Heinkel He 66 Acquisition
In 1934, the Chinese Air Force ordered a batch of 12 He 66 aircraft, which arrived in July. The He 66 was an export model of the He-50, developed at the request of the RLM (Reich Aviation Ministry) for a future German aircraft carrier. Interestingly, this model was also produced under license in Japan as the D1A1 or Model 94.
Delayed Deployment and Service
However, the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War delayed the Heinkels’ entry into service: the disassembled aircraft spent many months in Hong Kong harbor. It wasn’t until July 7, 1937, that the planes were assembled and entered service with the Chinese Air Force, but only as training aircraft. Due to a complete lack of spare parts, their career was short-lived.
Henschel Hs 123 in China
In early 1938, the Chinese also ordered 10 Hs 123 aircraft, which were supplied directly from Luftwaffe units. They were assembled at a factory in Hengyang. All of them became part of the 15th Squadron. Hs 123A-1s were noted in the following operations: