Henschel & Son
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| Henschel star | |
| Company type | Joint-stock company (Aktiengesellschaft) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mechanical engineering, automotive engineering |
| Founded | 1810 as Henschel & Son |
| Founder | Georg Henschel |
| Fate | Incorporated and subsequently dissolved |
| Headquarters | |
Henschel & Son (German: Henschel und Sohn) was a German enterprise based in Kassel, primarily recognized throughout the 20th century for producing transportation machinery such as locomotives, trucks, buses, and trolleybuses, alongside armoured fighting vehicles and various weapon systems.
The company was established in 1810 by Georg Christian Carl Henschel in Kassel. Later, his son Carl Anton Henschel inaugurated an additional factory in 1837. Locomotive manufacturing commenced in 1848. By the early 20th century, the firm had grown to become Germany’s leading locomotive producer. Henschel constructed ten articulated steam trucks based on Doble steam car technology for the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft railways to use as delivery vehicles. The company also produced several automobiles, including one that served as the staff car for Hermann Göring. In 1935, Henschel enhanced its steam locomotives by fitting removable streamlined shells, enabling speeds up to 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph).[1] Additionally, gearboxes began being produced at the Kassel facility starting in 1918. The company expanded into truck and bus manufacturing in January 1925.
Summary of Henschel locomotive production
| Year | Production | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1848 | Locomotive No. 1 | Named Drache (Dragon) | |
| 1849 | Locomotive No. 4 | Annual output: 3 locomotives | |
| 1850 | Locomotive No. 8 | Annual output: 4 locomotives | |
| 1860 | Locomotive No. 45 | Production until March of this year | |
| 1860 | Locomotive No. 50 | Completed on 4 October | |
| 1865 | Locomotive No. 100 | Finished on 19 August | |
| 1868 | — | Annual production reached 50 units | |
| 1873 | Locomotive No. 500 | Delivered on 21 May; yearly rate of 125 locomotives | |
| 1883 | Locomotive No. 1000 | Completed on 12 April; annual output increased to 226 units | |
| 1886 | Locomotive No. 2000 | Finished on 25 July | |
| 1890 | Locomotive No. 3000 | Completed on 1 February | |
| 1894 | Locomotive No. 4000 | Delivered on 18 January | |
| 1899 | Locomotive No. 5000 [2] | ||
| 1910 | Locomotive No.10000 [3] | Delivered on August15 | |
| 1928 | Locomotive No.21000 | — |
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World War II
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In early 1935, Henschel commenced production of Panzer I tanks. Throughout World War II, the company undertook licensed manufacturing of the Dornier Do 17Z medium bomber and initiated mass production of the Panzer III between 1939 and 1940. Henschel was the exclusive producer of the Tiger I,[4] and collaborated with Porsche on the Tiger II. By 1945, the workforce numbered approximately 8,000 employees operating two shifts lasting 12 hours each, with extensive use of forced labour. The company's plants, which also manufactured narrow-gauge locomotives, became prime targets for Allied bombing campaigns and were largely destroyed.
Aviation
Aircraft and missile projects developed by Henschel Flugzeugwerke included:
- Henschel Hs 117 Schmetterling (Butterfly), a rocket-powered surface-to-air missile
- Henschel Hs 121, fighter and trainer prototype
- Henschel Hs 122, designed for army co-operation and reconnaissance roles
- Henschel Hs 123, biplane ground-attack aircraft
- Henschel Hs 124, heavy fighter and bomber prototype
- Henschel Hs 125, fighter and trainer prototype
- Henschel Hs 126, reconnaissance aircraft
- Henschel Hs 127, fast medium bomber prototype (Schnellbomber)
- Henschel Hs 128, high-altitude reconnaissance and bomber prototypes
- Henschel Hs 129, dedicated ground-attack aircraft
- Henschel Hs 130, prototypes for high-altitude reconnaissance and bombing missions
- Henschel Hs 132, jet-powered dive bomber prototype
- Henschel Hs 135, delta wing design
- Henschel Hs 293, rocket-assisted glide bomb
- Henschel Hs 294, rocket-powered anti-shipping glide bomb
- Henschel Hs 295
- Henschel Hs 296
- Henschel Hs 297 Föhn, a 73mm anti-aircraft rocket launcher
- Henschel Hs 298, rocket-propelled air-to-air missile
- Henschel Projekt P.75, a 1941 concept featuring slightly swept rear wings, forward swept-back canards, and twin rear-mounted pusher propellers
- Henschel Projekt P.87, a Schnellbomber design similar to the P.75 but with straight canards at the front and curved wings
- Henschel 'Zitterrochen' (Torpedofish), an air-to-surface missile that reached pre-production stage only
Trolleybuses
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Production of trolleybuses started in 1941 and lasted until 1962, with a total output exceeding 680 units. Additionally, Henschel manufactured chassis for over 240 vehicles outfitted with bodies by Waggonfabrik Uerdingen (which was later renamed Duewag), specifically of the ÜHIII and ÜHII models. The majority of these trolleybuses were acquired by transport operators within Germany and Austria. However, Henschel’s largest single trolleybus contract was from Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 175 units constructed between 1952 and 1953. Furthermore, the São Paulo trolleybus network procured 50 Henschel–Uerdingen trolleybuses in 1954. Out of the Buenos Aires fleet, all but 50 vehicles featured bodies built by Nordwestdeutscher Fahrzeugbau.
Post-war business
Production activities recommenced in 1948. In 1964, Henschel acquired Rheinische Stahlwerke and was renamed Rheinstahl Henschel AG (Hanomag). By 1969, Henschel’s truck manufacturing merged with Hanomag’s operations, forming Hanomag-Henschel, which was later absorbed by Daimler-Benz; the Hanomag-Henschel brand name was retired in 1974. Subsequently, production shifted focus to commercial vehicle axles, where the company became Europe’s largest manufacturer. In 1976 it became part of Thyssen-Henschel, followed by integration into ABB Henschel AG in 1990. The firm transformed into ABB Daimler Benz Transportation Adtranz in 1996. Around 2002, Bombardier (Canada) acquired the company. Later, in 2021, Alstom completed its acquisition of Bombardier Transportation. The Kassel plant remains operational and ranks among the world’s leading locomotive manufacturers.[5] Presently, the primary product manufactured and serviced at Kassel is the Alstom Traxx locomotive.
Locomotives
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Private, industrial, and mining railways
- First Generation
- Second Generation
- Henschel DH 240
- Henschel DH 360
- Henschel DH 390
- Henschel DH 440
- Henschel DH 630
- Henschel DH 875
- Henschel DHG 630
- Henschel DH 500
- Third Generation
- Henschel DH 120 B
- Henschel DH 180 B
- Henschel DH 240 B
- Henschel DH 360 B
- Henschel DH 500 B
- Multiple instances of Henschel DH 120 B
- Henschel DH 360 Ca
- Henschel DH 440 Ca
- Henschel DH 500 Ca
- Henschel DH 600 Ca
- Henschel DH 700 Ci
- Henschel DH 360 D
- Henschel DH 700 D
- Henschel DH 850 D
- Fourth Generation
- Fifth Generation
- Sixth Generation
- Esslinger Series
- Bundesbahn Models
- Export Models
- Henschel DHG 625 C as used in the Swedish rail network as SJ-Series V4 and V5
- Henschel DH 600 C delivered to Ghana and Sudan
- Locomotives for Chinese Railways including the models: Henschel NY5, HensChel NY6, and HEnsChel NY7
- HEnsChel's DHG2500BB model supplied to Indian Railways as class WDM-3 (eight units built in1970)
- DHG900BB locomotives for Indonesian Railways numbered BB30201 through BB30206 (built in1970)
- DHG1000BB units for Indonesian Railways numbered BB30301 to BB30357 (produced between1973 and1984)
- DHG800BB locomotives for Indonesian Railways numbered BB30601 to BB30622 (constructed from1984 to1986)
- The HEnsChel AA221 series built for ENR between1978 and1988
- The DSB Class ME locomotives delivered to Danish State Railways from1981 to1985
- DSB Class EA locomotives supplied to Danish State Railways with first two units arriving in1984
- Various series for Portuguese Railways (Comboios de Portugal) including Série070–097, Série0181–0190, Série0201–0224, Série281–286, Série291–296, Série351–370 (specifically Série351–365), Série501–508, Série551–560, Série801–803, SérieE1, SérieE141–E144, SérieE161–E170, and SérieE201–E216
Distinguished Personnel
- Lead Designer Erwin Aders
- Dr. Herbert A. Wagner (associated with Henschel Hs 117, Henschel Hs 293, Henschel Hs 294, Supercavitation, Operation Paperclip)
- Konrad Zuse
Related Topics
References
- ↑ "Locomotive with Streamline Shell is Designed for Speed" Popular Mechanics October 1935 bottom of page 541
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2021/1/transformational-step-alstom-completion-acquisition-bombardier
External Resources
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- Henschel & Son
- Defunct aircraft manufacturers of Germany
- Rolling stock manufacturers of Germany
- Locomotive manufacturers of Germany
- Defunct bus manufacturers
- Truck manufacturers of Germany
- Companies based in Kassel
- German brands
- Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Germany
- Trolleybus manufacturers
- Bus manufacturers of Germany
- Electric vehicle manufacturers of Germany