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The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II ground-attack aircraft fielded by the German Luftwaffe. The aircraft saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front.

A key requirement of the original specification was that the aircraft be powered by engines that were not in demand for other designs. Prototypes with low-power German Argus As 410 engines of 465 PS (459 hp; 342 kW) failed acceptance test, a more powerful replacement was found with the French Gnome-Rhône 14M engine of 700 PS (690 hp; 515 kW).

The design was relatively effective when it was first introduced, and saw service on the Eastern Front in a variety of front-line roles. As the war continued and anti-tank support became the main goal, the aircraft was continually up-gunned, eventually mounting a 75 mm gun in the anti-tank role that left the plane barely flyable. Only a small number of these B-3 models were produced, late in the war.

Rudolf-Heinz Ruffer (7 January 1920 – 16 July 1944) was a German Luftwaffe Ground attack ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership and was bestowed upon him after the destruction of 72 Soviet tanks. On 16 July 1944, his aircraft was hit by Soviet flak over Poland while attacking Soviet armoured formations. The machine exploded and he was killed instantly. At the time of his death he had recorded 80 tank kills, placing him highly on the list of the most successful aerial tank-killers of World War II and in the history of aerial warfare.
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Text-Source: Wikipedia