Henschel Hs 123 (Monographs) Paperback – June 1, 2012

Excellent reference for this type fo a aircraft

As all Kagero monographs, the title provides detailed information on the aircraft development and history. But the real bonus is a good set of scale plans, which are a real must for moellers. Highly recomended.

Kagero's Monographs series is nearing the half century mark. This volume continues the welcome trend, begun in the volume on the Arado Ar 196, of covering some of the more obscure German aircraft. This book covers the Henschel Hs 123, an aircraft being phased out before the war began but serving in ever diminishing numbers into 1944.The first part of the book is a competent background, design, development, and service history of the aircraft. The service history focuses on the role of the aircraft against Poland and France. Like many previous volumes in this series there are extensive quotes from contemporary accounts published in Germany during the war. The propaganda, tailored to civilian consumption, is quite interesting in retrospect.The service of the aircraft in Spain and China is also covered. I was entirely unaware of Hs 123 service in China. The near sale to Portugal is also covered. The text finishes with a very detailed, four page technical description.There are 16 pages of detailed line drawings of the aircraft in both 1/48th and 1/72nd scale. Sprinkled throughout are perspective drawings of various features. There is a page of drawings calling out variant differences and a page depicting the prewar color scheme most often worn by the aircraft. There are five pages of color profiles including the rear cover. The 1/32nd scale drawings are on an unbound foldout so make sure this is included if buying secondhand. All graphical content is to Kagero's usual high standards.The translation is not great but will not not give native English speakers too many problems. A curiosity is that German Gruppen are translated as "squadrons" and Staffeln as "flights".All in all, highly recommended. MMP has an Hs 123 book in the works; a comparison should be interesting.