The Heinkel He 111 was probably the most distinctive German bomber of World War Two. Used from the first to the last days of the war – on all fronts – in many roles from bomber to V1 missile launcher. Chris Goss details its missions over Britain.
When the war started, the most common Heinkel He 111 variant was the He 111 P, which, unlike its predecessors had a glazed nose, updated Daimler-Benz DB601 engines, additional defensive armament, armour plating, external bomb racks and more aerodynamic dorsal and ventral gun positions. Its vulnerability to modern fighters was quickly realised resulting in the He 111 P-4 sub-variant which increased the P’s three defensive machine guns by another four. However, the Luftwaffe now needed the DB601 engines for its fighters which resulted in the He 111 P being re-engined with Jumo 211s and re-designated the He 111 H, albeit being all but identical to the P-4 apart from the powerplants. The latter was the ultimate He 111 variant with a series of sub-variants and was the most common version seen above and downed over the United Kingdom throughout the war.
The first He 111 unit to make an appearance off the British coast was Kampfgeschwader 26 (KG 26) based in 1939-4…
