Henschel Hs 126 in Royal Hellenic Air Force Service
The German-built Henschel Hs 126 served with distinction in the Royal Hellenic Air Force during the early stages of the Second World War. Greece acquired 16 of these two-seat reconnaissance and observation aircraft before the German invasion of 1941. Designed as a short-range army cooperation aircraft, the Hs 126 featured excellent low-speed handling, rugged construction, and the ability to operate from rough airfields, making it well suited to the mountainous terrain of Greece.
Greek-operated Hs 126 aircraft were primarily used for battlefield reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and liaison duties during the Greco-Italian War of 1940–1941. Pilots frequently flew dangerous low-level missions over the Albanian front, gathering intelligence on Italian troop movements and directing Greek artillery fire. Despite limited numbers and increasing enemy air superiority, the aircraft proved reliable and effective. Following the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, surviving Hs 126 aircraft were eventually destroyed or captured as Greek resistance collapsed.
