When World War I ended, the German Air Force was disbanded under the Treaty of Versailles, which required the German government to abandon all military aviation by October 1st, 1919. However, by 1922, it was legal for Germany to design and manufacture commercial aircraft, and one of the first modern medium bombers to emerge from this process was the Heinkel He 111, the first prototype of which an enlarged, twin-engine version of the single-engine mail-liaison He 70, which set 8 world speed records in 1933 flew in February of 1935. The second prototype, the He 111 V2, had shorter wings and was the first civil transport prototype, capable of carrying 10 passengers and mail. The third prototype, He 111 V3 also had shorter wings and was the first true bomber prototype. Six He 111 C series airliners were derived from the fourth prototype, the He 111 V4, and went into service with Lufthansa in 1936, powered by a variety of engines, including BMW 132 radials. The first production models had the classic stepped windshield and an elliptical wing, which the designers, Siegfried and Walter Gunter, favored.

As a military aircraft, it took longer to gain favor, because military load requirements and underpowered engines kept its cruising speed down to less than 170 mph. However, in early 1936, the plane was given 1,000 hp Daimler Benz DB 600A engines which improved performance dramatically enough to bring in substantial orders. The first two mass-production versions, He 111 E and He 111 F experienced great success during the Spanish Civil War, where they served with the Condor Legion as fast bombers, able to outrun many of the fighters sent against them.

In fact, the experience in Spain generated a false sense of security in which the Germans thought that the He 111's light armament and speed would be sufficient in the coming war. Thus, although it was out of date, the large numbers in which it had been produced made the He 111 the Luftwaffe's primary bomber for far too long in the war, availability being more persuasive than practicality for this serviceable, but highly vulnerable, aircraft. Modern fighters like the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane proved the He 111's inadequacy during the Battle of Britain. As soon as possible, the Luftwaffe replaced the Heinkel with the Junkers Ju 88, reassigning the Heinkel to night operations and other specialized tasks until, by war's end, it was being used primarily as a transport.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Heinkel He 111 H-5 medium bomber with 1000kg Herman Bomb that was attached to A1+AH 1./Kampfgeschwader 53 'Legion Condor' during 1942-'43. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 12-1/2-inches
Length: 9-inches

Release Date: November 2012

Historical Account: "Legion Condor" - Kampfgeschwader 53 Legion Condor was a German bomber group named in honour of the German forces that had fought alongside Franco's Nationalists in Spain and assisted him in his victory over the Republican forces. The unit flew all of the main German bomber types, the Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju88 and the Heinkel He 111.

It was while flying the He 111 that KG53 carried the large and devastating 1000kg bomb, nicknamed the Herman bomb. It carried this nickname due to its rotund shape and large size, reminding squadron personnel of the leader of the Luftwaffe, Herman Goering. KG53 used the weapon in support of the sixth army around Stalingrad in the winter of 1942-3, repainting their machines with washable white winter paint in order to make them less conspicuous against the snowy backdrop below them. However, losses were still heavy and despite the use of heavy munitions such as the Herman, bomber groups such as KG53 were unable to help the beleaguered sixth army.

They surrendered on February 2nd, 1943, with over 100,000 men being captured. Only 6,000 would ever see Germany again.

The SC 1000 bomb was an air-dropped general-purpose high explosive thin cased demolition bomb used by Germany during World War II. Over 1,000 lb Amatol. Weighing 1,000 kg, it was nicknamed the "Hermann" bomb by the British during "The Blitz" bombing campaign of the United Kingdom by Germany in reference to the portly Luftwaffe commander, Hermann Gring.

Amatol is a highly explosive material made from a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate. The British name originates from the words ammonium and toluene (a raw material of TNT). Similar mixtures were known as Schneiderite in France. Amatol was used extensively during World War I and World War II, typically as an explosive in military weapons such as aircraft bombs, shells, depth charges and naval mines.

SC was the German abbreviation for Sprengbombe Cylindrisch.