I'm so glad you gave it a feature Doc Mark!
Great video. Always loved Biplanes, especially the Gladiator
It was a wonderful video about double wings HS 123 stuka utilized by Luftwafa as a dive bomber during WW2. It's the first time labeled to that unique information... Thank you for sharing
Once again, Mark, you amaze and astound me with more history of which I was totally unaware!
First time I hear about this type of plane. Remarkable story! This is why I like your channel so much! :)
Awesome post. Thank you
I love being a history geek! Lol Seriously I do! Thank you for sharing and keep em coming! Great video again!
Excellent!! This was all new to me.
Always interesting and informative, thank you.
One of my favourites - I built an Aifix kit of it about 50 years ago. Many thanks for the video!
Mark makes good use of model box art with his docos.
It's a shame that no examples of this remarkable airplane exist. Has no one ever made a replica? It looks like a fun design of plane to fly.
Well surprise, surprise another interesting vid posted by Dr. Mark Felton!!!!!
The use of the "Infantry Assault badge" emblem on the fuselage highlights the airplanes dominate role in ground support. The badge was earned by infantry for three assaults and is roughly equivalent to the US Army's CIB (combat infantry badge). I have yet to uncover if German pilots had a requirement of engagements to paint this insignia on their plane. The insignia was also used on the HS129 which was designed solely as a tank hunter.
Just guessing, but I wonder if a German infantry regiment CO sent the Henschel squadron an "Infantry Assault Badge" as a "thank you" resulting in the squadron painting the badge on their planes, even though for obvious reasons the pilots couldn't wear a badge of that type themselves?
Like I said, just a guess.
That is a good guess. I have collected and studied German military awards for over fifty years. While the "crossover" wear of Wehrmacht (Luft, Army, Navy, WSS) decoration is found on the rare occasion. The regulations for the award of the badges were quite strict. I have never found an account or documentation of how this iconic badge was authorized by those units. Your guess sounds correct as local commanders had a big say in "unofficial" stuff. Also, it seems to be on all the planes, so not just reflecting the pilot's awards. In general Knights Cross holders would paint that decoration on their tail, but only if they had won it.
@@yoda5565 Thanks for the kind words!
@@yoda5565fifty years? On German military awards? Why?
The model maker ICM are supposedly going to market a 1:32 HS 123 at some point in the future for those who's interest in planes include making them.
I wonder if in some remote woods are the remains of a Henschel 123. There may be few parts, but many restorations have been done with little to go on.
Such an interesting YT channel, thank you Dr Felton. Perhaps interesting would be the Cold War dogfights between Soviet Block pilots and USAF fighters. I think there was one over what is now the Czech Rep in the 80s.
Mister Felton, your talent and the hight quality of your texts and images deserve a better microphone. Please, think about this. And congratulations for your splendid work
Keep 'em coming Mark! Perhaps you could do a later video on the Lysander and one of its german equivalents, the Henschel 126.
Anybody who built Airfix models as a kid knows all about these useful aircraft 👍🏻
I knew of Hs-123 from a aircraft book I bought at K-mart as a teenager. They had drawings and about a paragraph or two on the planes.
Never knew the extent of it’s actual combat service though.
It actually was a nice looking aircraft.
Thanks.
See "Luftwaffe Aircraft", by Michael Turner and Frank Mason
Excellent documentary
another great and very interesting video and aircraft Mr Felton.have a good one Sir.
Hs 123 was a stuka to, not only the JU 87. Stuka is an abriviation of STUtsKAmpffluzeug, dive fighting plane.
Actually its called a STUrzKAmpfflugzeug, with rz , not st.
Ok, german is my 3. language. But the Hs 123 still is one... @@heermannmorrer
I am a lifelong bipane pilot, and I am very familiar with their flying characteristics. Consequently, I very much enjoyed this video. One suggestion I would like to make is with regard to biplane fighters still in use during WWII. I understand that a few may have scored shootdowns during combat during that period. An episode discussing the combat record of biplane fighters during WWII could be interesting.
Great idea
Enjoy your Biplane aviation
More than a little jealous
Glider and chipmunks was as far as I got
I flew a Chipmunk powered by an O-540 years ago. Wonderful plane!
Had the Airfix HS123 model back in the 70s - think it's still produced!
A fascinating story about an aeroplane that I had never heard of before.
Wow! Thanks for bringing this obscure plane to light. I don't recall ever hearing about it before. Would be something if a wreck could be discovered one day.