Heinkel
He 111H series
History
and Technical
By
Peter Harris |
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| The
Heinkel He 111H Series - The Early H-0 to H-6 Variants
The H was the most prolific series of Heinkel’s medium bomber, deliveries beginning in May 1939. It was preceded into production by the Daimler-Benz DB 601 powered P Series, which had introduced the distinctive asymmetric fully, glazed “glass-house” nose. Both He 111P and H Series were produced in parallel until the demand on Daimler-Benz engines for fighter aircraft resulted in the phasing out of P Series production in early 1940. H Series production then accelerated, 756 being constructed in 1940, 940 in 1941, 1337 in 1942, 1405 in 1943 and 756 in 1944, according to Wixey. The pre-production He 111H-0 and initial production He 111H-1 were identical to the He 111P-2, apart from the P-2’s DB 601 engines being replaced by 2 Jumo 211A-1 engines. The crew comprised of the pilot, a navigator/bombardier/nose gunner, a radio operator/dorsal gunner and a ventral gunner. The H-0 and H-1 were armed with 3 x 7.9 MG 15 machines guns, one mounted in an Ikara spherical mounting in the glazed nose, one in the shielded dorsal position and one facing aft in the ventral gondola. A maximum bombload of 2,000kg (8 x 250kg) could be carried vertically in 8 individual cells, 4 cells on each side of the gangway within the centre-section bomb bay. Production of the Jumo 211A-3 powered He 111H-2 began in September 1939 and increased defensive measures, also associated with the P-4 variant, were introduced during the course of production. Armour protection was provided for the pilot, dorsal gunner and ventral gunner. Three 7.9mm MG 15s were added to the three existing MG 15s, one in the nose and two beam mounted, one in each side of the fuselage above the wing trailing edge. The crew was increased to 5 as an additional crew member was carried to operate the beam mounted guns. The He 111H-3 first appeared in November 1939, introduced a forward firing 20mm MG FF mounted in the ventral gondola and was powered by Jumo 211D-1 engines. The port bomb bay could be blanked off and fitted with auxiliary fuel and oil tanks. The 20mm canon was used for anti-shipping operations and a sixth crew member was often carried during these operations. Early in 1940 He 111H-4 production started in parallel with the earlier H-3 model. Initially fitted with Jumo 211D-1, later H-4s received the uprated Jumo 211F-1 (or F-2?). The port bomb bay was deleted and replaced by a 836 litre fuel tank. 2 PVC 1006 bomb racks were fitted beneath the port bomb cells’ former position and two 1,000kg or one 1,800kg bombs could be carried externally on short-range missions. The He 111H-5 reverted to Jumo 211D-1 engines with extra fuel tanks occupying both the former port and starboard bomb cell positions, all ordinance being carried externally on 2 PVC carriers. In late 1941 the Jumo 211F-1 powered He 111H-6 replaced the H-3 as the standard production version. Defensive armament was similar to the H-2 with the gondola mounted 20mm MG FF of the H-3. Some H-6s were also fitted with a remotely controlled limited-traverse 7.9mm MG 17or a grenade launching tube in the tail cone. Apart from conventional bombs and mines, the He 111H-6 could carry a pair of 765kg LT F5b torpedoes externally after earlier trials at Gossenbrode and Grosseto had proved the H’s suitability as a torpedo-bomber. During the spring of 1942 trials of the FX 1400 Fritz X radio-guided bomb began at Foggia, Italy, using six He 111H-6 fitted with the FuG 203 guidance transmitter. Although some success was achieved, the He 111 was deemed an unsuitable carrier aircraft for the Fritz X. Likewise, trials of the Bv 246 Hagelkorn (Hailstone) glider bomb and the L 10 Friedensengel (Angel of Peace!), auxiliary gliding device for torpedoes, were conducted with the He 111 fitted with the FuG 103 electric altimeter. It had been planned to phase out He 111 production in early 1942, however problems and delays with the He 177 and Ju 288 programs meant that the H Series continued in production until autumn 1944. Later He 111 sub-types included the H-7, H-8, H-10, H-11, H-12, H-14, H-16, H-18, H-20, H-21, H-22 and H-23. Early He 111H Series Luftwaffe Operations By
September 1939 the Luftwaffe’s had a front-line strength of 789
Heinkel He111s (705 serviceable), the vast majority comprising of P
and H Series aircraft, with the remaining F Series aircraft in the process
of being retired from front-line service. In mid-September He 111 maritime operations commenced with two Gruppen of KG 26 based in NW Germany attacking British naval and shipping targets. KG 4, KG 26 and KGr.100 participated in the occupation of Denmark and Norway, Operation Weserubung, by dropping leaflets, flyover “displays of strength” and attacking Norwegian airfields, anti-aircraft emplacements and coastal batteries. During the Norwegian campaign KG 26 participated in attacks on the Royal Navy, including the British Home Fleet near Bergen. KG 26 remained in Norway continuing maritime operations and mounting attacks on NE England. During the May 1, 1940, attack on France and Low Countries, He 111 equipped Kampfgruppen included KG 1, KG 26, KG 27, KG 53, KG 54, and KG 55, whilst LG 1, KG 4 and KG 51 were in the process of converting to the Ju 88A but still had the He 111 on strength. KGr. 100 used the He 111 in the pathfinding role and KGr.126 used the He 111 for minelaying. The He 111 was also used for long range reconnaissance by Aufkl.Gr.(F) 120, 121 and 122. KG 1 and KG 54 were in the process of converting to the Ju 88A at the start of the Battle of Britain, KG26, KG 27, KG 53 and KG 55 being equipped with He 111H-1, H-2, H-3 and H-4s plus a smaller number of P Series aircraft. Despite the He 111’s ability to sustain heavy battle damage, the Luftwaffe lost almost half of the 500 He 111H aircraft that operated against England in summer 1940 due to the limitations of Luftwaffe fighter protection. However, some very effective raids were carried out against British aircraft factories, eg; Bristol at Filton, Supermarine at Southampton and Parnall at Yale. Heavy losses during daylight operations resulted in the switch to the night operations that became known as the Night Blitz of 1940-1. A notable feature of these night attacks being the operations conducted by the X-Geraten equipped He 111H-2s of KGr 100 using Knickebein radio guidance beams. However, again losses began to increase as RAF radar-equipped night fighters became more effective whilst British electronic jamming of guidance and communications signals reduced the effectiveness of the German attacks. In January 1941 II/KJG 26 transferred from Norway to Sicily to conduct anti-shipping operations within the Mediterranean. The target of II/KG 4’s mining operations also moved from the Channel Front to the Suez Canal when it was transferred to Rumania in April 1941. As of mid-’41, a detachment of III/KG 40 He 111s operated under Fliegerfuhrer Atlantik whilst Stab, I and II/KG 26 continued anti-shipping operations from Norway. By June 1942 I/KG 26 had converted to the H-6 torpedo bomber and based from Banak and Bardufoss successfully attacked Allied supply convoys to and from Russia.. Starting in June 1941, the He111’s of KG 27, KG 53, KG54, III/KG 4 (which had reverted back to the He 111 from the Ju 88A) and a detachment from KGr. 100 participated in the Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia. By the end of 1942, most Eastern Front He 111s had been relegated to transport and supply missions as the situation deteriorated at Stalingrad. Partial Listing Of Units and Known Sub-Types Operated Aufkl.Gr.(F)/Ob.d.L.:
H-6.
Brown,
Captain Eric: “Wings of The Luftwaffe”, Airlife (includes
1st hand account of RAF evaluations) |
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