Heinkel He 111 A's to China
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Jerry Asher
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Heinkel He 111 A's to China
Hopefully, someone can assist me in nailing down, when these planes were ordered, produced and how they were shipped to China, dates, ship names and further data. Stuff on gneral internet very vague. Language ought not be a barrier as am hunting for nouns, dates and names. Many thanks in advance.
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Jerry Asher
- Member
- Posts: 719
- Joined: 06 Aug 2006, 03:48
- Location: California
Re: Heinkel He 111 A's to China
JUst an update--the planes arrived at Guangzhou in late spring or early summer. They were purchased by the Guangdong Provincial Air Force and not by the Nationalist Central Government. The Guangdong Provincial Air Force was merged into the Chinese Air Force almost immediately after they arrived. Anyone able to identify ship and more precise dates? Many thanks. If not the He 111 A's any info of other German planes--I found a suggestion that tree "advanced trainers," were also purchased and delivered.
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Snautzer05
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Re: Heinkel He 111 A's to China
The Canton Government ordered six examples of the He111K, the export version of the He111A in September 1935. They arrived in the summer of 1936 but delivery was delayed by the Nanking take over of the Canton Air Force, Four machines were received by the CAF in October and two in November. They were assigned to the 19 squadron of 8 air group. The planes were numbered from 1902 to 1906. The last remaining He111 was taken out of storage in December 1943 and flown to Kumming, where it was modified it into a transport for 10 passengers and fitted with Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines for use by CATC. Source: A History of Chinese Aviation by Lennart Andersson, AHS of ROC
Re: Heinkel He 111 A's to China
There has been a thread "He 111 in Chinese service" in this forum, but unfortunately it seems to be contaminated for having material taken from dubious websites and containing malware (at least my antivirus program warns seriously about it!).
Here is something found from safe website which deals with Soviet bombers in China and which has also info about other aircraft equipment of Chinese during the Sino-Japanese war in 1937-1945:
"According to information of the Guomindang government, at the beginning of the war with Japan there were about 600 (Chinese) combat aircraft, of which 305 were fighters and the remainder light bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Medium bombers (the Chinese classified them as “heavy”) were not more than 20 machines. All belonged to the three squadrons of the 8th Air Group (in Chinese- “Dadui” that is “Large Detachment”). The 10th Squadron (“Zhongdui” - “Medium Detachment”) flew the Italian three-motor Savoia S.72. In the summer of 1935 a sample copy, equipped for VIP transport was demonstrated and later presented to Chang Kaishi; the Chinese ordered and themselves assembled 6 such machines. In fact these were military transport aircraft equipped with bomb racks for night activity. By the beginning of the Sino-Japanese war all the S.72s were in shabby condition and were suitable only for transport.
The 19th Squadron was fitted out with Heinkel He-111A-0 twin motor bombers which had been rejected by the Luftwaffe (In 1935 six machines were purchased by the aviation command of Guangdong Province). And finally, the the 30th Squadron had the very best equipment, American Martin 139WCs (9 machines purchased in 1935, with the first 6 machines arriving in Shanghai in February 1937 for assembly and the training of crews).
In mid-August 1937 the 8th Air Group was rounded out by the 13th Squadron, receiving in Nanchang 4 SM.81B Italian bombers assembled in the local aviation factory.
At the beginning of the war the Japanese surpassed the Chinese in numbers and quantity, and also in the training of their flying and technical personnel. In spite of their heroism, the Chinese suffered enormous losses. During the first weeks of the war the Chinese lost almost all of their medium bombers. In August-September five of the six Martins of the 30th Squadron were destroyed, bombed by Japanese forces near Shanghai. The sixth and last was shot down on 22 October. Most of the S.72s were destroyed in 1937 on the ground during air attacks. On 25 August 1937, during an attack on Japanese ships in the area of Shizilin and Yuncaobin 2 He-111As of the 19th Squadron were shot down. Later one Heinkel was transferred to the 13th Squadron for training, and one more was mistakenly shot down over Hankou on October 1 by a Chinese Hawk fighter. In February 1938, during the course of two days, all the SM.81Bs were destroyed on the ground.
Ultimately the Chinese were forced to withdraw all their remaining bombers to the rear, beyond the radius of action of the Japanese fighters which completely dominated the Chinese sky. Already by the autumn of 1937 the command staff of the Japanese air forces considered the enemy’s aviation completely destroyed."
Source: http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/Geor ... _china.htm
Here is something found from safe website which deals with Soviet bombers in China and which has also info about other aircraft equipment of Chinese during the Sino-Japanese war in 1937-1945:
"According to information of the Guomindang government, at the beginning of the war with Japan there were about 600 (Chinese) combat aircraft, of which 305 were fighters and the remainder light bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Medium bombers (the Chinese classified them as “heavy”) were not more than 20 machines. All belonged to the three squadrons of the 8th Air Group (in Chinese- “Dadui” that is “Large Detachment”). The 10th Squadron (“Zhongdui” - “Medium Detachment”) flew the Italian three-motor Savoia S.72. In the summer of 1935 a sample copy, equipped for VIP transport was demonstrated and later presented to Chang Kaishi; the Chinese ordered and themselves assembled 6 such machines. In fact these were military transport aircraft equipped with bomb racks for night activity. By the beginning of the Sino-Japanese war all the S.72s were in shabby condition and were suitable only for transport.
The 19th Squadron was fitted out with Heinkel He-111A-0 twin motor bombers which had been rejected by the Luftwaffe (In 1935 six machines were purchased by the aviation command of Guangdong Province). And finally, the the 30th Squadron had the very best equipment, American Martin 139WCs (9 machines purchased in 1935, with the first 6 machines arriving in Shanghai in February 1937 for assembly and the training of crews).
In mid-August 1937 the 8th Air Group was rounded out by the 13th Squadron, receiving in Nanchang 4 SM.81B Italian bombers assembled in the local aviation factory.
At the beginning of the war the Japanese surpassed the Chinese in numbers and quantity, and also in the training of their flying and technical personnel. In spite of their heroism, the Chinese suffered enormous losses. During the first weeks of the war the Chinese lost almost all of their medium bombers. In August-September five of the six Martins of the 30th Squadron were destroyed, bombed by Japanese forces near Shanghai. The sixth and last was shot down on 22 October. Most of the S.72s were destroyed in 1937 on the ground during air attacks. On 25 August 1937, during an attack on Japanese ships in the area of Shizilin and Yuncaobin 2 He-111As of the 19th Squadron were shot down. Later one Heinkel was transferred to the 13th Squadron for training, and one more was mistakenly shot down over Hankou on October 1 by a Chinese Hawk fighter. In February 1938, during the course of two days, all the SM.81Bs were destroyed on the ground.
Ultimately the Chinese were forced to withdraw all their remaining bombers to the rear, beyond the radius of action of the Japanese fighters which completely dominated the Chinese sky. Already by the autumn of 1937 the command staff of the Japanese air forces considered the enemy’s aviation completely destroyed."
Source: http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/Geor ... _china.htm