Heinkel 111-H23

Starting life as an airliner and delivered to the German Luftwaffe as a bomber in 1936, the He 111s in the Battle of Britain had all-glazed noses. In daylight attacks, the He 111 proved vulnerable to fighter attack, being too slow to take effective avoiding action and too poorly armed to defend itself. He 111 formations suffered such heavy losses that by mid-September it was obvious to the Luftwaffe that a change of tactics must be introduced. From 16 September, the start of the Blitz of British cities, the Heinkel bomber was confined to night attacks. Our example was used as a paratroop transporter, and is so rare that it serves well to show the look of all HE 111s.