World War II Database

1. R.E. Burdon says:
13 Aug 2010 02:51:19 PM

The armour-piercing gun carried by the HS129 was normally 75mm. as shown in this photo, the aircraft being used against Russian tanks on the Eastern front.

2.  Bill says:
22 Oct 2013 12:05:34 PM

Design studies for the Hs-129 went back to 1937 for a close support aircraft for the Luftwaffe. Different aircraft manufactures such as Gotha, Focke-Wulf and Henschel sent in proposals. LITTLE PLANE WITH A BIG PUNCH: The Hs-129 was a twin-engine aircraft, w/fixed forward firing weapons 2x7.92mm machine guns w/1,000rpg and 2x20mm cannons w/250 or 125rpg and was heavily armored. The Hs-129 also went through added weapons combinations and tests. Equipped with 1x30mm cannon with a 30 round drum magazine that was mounted under the fuselage, and was later up-graded with 1x75mm cannon with a 16 round drum magazine. The Hs-129 could also carry 4x50kg/110lb bombs. Other aircraft that mounted a 75mm cannon, were the American B-25 Mitchell, and the Junkers Ju-88. Did you know that the Hs-129 mounted the heaviest forward firing 75mm cannon (weight 1,200lbs) or 2,645kgs on such a small airframe, the weapon was usually mounted on German anti-tank guns. TIGHT FIT: The Hs-129 was built with a steel bathtub and was protected with armor for the pilot. The pilot's cockpit was so small that the gun sight was mounted outside ahead of the pilot on the aircraft's nose and some of the engine instruments were mounted on the engine nacelles. The Hs-129 was the only successful Axis-built ground attack aircraft of the entire war. During WWII several Hs-129s were captured by both the Americans and the British and used for flight tests. After WWII the aircraft were scrapped. The Russians captured a number of Hs-129s that were used for tests and evaluation no further details are known about the aircraft. OTHER USERS: The Hungarian and Romanian Air Forces operated the Hs-129, and the Spanish expressed an interest in the Hs-129 but the Germans cancelled the order due to the needs of the Luftwaffe. MODERN TANK KILLER: The American built Fairchild A-10 Warthog mounts a General Electric GAU-8, 30mm cannon for the tank busting role. Other countries have similar ground attack aircraft.