The Heinkel He 112 was a German single-seat fighter aircraft developed in the early 1930s by renowned designers Walter and Siegfried Günter of the Heinkel Flugzeugwerke.
Conceived as part of the Reich Aviation Ministry’s 1933 competition to select the Luftwaffe’s first modern fighter, the He 112 was one of four contenders.
It ultimately placed second to the Messerschmitt Bf 109, which went on to become the Luftwaffe’s primary fighter.
Despite its promising design characteristics—including a streamlined fuselage and retractable undercarriage—the He 112 was produced in only limited quantities.
Approximately 100 aircraft were built, with a small number briefly serving in Luftwaffe evaluation squadrons.
The majority were exported to foreign operators, including Spain, Japan, Hungary, and Romania, where they saw modest service roles or further development.
Although overshadowed by its more successful rival, the He 112 remains a noteworthy example of early monoplane fighter design and illustrates the transitional phase in German military aviation strategy during the interwar period.
Heinkel He 112 in the Condor Legion
With its prospects diminishing in the Reich Aviation Ministry’s 1933 fighter competition, Heinkel re-purposed the He 112 V6 prototype into an experimental platform by equipping it with a 20 mm MG C/30L cannon.
The Technisches Amt expressed keen interest, given the contemporary use of 20 mm armament against armoured targets—particularly tanks—and its potential adaptation for aerial ground-attack operations.
In September 1936, the cannon was mounted in a novel inline configuration—its breech positioned behind the engine, with the barrel passing between the cylinder banks and exiting through the propeller spinner.
This configuration would later be termed Motorkanone, a standard feature on many German fighters with inline engines.
On 9 December, the modified V6 was packed into a crate and shipped to Spain, where it was reassembled and assigned to Versuchsjagdgruppe 88, an experimental flight group within the Legión Cóndor.
Nicknamed Kanonenvogel (“Cannon Bird”), it flew alongside three prototype Bf 109 V-series fighters under evaluation.
The aircraft was first flown in Spain by Oberleutnant Günter Radusch from Tablada airfield on 9 December and was soon integrated into ground-attack operations, supporting Ju 87A Stukas and Hs 123s.
It was relocated to Villa de Prado on 6 February 1937, then reassigned in March to Jagdgruppe 88 at Almorox, near Toledo.
In a dramatic incident at Almorox, Oberleutnant Wilhelm Balthasar, grounded due to mechanical failure in his Heinkel He 45C, persuaded his way into the cockpit of the V6, claiming to be a Heinkel test pilot.
Self-taught in its handling, he launched an attack against a Republican armoured train at Seseña.
On the third strafing run, a 20 mm shell detonated the ammunition car, destroying the entire train.
Balthasar then targeted an armoured car en route back, successfully setting it ablaze.
This unauthorised sortie earned him fame and led to his command of a provisional combat unit consisting of the V6 and three He 45Cs.
Throughout 1937, the V6 continued in active service.
On 6 July, Unteroffizier Max Schulze employed the aircraft to destroy several armoured vehicles.
However, on 19 July, during landing, engine failure caused a hard impact.
Though Schulze emerged unscathed, the V6 sustained irreparable damage and was officially written off.
In spring 1938, Heinkel dispatched two additional prototypes:
V8, an early A-series airframe with a DB600Aa engine, which crashed in July after brief service.
V9, a B-series model equipped with twin 20 mm cannons, was primarily deployed in ground-attack missions and flown by both German and Spanish aviators.
Following its operational tour, V9 was repatriated to Germany to serve as a demonstrator aircraft.
Luftwaffe Employment of Heinkel He 112
During the 1938 Territorial Crisis
In early 1938, the Third Reich’s expansionist agenda entered an assertive phase, beginning with the Anschluss of Austria in March.
Plans soon turned toward the Sudetenland, a predominantly ethnic German region in western Czechoslovakia.
Unlike Austria, Czechoslovakia resisted the territorial demands, and diplomatic signals from France and the United Kingdom suggested potential opposition.
The spectre of military confrontation escalated rapidly.
Amid the heightened tension, the Luftwaffe mobilised all available fighter aircraft.
A batch of He 112B fighters, originally constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy, was requisitioned to form IV./JG 132 on 1 July 1938.
Initially stationed at Oschatz, the unit was redeployed to Karlsbad on 6 October as part of regional defence preparations.
A subsequent relocation occurred on 17 November to Mährisch-Trübau, and the unit was re-designated as I./JG 331.
However, as diplomatic negotiations via the Munich Agreement defused the crisis, I./JG 331 was re-equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109C fighters.
The He 112Bs were returned to Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, then crated and shipped to Japan, fulfilling the original export contract.
Separately, a small number of He 112s were retained at the Heinkel plant and assigned to a factory defence flight, operated by civilian test pilots.
These aircraft never engaged in combat and were soon superseded by Heinkel He 100s, with surviving examples subsequently exported.
Japanese Naval Evaluation of the Heinkel He 112
In 1937, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) sought to bolster its air superiority over mainland China, where it faced increasing opposition from Soviet-supplied Chinese fighters, notably the Polikarpov I-15bis and I-16.
Unlike typical naval aviation deployment, IJN aircraft operated over land due to intense inter-service rivalry with the Imperial Japanese Army, resulting in both branches maintaining independent air arms.
At that time, the IJN’s fighter force consisted largely of obsolete biplanes, with only limited numbers of the Mitsubishi A5M, a monoplane roughly comparable to the I-16, beginning to enter service.
To accelerate fighter modernisation, the Navy initiated a search for foreign designs that could be rapidly procured “off the shelf.”
With Britain diplomatically estranged and much of the cutting-edge development centred in continental Europe, attention turned to Germany.
A Japanese delegation visited Heinkel Flugzeugwerke at Marienehe in late 1937 and witnessed the He 112 V9 prototype in flight.
Impressed by its performance, they placed an order for 30 He 112Bs, with an option for 100 additional units.
As an immediate acquisition, they also purchased an earlier airframe—likely the V5—for transport back to Japan.
Upon arrival, these aircraft were designated A7He1 in IJN nomenclature:
A7
signified the seventh naval fighter design (the A6M Zero was sixth),
He1
indicated it was the first type sourced from Heinkel.
Evaluation and Service Role
In comparative trials, the He 112B outperformed the A5M2 in several aspects:
The top speed advantage of approximately 65 km/h.
Superior structural and armament configuration.
However, IJN test pilots rejected the design primarily due to its inferior manoeuvrability.
Following prevailing Japanese fighter doctrine, agility—particularly low-speed turning capability—was prioritised above all else, even at the expense of speed or protection.
This doctrinal preference, rooted in World War I-style aerial tactics, would later contribute to limitations in Japan’s air strategy during the Pacific War.
Consequently, the He 112 program was terminated, and the 100-unit option was cancelled.
The initial 30 aircraft were delivered in stages across 1937–1938, sourced from several production batches.
While most were relegated to training duties, one example—V11, equipped with the DB600Aa engine—was retained for technical evaluation.
Interestingly, the “A7” designation was later reused for the Mitsubishi A7M, a projected high-performance successor to the Zero that never saw combat service.
Although the A7He1s were retired well before the Pearl Harbour attack in December 1941, Allied intelligence believed the type remained active and assigned it the reporting name “Jerry.”
Heinkel He 112 in Spanish Service
The deployment of Heinkel He 112 V9 to Spain in spring 1938 marked a strategic sales initiative aimed at promoting the design to the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire).
The aircraft was showcased in test and demonstration flights by various Spanish pilots, who praised its handling and general flight characteristics, but consistently reported concerns about its limited engine performance.
Despite reservations, the Spanish government approved the acquisition of the He 112 B variant, forming a new fighter unit under Comandante José Muñoz Jiménez.
An order for 12 aircraft was placed, with deliveries beginning in November 1938.
The assembly took place at León, conducted by Heinkel technicians.
By early 1939, the order expanded to include seven B-1 and ten B-2 models.
Formation and Operational Deployment
The first seven aircraft were operational by January 1939, forming the 2a Escuadra, Grupo de Caza 5-G-5 (2nd Squadron, Fighter Group 5-G-5).
As additional aircraft arrived, 1a Escuadra was established, with the remaining four units distributed across both squadrons.
Shortly thereafter, 1a Escuadra transitioned to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 B and C, inherited from the Legión Cóndor following their upgrade to Bf 109 E models.
Grupo 5-G-5 was absorbed into the broader 7a Escuadra de Caza (7th Fighter Regiment), alongside 2-G-2 and 3-G-3 equipped with Fiat CR.32 biplanes.
The He 112s, offering superior altitude performance, were assigned top-cover duties for the Fiat formations.
Combat operations commenced on 17 January 1939, culminating in a notable encounter on 20 January over Igualada, where Capitán García Pardo downed a Polikarpov I-16—his 12th aerial victory and the sole recorded air-to-air kill by a He 112 in Spanish service.
Thereafter, the aircraft were primarily relegated to ground-attack roles during the waning months of the Spanish Civil War, often operating interchangeably between squadrons.
Two aircraft and pilots were lost in non-combat incidents, but none appear to have been destroyed by enemy action.
Post-war Reorganisation and Continued Service
Following the conclusion of the war on 1 April 1939, Spain retained a technologically diverse air force.
The 2a Escuadra returned to León, and on 13 July was relocated to Sania Ramel airfield in Spanish Morocco, renamed 1a Escuadra and paired with a newly established 2a Escuadra operating Fiat G.50s.
Together, they formed Grupo 27.
During World War II, Spanish forces in Morocco maintained an alert posture, regularly intercepting foreign aircraft that strayed into their airspace due to navigation errors.
These included
C-47 transports inadvertently dropped U.S. paratroopers on 8 November 1942
Spitfire Vs from Gibraltar
Dewoitine D.520s operated by Vichy French units from Algeria
No combat losses occurred during these encounters.
On 3 March 1943, a formation of eleven Lockheed P-38 Lightnings entered Spanish airspace.
Scrambled to intercept, Teniente Miguel Entrena Klett, flying a He 112, executed a diving attack from the sun, striking the trailing aircraft with 20 mm cannon fire (machine guns later found unloaded).
The damaged P-38 crash-landed near the Moulouya River in Algeria.
Final Years and Withdrawal
From 1944 onward, operational use declined sharply due to fuel shortages and maintenance constraints.
By 1945, only nine aircraft remained, rotated back to mainland Spain for servicing.
Attrition from accidents and parts cannibalisation continued through the late 1940s.
By 1952, two He 112s remained on record—one airworthy, one grounded.
In 1953, no examples were officially listed, marking the end of the type’s service in Spain.
Heinkel He 112 in Hungarian Service
Following the 1938 reconstitution of its armed forces, Hungary, constrained by post-Versailles military limits and influenced by the shifting German-Austrian alignment, prioritised the modernisation of its Royal Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő, MKHL).
Among various foreign fighter designs evaluated, the Heinkel He 112B emerged as the preferred choice, leading to an initial order for 36 aircraft on 7 September 1938.
However, delivery was delayed due to existing German export commitments to Japan and Spain, and Hungary’s position was further complicated by diplomatic tensions with Romania over Transylvania.
In early 1939, Germany declined to fulfil the order, citing neutrality in the dispute and refusing to license the Oerlikon 20 mm MG FF cannon, possibly exerting political pressure.
Hungary instead proposed substituting the indigenous Danuvia 20 mm autocannon.
Evaluation and Provisional Deliveries
To maintain interest, Germany sent the He 112 V9 to Hungary on 5 February 1939, following a demonstration tour in Romania.
Test flights were conducted over the next week.
On 14 February, a three-bladed Junkers propeller, licensed from Hamilton, was installed.
During comparative trials with a Fiat CR.32, V9 crashed.
A replacement He 112B-1/U2 arrived on 10 March 1939, followed by two more examples.
During flight evaluations across fighter units, performance criticism arose, particularly concerning the 210 Ea engine, which delivered only 430 km/h (267 mph)—a figure deemed insufficient for modern fighter requirements.
In response, Hungary sought a production license, granted to the Manfred-Weiss Works in Budapest in May 1939, followed by an order for 12 aircraft on 1 June.
Heinkel agreed to supply a 210 Ga powered aircraft as a pattern model, but ultimately delivered only two more B-1/U2s with 210 Ea engines.
These were fitted locally with 8 mm 39.M machine guns, bomb racks, and Austrian-style field modifications.
Engine Issues and Licensing Collapse
Efforts continued to secure improved engine alternatives—either the Junkers Jumo 211A or DB600Aa—but Germany refused exports as domestic demand increased with the onset of war.
In March 1939, the He 100 V8 set a world speed record, with some reports mistakenly identifying it as the He 112U, spurring Hungarian interest in adopting the “new version.”
In August, the MKHL Commander-in-Chief recommended standardising the 112 design, likely referencing earlier models rather than the record-setting prototype.
By September, negotiations for local engine production stalled, and the MKHL cancelled tooling for the licensed aircraft in December 1939.
Instead, Hungary shifted to Italian designs, purchasing the Fiat CR.32 and Reggiane Re.2000, the latter becoming Hungary’s frontline fighter.
Continued Use and Operational Standby
Despite procurement setbacks, the three surviving He 112B-1/U2s remained in service:
In summer 1940, amid rising tensions with Romania, the MKHL was mobilised.
The He 112s were deployed to Debrecen airfield on 21 August to guard strategic rail lines.
Peace was brokered via the Vienna Award on 30 August, and the fighters were withdrawn.
By 1941, the aircraft were assigned to defend the Manfred-Weiss Works, but primarily functioned as trainer aircraft.
As Allied bombing raids commenced in 1944, the aging He 112s were deemed unairworthy and were destroyed during a mass bombing of Budapest-Ferihegy airport on 9 August 1944.
Heinkel He 112 in Romanian Service
Romania emerged from World War I with significant territorial gains awarded by the Allied powers—acquisitions that antagonised neighbouring states, notably the USSR, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
To preserve its postwar borders, Romania entered regional alliances with similarly positioned nations, including Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, aiming to uphold the Versailles Treaty framework.
By the mid-1930s, Germany identified Romania as a strategic source of oil, grain, and other raw materials, applying increasing diplomatic and economic pressure to align it within the Axis sphere.
German influence intensified via generous trade agreements (the “carrot”) and strategic alignment with Romania’s regional rivals (the “stick”).
On 26 June 1940, the Soviet Union demanded the return of Bessarabia and the cession of northern Bukovina—territories not historically Russian.
Romania conceded under German advice.
In August, southern Dobruja was transferred to Bulgaria, and northern Transylvania was ceded to Hungary via the Second Vienna Award, effectively isolating Romania diplomatically.
A pro-German government soon replaced the monarchy.
Acquisition and Evaluation
Romania’s air force (FARR) possessed a fleet of obsolete Polish PZL P.11 and P.24 fighters, inadequate by late-1930s standards.
In April 1939, Germany offered Bf 109s once domestic production met demand, while allowing an interim acquisition of 24 Heinkel He 112Bs—later increased to 30 aircraft.
Romanian pilots arrived at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke for conversion training, facing challenges transitioning from biplanes to the technologically advanced He 112B-1/B-2 variants.
Deliveries began in July 1939, with pilots ferrying aircraft home.
One aircraft was lost during training in Germany on 7 September, another was damaged on delivery and repaired at SET-Bucharest.
The newly arrived He 112s were benchmarked against the IAR.80 prototype, a locally designed monoplane.
Trials revealed the IAR.80’s superiority in speed, agility, and overall performance.
As a result, the IAR.80 entered production, and further He 112 orders were cancelled.
Formation and Deployment
By 15 September 1939, He 112s equipped Escadrila 10 and 11, forming the Grupul 5 Vânătoare (5th Fighter Group) based near Bucharest.
These units were renamed 51st and 52nd Fighter Squadrons in October.
Pilots unfamiliar with the type were trained on Nardi F.N.305 monoplanes, and one replacement He 112B-2 was delivered in spring 1940.
During heightened tensions with Hungary, the 51st Squadron deployed to Transylvania.
On 27 August, Lieutenant Nicolae Polizu intercepted a Caproni Ca.135bis bomber over Hungarian territory and forced it down at Debrecen—the first Romanian air-to-air victory.
Operation Barbarossa
Romania joined the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, aiming to reclaim territories lost the previous year.
FARR units were subordinated to Luftflotte 4, and Grupul 5 Vânătoare relocated to Moldavia, with 24 He 112s listed as operational.
Deployment shifted to Focșani-North on 15 June.
On 22 June, He 112s escorted Potez 63 bombers targeting Soviet airfields at Bolgrad and Bulgărica.
While bombers successfully struck grounded aircraft, the fighters encountered heavy resistance from I-16s.
Sublocotenent Teodor Moscu downed two I-16s—one on takeoff and another in a head-on pass—but suffered fuel tank punctures and crash-landed at Bâlad; the aircraft was repaired and returned to duty.
The He 112s shifted to ground-attack missions, prioritising strikes on Soviet artillery and supply lines.
By 29 July, serviceability reports listed only 14 flyable He 112s, with another eight repairable.
On 13 August, the 52nd Squadron merged into the 51st to maintain combat strength.
The 52nd’s personnel transferred to the 42nd Squadron, now equipped with IAR.80s.
Combat performance reports criticised the He 112’s underpowered engine and lacklustre speed, reinforcing its obsolescence.
Final Service and Withdrawal
The 51st Squadron remained at the front through October 1941, operating primarily from Odessa after the city’s capture.
Some aircraft were reassigned to Romania for training duties, though records suggest minimal flight activity.
The unit relocated to Tatarka in November and resumed coastal patrol operations.
On 19 July 1942, a He 112 conducted Romania’s first night fighter mission, intercepting Soviet bombers over Bucharest.
Anticipating further nocturnal raids, the squadron transitioned to Messerschmitt Bf 110s, forming Romania’s sole dedicated night fighter unit.
Trainer Role and Retirement
By 1943, both the He 112 and the IAR.80 were outclassed.
Romania adopted the Bf 109G as its standard fighter.
The remaining He 112s were reassigned to training roles under the Corpul 3 Aerian (3rd Air Corps), valued for their inline engine configuration and similarity to German types.
Operational attrition continued through 1944, exacerbated by accidents.
The aircraft remained in service through Romania’s switch to the Allied side in late 1944, marking the final chapter of He 112 operations in Romania.
Variants
Prototypes
(V-Series)
He 112 V1
Rolls-Royce Kestrel V engine, large wings, prototype, flown Sept 1935
He 112 V2
Junkers Jumo 210C engine, clipped wings, Improved aerodynamics; crashed during spin tests
He 112 V3
Armament installed (2× MG 17), elliptical wing, later fitted with sliding canopy; used for rocket propulsion tests
He 112 V4
Jumo 210D engine, elliptical wing | Prototype for He 112 A-0 series
He 112 V5
Rocket-assisted propulsion, designed by Wernher von Braun; tested the feasibility of rocket power
He 112 V6
Jumo 210C engine, Replacement for V2; used in Zerstörer (heavy fighter) trials
He 112 V7 & V9
Basis for He 112B series
He 112 V8
Daimler-Benz DB 600A engine
Production Variants
He 112 A-0
Pre-production batch based on V4–V6
He 112 B-0
Refined airframe, MG 17 + MG FF armament
He 112 B-1
Final production version
Experimental & Export Notes
Rocket-Assisted V5
Early exploration of mixed propulsion — a rare case of rocket testing on a piston fighter.
Heavy Fighter Role
V6 tested with a 20 mm MG C/30L cannon for Zerstörer duties.
Export Use
Spain, Japan, Romania, and Hungary all operated small numbers, often preferring the He 112 over the Bf 109 in pilot evaluations.
