Oxford Diecast Henschel 123A Unit 3/SFGR 50 Lt. Hamann 1:72 11,4 cm

The Henschel Hs 123A was a single seat biplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft developed and built by Henschel, a company previously engaged in building railway locomotives. It saw an opportunity for aircraft design and build after Hitler came to power in 1935 and the subsequent formation of the Luftwaffe.  The HS123 first took to the skies in 1936 and was flown by the German Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War.  It also saw service during the first stages of World War II but proved inadequate compared with rival aircraft.

Lt  Kurt Hamann, the pilot of this particular example of the Henschel 123A was not formerly trained but was desperate to fly.  He was the adjutant of the squadron, essentially an office job but being friends with the pilots, they gave him unofficial lessons! The aircraft was being used as a trainer but with only one seat, he always had to go up by himself.  His comrades were responsible for all the German graffiti printed on the aircraft, which are rather tongue in cheek!  All the training paid off in the end and he became a fully-fledged Luftwaffe pilot, eventually flying Stukas in the Battle of France. Sadly he was shot down and killed by Allied aircraft during one of his missions.

The Oxford replica relives Lt Hamann’s training days during 1939 and appears in grey, brown and green camouflage with pale grey and white underside.  The less than serious graffiti are printed in white, including  Lt Hamann Vorsicht – Lt Hamann Caution (or Look Out!);  Gott erhalte uns den Adjutant -God Save the Adjutant,  to name just two!  The model is a departure from serious war planes but shows a lighter side of both men and machines before the storm in the days immediately preceding the conflict.