The Heinkel He 111 began life in 1934 as a civilian airliner, designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter under the guise of commercial aviation to bypass post-First World War restrictions on German bomber production. From the start, however, it was intended as a military bomber for the developing Luftwaffe. By the late 1930s, its sleek, modern design gave it the nickname “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Its early versions had a conventional stepped cockpit, but from the He 111P onwards, the aircraft adopted the distinctive fully glazed “greenhouse” nose with an offset pilot’s position, giving the bomber its iconic profile. Production continued in many variants throughout the war, making it the most numerous German bomber of the early conflict years. The He 111 played a central role in nearly every theater of the European war. It served as the backbone of the Luftwaffe bomber force during the invasion of Poland and the Battle of France, and later as the main strategic bomber during the Battle of Britain. In this role, its shortcomings became clear: while durable and capable of carrying a significant bomb load, its defensive armament was inadequate against determined RAF fighters, leading to heavy losses. Despite this, the He 111 remained in service through adaptations as a torpedo bomber, transport aircraft, and general medium bomber in campaigns across North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Eastern Front. Its versatility kept it relevant even as it became increasingly outdated. The aircraft’s internal design emphasized modularity and ease of production. Its fuselage was built from stringers with riveted skin, and the two-spar wing structure held large fuel tanks and oil coolers. The cockpit layout was innovative: the pilot’s control column could be swung over to the starboard side in case of incapacitation, and the instrument panel was located overhead to improve visibility. Bombs were carried in a strengthened bay between bulkheads, while radio equipment and defensive gunner positions filled much of the rear fuselage. Defensive armament was spread across multiple positions, including the glazed nose, dorsal and ventral mounts, and side “waist” guns, but coverage was still insufficient against fast, heavily armed enemy fighters. Production of the He 111 ended in 1944 as Germany shifted resources to fighters, but the type continued to serve primarily as a transport aircraft in the war’s final months. Its design lived on in Spain, where Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA built it under license as the CASA 2.111, powered eventually by Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. These aircraft remained in service into the early 1970s, long after their German counterparts had disappeared. Though overshadowed later by heavier bombers and jet-age designs, the He 111 left a lasting mark as the most recognizable Luftwaffe bomber of the Second World War and as a symbol of Germany’s early air campaigns.