Henschel & Son ( ) was a German company, situated in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicles and weapons.

Georg Christian Carl Henschel founded the factory in 1810 at Kassel. His son Carl Anton Henschel founded another factory in 1837. In 1848 the company began manufacturing locomotives. The factory became the largest locomotive manufacturer in Germany by the 20th century. Henschel built 10 articulated steam trucks, using Doble steam designs, for Deutsche Reichsbahn railways as delivery trucks. Several cars were built as well, one of which became Hermann Göring's staff car.

World War II

Early in 1935, Henschel began manufacturing Panzer I tanks. During World War II in 1939-1940 it began large-scale production of the Panzer III, and the Tiger I from 1941. Henschel was the primary manufacturer of the Panzer VI. During 1945 the company had 8000 workers working in two shifts each of 12 hours. The company used slave labour extensively. The company's factories were among the most important bomber targets and were nearly completely destroyed.

Henschel aircraft and missiles included:

• Henschel Hs 117 Schmetterling (Butterfly), surface-to-air missile (rocket-engined)
• Henschel Hs 121, fighter + trainer (prototype)
• Henschel Hs 122, army co-operation/reconnaissance
• Henschel Hs 123, ground-attack (biplane)
• Henschel Hs 124, heavy fighter + bomber (prototype)
• Henschel Hs 125, fighter + trainer (prototype)
• Henschel Hs 126, reconnaissance
• Henschel Hs 127, fast medium bomber (schnellbomber prototype)
• Henschel Hs 129, ground-attack
• Henschel Hs 130, high altitude reconnaissance + bomber (prototypes)
• Henschel Hs 132, dive bomber (jet-engined) (prototype)
• Henschel Hs 293, glide bomb (rocket-powered)
• Henschel Hs 294, anti-shipping glide bomb (rocket-powered)
• Henschel Hs 297
• Henschel Hs 298, air-to-air missile (rocket-powered)

Post-war business

Manufacturing began again in 1948. In 1964 the company took over Rheinische Stahlwerke and became Rheinstahl Henschel AG, in 1976 Thyssen-Henschel, and 1990 ABB Henschel AG. In 1996 the company became ABB Daimler Benz Transportation Adtranz. The company was subsequently acquired by Bombardier (Canada) around 2002. The Kassel facility still exists and is one of the world's largest manufacturers of locomotives.

Notable Employees

• Chief Designer Erwin Aders
• Dr. Herbert A. Wagner (see Henschel Hs 117, Henschel Hs 293, Henschel Hs 294, Supercavitation, Operation Paperclip)

External links

• Henschel's Mittelfeld Werkes Tiger tank factory
• Luft '46