History Behind Corgi AA33715: Heinkel He 111H-6, 1./KG 26 “1H+BB” (1942)
Introduction
Corgi Aviation Archive AA33715 depicts Heinkel He 111H-6 1H+BB, an aircraft associated with Stab I./Kampfgeschwader 26 at Bardufoss in northern Norway during the campaign against Arctic Convoy PQ17.
Corgi places the aircraft at Bardufoss on 5 July 1942. However, contemporary German operational records show that I./KG 26's major torpedo attack against the convoy while it was still sailing in close formation took place on 4 July. The following day, German bombers continued attacking the merchant ships after the convoy had been ordered to scatter.[2]
The distinction does not remove AA33715 from the PQ17 story. Instead, it places the model within a wider period of operations lasting several days, during which Luftwaffe aircraft, U-boats and the threat of German surface warships combined to inflict one of the most serious Allied convoy disasters of the Second World War.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft: Heinkel He 111H-6 torpedo bomber
- Aircraft code: 1H+BB
- Werknummer: 7383
- Unit: Stab I./Kampfgeschwader 26
- Operating base represented: Bardufoss, Norway
- Campaign: Luftwaffe operations against Arctic Convoy PQ17
- Date represented by Corgi: 5 July 1942
- Major I./KG 26 torpedo attack: 4 July 1942
- Model: Corgi Aviation Archive AA33715
- Scale: 1:72
- Limited edition: 1,100 pieces worldwide
The Heinkel He 111H-6: From Medium Bomber to Torpedo Aircraft
The Heinkel He 111 had entered Luftwaffe service as a fast medium bomber. Its streamlined shape, fully glazed nose and relatively high early-war performance made it one of the most recognisable German aircraft of the opening campaigns of the Second World War.
Its weaknesses became increasingly apparent during the Battle of Britain. The Royal Air Force Museum notes that the He 111 proved too slow to escape modern fighters and lacked sufficient defensive armament to protect itself effectively during daylight operations.[4]
Despite these limitations, the basic design was adaptable. Later versions were used for night bombing, transport, reconnaissance and maritime attack. The H-6 variant could be equipped to carry two air-launched torpedoes externally beneath the fuselage, allowing it to attack merchant shipping and naval vessels at low altitude.
This specialised role suited operations over the Norwegian and Arctic seas. The aircraft's range allowed crews to search large areas of ocean, while its twin-engine configuration gave it the capacity to carry the heavy torpedo armament required for anti-shipping missions.
How an Aerial Torpedo Attack Worked
A torpedo attack demanded a very different approach from conventional bombing. Rather than releasing weapons from altitude, crews had to descend towards the sea and approach the target at low level.
The aircraft needed to be correctly aligned with the ship before the torpedo was released. The weapon then entered the water and continued towards the target under its own power. Releasing too high, too fast or at the wrong angle risked damaging the torpedo or causing it to run incorrectly.
This left the attacking aircraft exposed to concentrated defensive fire. Ships throughout the convoy could engage the approaching bombers with anti-aircraft guns, machine guns and heavier weapons, creating a wall of fire across the aircraft's approach path.
The He 111's large profile and relatively low attack speed made such missions particularly hazardous. Crews nevertheless had to maintain a steady course during the final approach if they were to give their torpedoes a realistic chance of striking their targets.
The Arctic Convoys and the Soviet Supply Route
The Arctic convoys carried tanks, aircraft, vehicles, ammunition, fuel, food and other essential supplies from Britain, Iceland and North America to the Soviet ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.
The route was strategically important but exceptionally dangerous. Convoys had to pass close to German-occupied Norway, where Luftwaffe aircraft, U-boats and surface warships could operate from established bases. Crews also faced freezing temperatures, rough seas, fog, ice and long periods of daylight during the Arctic summer.
PQ17 departed Iceland on 27 June 1942. The convoy originally contained 34 merchant ships, accompanied by a substantial escort and covering force. Only 11 of those merchant ships eventually reached Soviet ports.[3]
The ships carried valuable cargo intended to support the Soviet war effort at a critical stage of fighting on the Eastern Front. Their loss therefore represented not only a naval disaster but also the destruction of a significant quantity of urgently needed military equipment.
I./KG 26 and the Torpedo Attack of 4 July 1942
I./Kampfgeschwader 26 was one of the Luftwaffe formations committed to maritime attack operations against Arctic shipping. From bases including Bardufoss and Banak, its He 111 crews could reach convoy routes across the Norwegian and Barents seas.
The translated Luftflotte 5 war diary records that I./KG 26 carried out a torpedo attack against PQ17 on 4 July 1942 while the convoy was still sailing in close formation. German observers believed that the attack had caused the escorting ships to begin withdrawing and that the convoy was starting to break apart.[2]
The attack was pressed home despite heavy defensive fire from the convoy's escorts. Torpedo aircraft had to approach at low altitude and maintain their attack runs while ships attempted to disrupt them with concentrated anti-aircraft fire.
German wartime reports naturally included exaggerated or unconfirmed claims, so their stated number of ships destroyed should not be treated as the final historical loss record. Their value lies in documenting the formations involved, the sequence of operations and the timing of the attacks.
The Order to Scatter and the Attacks of 5 July
Later on 4 July, the British Admiralty became increasingly concerned that the German battleship Tirpitz and other surface warships were preparing to attack. The convoy's distant covering forces were ordered to withdraw, while the merchant ships received the order to scatter and proceed independently towards Soviet ports.
The feared surface attack did not ultimately take place, but the dispersal left individual merchant ships spread across a vast area of Arctic Ocean. Without the concentrated protection of the convoy and its escorts, they became much easier targets for German aircraft and U-boats.
The Luftflotte 5 record states that the major I./KG 26 torpedo attack had taken place on 4 July and that three Gruppen of KG 30 attacked on 5 July. German reconnaissance reported that the convoy had become widely scattered, with individual ships attempting to reach poor-weather areas or the protection of the ice edge.[2]
For this reason, AA33715's stated date of 5 July should be understood as placing 1H+BB within the broader PQ17 operation. The date does not necessarily identify the aircraft with the main massed torpedo attack, which contemporary records place on the previous day.
1H+BB, Werknummer 7383 and Stab I./KG 26
Aircraft code 1H+BB is associated with Heinkel He 111H-6 Werknummer 7383. A photograph preserved by DigitaltMuseum and the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection identifies the aircraft as serving with Stab I./KG 26 and shows it being armed with a torpedo.[1]
This is an important distinction because AA33715 is sometimes described as an aircraft of 1./KG 26. The fourth letter of the code and the surviving photographic identification instead connect 1H+BB with the headquarters flight of I. Gruppe.
References to Stab I./KG 26 do not mean that the aircraft was removed from operational activity. Headquarters aircraft and their crews could still participate in missions alongside the Staffeln controlled by the Gruppe.
The surviving evidence confirms the aircraft's identity, its association with the first Gruppe of KG 26 and its torpedo-bomber configuration. It does not, however, provide a complete surviving mission log proving the exact movements of Werknummer 7383 on every day of the PQ17 operation.
Bardufoss and the Air War over the Arctic
Bardufoss was well positioned for German operations against the northern convoy routes. Located in northern Norway, it allowed maritime aircraft to reach the waters through which Allied shipping had to pass on its way to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.
Operating from an Arctic airfield created its own difficulties. Weather could deteriorate rapidly, while fog, low cloud and changing visibility complicated both reconnaissance and attack missions. Crews also had to navigate over long distances of open water with few visual landmarks.
German operational reports repeatedly refer to weather interfering with reconnaissance and preventing attacks. Even after a convoy had been located, maintaining contact and directing strike aircraft towards widely dispersed ships could be extremely difficult.[2]
These conditions are an essential part of the story represented by AA33715. The model does not simply depict a bomber stationed in Norway; it represents an aircraft configured for a specialised and demanding form of maritime warfare.
The Human Cost of Convoy PQ17
PQ17 became infamous because the decision to scatter transformed an organised convoy into a collection of isolated merchant ships. German aircraft and U-boats continued hunting the survivors over the following days.
Merchant seamen faced attacks far from immediate assistance, often in freezing water where survival time could be extremely short. Ships carrying ammunition, fuel and vehicles could burn fiercely after being struck, while survivors sometimes had to spend hours in lifeboats before rescue.
The disaster also demonstrated the limitations of wartime intelligence. The threat posed by Tirpitz was real, but uncertainty over the battleship's intentions contributed to decisions that left the merchant vessels dangerously exposed.
The Arctic convoys continued after PQ17, and later operations incorporated lessons about escort strength, air cover, communication and the risks of dispersing merchant ships in waters dominated by enemy aircraft and submarines.
Lasting Legacy and Collector Appeal
Corgi AA33715 represents a less commonly modelled aspect of the Heinkel He 111's wartime career. Rather than depicting the aircraft as a conventional bomber over Britain or continental Europe, it shows the H-6 in its specialised maritime torpedo role.
The external torpedoes, Arctic camouflage, glazed nose and large twin-engine airframe give the model a strong visual presence. Its connection with KG 26, Bardufoss and Convoy PQ17 also gives it a focused historical story that extends beyond the aircraft itself.
The identification of 1H+BB as Werknummer 7383 of Stab I./KG 26 adds further interest. It connects the model with a specifically photographed aircraft rather than only a generic unit scheme.
For collectors, Corgi Aviation Archive AA33715 combines an imposing 1:72-scale bomber with a limited production run of 1,100 pieces and one of the most significant stories of the Arctic convoy campaign.
LOOKING TO ADD THIS TO YOUR VAULT?
Retired Corgi Aviation Archive releases can be difficult to replace once sold, particularly when they feature large twin-engine aircraft and distinctive historical schemes.
CORGI AVIATION ARCHIVE HEINKEL HE 111H-6 AA33715
1:72 Scale • Limited Edition of 1,100 • Retired Release
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Sources and Further Reading
- DigitaltMuseum and the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection: Heinkel He 111H-6 1H+BB - photographic identification of Werknummer 7383 as an aircraft of Stab I./KG 26 being armed with a torpedo.
- RAF Air Historical Branch: German Air Attacks on PQ Convoys - translated extracts from Luftflotte 5 war diaries documenting the 4 July I./KG 26 torpedo attack, the 5 July KG 30 operations and the subsequent attacks on scattered ships.
- Imperial War Museums: Why Convoy PQ17 Was Doomed to Destruction - overview of the convoy, the order to scatter and the loss of 23 of its 34 merchant ships.
- Royal Air Force Museum: Heinkel He 111 - aircraft development, early wartime use and the defensive weaknesses exposed during daylight operations.
- IPMS Deutschland: Heinkel He 111H-6 Reference - H-6 variant details and independent identification of 1H+BB as an aircraft of Stab I./KG 26 at Bardufoss.
- The Motor Pool: Corgi AA33715 Product Archive - archived Corgi model identity, stated 5 July 1942 date, Bardufoss setting and PQ17 association.
- The Collectables Vault: Corgi Aviation Archive AA33715 - model photographs, certificate number and confirmation of the 1,100-piece limited edition.
Historical note: Corgi identifies AA33715 with Bardufoss and the attack on Convoy PQ17 on 5 July 1942. Contemporary Luftflotte 5 records place I./KG 26's main torpedo attack against the formed convoy on 4 July, followed by KG 30 attacks on 5 July after the ships had scattered. Surviving photographic records identify 1H+BB as Werknummer 7383 of Stab I./KG 26 rather than 1./KG 26.
Written by Jay Sawyer
