100% found this document useful (2 votes)
331 views136 pagesLuftwaffe Fighters 01 July 2023 230722 095200 230727 114538
Luftwaffe
Uploaded by
Carlos fernándezCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
100% found this document useful (2 votes)
331 views136 pagesLuftwaffe Fighters 01 July 2023 230722 095200 230727 114538
Luftwaffe
Uploaded by
Carlos fernándezCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
/ 136
ees More than 200 unique and expertly drawn colour profiles
GERMAN WW2 DESIGNS BY CLAES SUNDII
DETAILED AIRCRAFT
SPECIFICATIONS AND
MILITARY HISTORIES 44
——— a =o
INCLUDES THE TOP LUFTWAFFE ACES’ AIRCRAFT CLASSIFIED GERMAN WW2 AIRCRAFT
PICEA 7a 1
HITLER'S ‘WONDER WEAPON’ BOMBER PROJECTS
LUFTWAFF
Secret Bombers OF the Third Reich=
ORIGINAL
: ARCHIVE
"AMERIKA BOMBER’ WN
ea ne anges]
SUICIDE ATTACKERS F a DRAWINGS
AND
IMAGES
fe classicmagazines.co.uk/thebookshelf
@ 01507529529 only £6.99 { the beginning of the Second World War, the
Luftwaffe dominated the skies over Western
Europe - its highly tained pilots flying some
of the most advanced fighter aireraft yet built.
twas instrumental in achieving some of the Nazis"
greatest victories during the early months of the conflict
yet it met its match when faced with the outstanding
Courage and tenacity of British and Commonwealth
pilots during the Battle of Britain.
As the war progressed, the Luftwaffe found itself
fighting above the frozen wastes of the Soviet Union in
winter and above the blistering deserts of North Arica
in summer. It was provided with ever more advanced
aircraft yet its might was steadily worn away by
ceaseless fighting on multiple fronts.
‘When waves of RAF bombers began a campaign of
right raids over occupied Europe and Germany itsalf,
yet another front opened up. The Luftwaffe’s night
fighters hunted their targets in the dark and the bomber
crews sought to evade them. A desperate struggle for
supremacy in radar and electronic technology took
place as casualties mounted on both sides.
‘Towards the end of the war, advances in jet and
rocket technology gave the Luftwaffe a new edge but
by then its fate was sealed
‘Today it remains difficult to reconeile the skill and
courage of the Luftwatfe's pilots in combat with the
Poisonous ideology of the regime for which they fought,
yet the statistics tel their own story.
‘German day and night fighter pilots claimed around
70,000 aerial victories during the war, 25,000 British
fof American aircraft and 45,000 Russian, There were
103 German fighter pilots who shot down more than
1100 Allied aircraft each and some 2500 German fighter
pilots who reached ‘ace’ status by shooting down at
least five aircraft. Combat losses, however, totalled
40,009, including 21,452 fighters.
Luftwaffe Fighters examines the fighter aircraft flown
by the German air force during that time and presents
detailed ilustrations of notable individual machines.
Dan Sharp,
NOILONGOUYLNI
ABOUT
CLAES SUNDIN
llustrator and author Claes was born in
1957 and lives in the southern part of
‘Sweden. Since finishing four years of
studies at the University of Uppsala, he has
been active as a teacher, marketer, photographer and
art director, among other occupations.
‘Since childhood, Claes has had a strong interest
in everything concerning the combat aircraft of the
Second World War and later. Ths interest stems from
the time when he, as a boy of seven, started building
and collecting plastic scale models, Simultaneously,
he has bean a keen draftsman for as long as he can
remember, as well as an accomplished CGI artist in
more recent years. At present, Claes is producing
books, writing articles and lecturing. Up to now he
has produced more than 2000 CGI profiles, mostly of
aircraft, but also of Second World War armour.
his previously published books include:
Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profle (1997), Deutsche
Jagdllugzeuge (1998), More Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft
in Profle (2002), Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft, Limited
Edition (2011), Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft, Profile Book
No 1 (2013), Aled Fighter Aircraft, Profile Book No
2 (2013), Tiger and Panther Tanks (2014), Luftwatfe
Fighter Aircraft, Profile Book No 3 (2014), and
Luftwaffe Attack Aircraft, Profle Book No 4 (2016) and.
Profiles of German Tanks (2015). In addition, he has
provided aircraft and tank profiles, photo refinement,
land artwork for many other books and papers,
Claes says: "As a long time profile artist, | am
‘well awate that a few of the profiles included in this
publication will be the subject of some criticism,
‘The reader however, must acknowledge that all the
profiles included are based on solid photographic
documentation. | will always use at least one
reference photo, more if available, of the subject.
seek the best photos available forthe related close-
up details as well
“However, misinterpretations could naturally occur,
‘especially regarding the colours I've chosen for the
different profiles. One has to appreciate the dificulty
Of interpreting the colours from dated black and white
photographs. But know that | have, together with my
‘colleagues, made the utmost effort to determine the
‘actual appearance and colouring of the individual
aircraft profiles presented here. [ERGEaFIGHTERS|. CONTENTS
6 MESSERSCHMITT
BF 109
062 | Fi'tsorta 152
1081s gam 4-46 lussegoon
{ Allillustrations: 1 Marketing manager: :
| CLAES SUNDIN | CHARLOTTEPARK =
} besion:
| ATG-MEDIA.COM 1 NIGEL HOLE :
£ punising ecto: | pubis by : MORTONS
} Commercial director: |
| DAN SAVAGE | MoRTONS MEDIA.
+ Pubisher { Groupum, | Pane by WILLIAM GIBBONS AND SONS, WOLVERHAMPTON
| STEVE OWARA | MEDIA CENTRE, i
| lierumeiion | MoRTON Way, | woncoresonaroasa
| JONATHAN SCHOFIELD | HORNCASTLE, !
i i | © 2016 MoRTONS MEDIA GROUP LTD. AL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS
1 &PAULFINCHAM = —— | LINCOLNSHIRE | pubuicanon may Be REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY
1 prssueucn semi 1 LNO6uR. | MEANS, ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING,
! DAN SHARP } Tol.01807 520529 INWATTING FROM THE PUBLISHER,
004. LUFTWAFFERGHTERS o4siessremn
100 OO|si'ss"**
“112/65
44g] wesesomr
126 liens
130| COLOUR CHART
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS 008, MUSIGAFIGHTERS)
BF 109 C-1
Hauptmann Gotthard Handrick
of Condor Legion fighter group
24/88 flow 6-56 during the
Spanish Civil War, based at
Estracén, Spain. Handrick, a gold
‘medal-winning athlete at the 1936
Olympics, shot down a Polikarpov
16 on May 18, 1938
‘mug, his
Itis difficult to exaggerate
the importance of the
legendary Messerschmitt
Bf 109 to the Luftwaffe
during the Second World
War. Small, lightweight and
fast, the single-seater was
continually upgraded and
f remained at the cutting
edge of piston-engined
fighter technology right up
to the bitter end. Flown by
the Luftwaffe’s most
aces, it has become
an iconic symbol of German
aerial prowess. Today it
remains one of the world’s
most recognisable aircraft.
006 _LUFTWAFFERGHTERS
BF 109 E-3
The personal aircraft of Oberleutnant
Hans ‘Schmoll’ von Schmel
of 34/8, based at Tarragona, Spa
in March 1959 was 6-123. The beer
rsonal emblem, bears
‘the initiate CP" in reference to an
international pilots’ drinking club in
Belgium known as Cardinal Pat
aly
he story of the Bf 109
began with the founding
of anew aircraft
company in Augsburg in
1926 ~ Bayerische Flugzeugwerke
‘AG. This fm was forged from the
remnants of another company, Udet
Flugzeugbau, which had collapsed
only months earlier. Young aircraft
designer Willy Messerschmitt
‘was appointed as the firm's chief
designer in 1927 and a string of
successful lightweight sports and
‘commercial aircraft followed,
In July 1933, Bayerische
Flugzeugwerke was invited
to tender for a new RLM
requirement. This called for a
single-seat day fighter armed
with two fixed forward-firing
machine guns, radio gear
enabling air-to-air and ground-
to-air communications and pilot
equipment including a harness,
‘oxygen system and heating
with room for a parachute. The
fighter would have to maintain
a speed of 400kph for up to
20 minutes at 6000m, remain
aloft for an hour, reach that
altitude in 17 minutes and have
a service ceiling of 10,000m, also had to be suitable for
pilots of average ability, easy
to recover from a spin, capable
of flying n fog and cloud, be
small enough to transport by
rail, have protection against
leakage of fuel and be able to
land on an airfield of 400m by
400m with a 400m approach,
Range was not mentioned,
nor was any further requirement
for additional armament or load
carrying ability. The winning design
would be the aircraft that replaced
Germany's then-standard Arado
‘Ar 64 and Heinkel He 51 fighters.
Messerschmitt set to work
on an aircraft that would meet
‘these conditions but then, in
September 1933, Bayerische
Flugzeugwerke was contracted
to build anew four-seater all-
metal aircraft to participate in the
4th Challenge International de
‘Tourisme competition in 1934.
Messerschmitt's M 23 design
had already won it twice, in
11929 and 1930, and Bayerische
Flugzeugwerke naturally took
the job. Messerschmitt applied
some of the ideas he had been
working on for the fighter project,
(aH Ubben of 6
Wangerooge in
‘Germany, was fying Brown 13 on May
10, 1940, when he shot down a Dutch
Fokker D.XXI fighter over Holland,
to the design and the result
‘was the very modern-looking
M37 low-wing monoplane.
Even before this made its
first fight, the frm submitted its
fighter design to the RLM and,
received a development contract,
foritin February 1934. Even as
the M37 made its frst fight,
detail design work was already
‘commencing on the new fighter
Powered by a 247hp Hirth HM
U inverted V engine and now
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS 007 MURMIAGA FIGHTERS] x MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
under the official designation
Bf 108, the sports aircraft was
flown by four of the 13 German
Participants in a field of 34
‘competitors during late August
and early September 1934 - the
others flying Fieseler Fi 97s and
Klemm KI36s. Defeated overall by
Polish teams flying RWD 98, the
BF 108 nevertheless took the top
three places in both the maximum
‘speed and fuel consumption trials.
“The design was a success
and orders began to rollin. But
while the BY 108 was enjoying
very public success, Bayerische
Flugzeugwerke's new fighter was
taking shape behind closed doors,
‘A mock-up was inspected in
‘January 1935 and the type received Gown two RAF Lockhned Hudsons, -
the RLM designation Bf 109. then he destroyed a Handley Page
Its competitors were Arado's Hereford on June 21 and the
‘Ar 80, the Heinkel He 112 and Hudson on June 27.
latterly the Focke-Wulf Fw 159.
‘The Ar 80 suffered from an overly
‘complex landing gear retraction
system, resulting in its gear
‘eventually being fixed in place.
also had an open cockpit and
pastored poy. Say the
Fv 159 had gear problems andits BE TO9E-4 » ___
Fan ft Set Propo and peru! Werer Macho 87
Caen ar gee ase IGE ned taste
Hloitaals endo shone. es and ction RAF
B81 109% real competion. tha SHETft curing September 1940; On
Soucy mdctarvacatle, ined beforceranded at
Uundercariage, low-set gullwings forthe vest of the war
and an enclosed cockpit. With the
‘Ar 80 and Fw 159 eliminated early
fon, the He 112 went head-to-head
with the Bf 109 and was initially
the favourite of the two to win.
It could out-turn the BF 109 due
to its larger wings but the Bf 109
was faster at any altitude, more
008. LUFTWAFFERGHTERS BF 109 D-1
‘The frst RAF Bomber Command aircraft to be
= shot down during the Second World War was
‘8 49 Squadron Handley Page Hampden on the
hight of Apri 26/27. The fighter responsible
\was Black N+7, flown by Oberfeldwebel
Hormann Férstor of 1.(N)/JG 2, based at
Oslo-Fornebu, Norway.
agile and able to perform aerobatic.
manoauvres much more easily.
‘The contest had begun on
February 8, 1936, and less than
‘a month later, on March 2, the
BF 109 V2 and He 112 V2 were to
perform spin tests. The Bf 10 V2
Was able to spin and recover with
‘ease ~ but the He 112 V2 was not,
and crashed. The following month,
after repairs, the latter was flown
‘again but crashed again and this
time was damaged beyond repair.
‘On March 12, the RLM
produced a policy document
indicating that the Bf 109 was the
preferred design but nevertheless,
a series of 10 pre-production
aircraft were ordered from each
‘company. Four He 112s in diferent
configurations had been tested
by the end of September 1936
Zt 3H AHL HOLILAGNOD
SLINVH1 3119v SHOW CNV
YaLSV4 SVM 601 4@ SHL
BF 109 E-4
Before is promotion to high command, Adolf
Galland was a front ine fighter pilot He was
{lying this aircraft, Chevron Bar, with Stab/JG
26, from Audembert, France, on September 24,
1840, when ho shot down a Hawker Huricane
= possibly P3878 flown by HAC Bird-Wison of
47 Squadron.
<
LUFTWAFFEGHTERS 008 MURMIAGA FIGHTERS)
o10
‘but none of them had proven to
bea match for the Bf 109s.
Ultimately, the He 112 was
let down by its heavier and less
aerodynamic design and the
Bf 109 went on to become the
Luftwatfe's standard fighter. It
was a mistake that Heinkel was
determine to undo ~ prompting him
to commission the He 100 which
would briefly hold the world air
speed record in 1999. The search
for a truly clean aerodynamic
layout would continue to inform
Heinke's designs throughout
the Second World War.
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS
~ MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
BF 109 A-E AND T
The Bf 109 V1, powered by a
Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI, was used different engines, various cockpit
for the design competition, as and gun ventilation apertures and
were the V2 and V3, each fitted numerous cil cooler alterations.
with Jumo 210 A engine. The Each was armed with ust a pair
latter two were sent to Spain for _of engine cowling-mounted MG
‘operational evaluation during 17 7.82mm machine guns.
November 1936 but neither saw The first Bf 109 B was the
any action and neither did the first version to see action -
seven pre-production Bf 109 As _being sent to serve with the
that were built shortly thereafter. Condor Legion during the
They were used to test a
variety of configurations including BF 109 E-4
Hauptmann Helmut Wick of Stab IG 2, basod at
‘Mardyck in Belgium, was fying this arerat on October
5, 1940, when he shot down three Hurricanes over
Bournemouth, then two Spitfires over the Isle of Wight.
BF 109 E-4
Double Chevron flown by Hauptmann Ralf
BF 109 F-1
‘Oberatutnant Werner Méldere of Stab/
G51, based a France,
' Spire on while lying this
Akcraft~ his 82nd vetory of the war.
~
LUFTWAFFEGHTERS O19 MURMIAGA FIGHTERS]
MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
BF 109 F-2
‘The aircraft flown by Stab I/0G 58
having his leg amputated.
BF 109 F-2
‘Some of Oberleutnant Egon Mayers
‘carliest aerial victories were won in
june 1941 ing ite wh
{JG2 trom Thevile in Fra
BF 109 E-4/B
Yellow F of 6(Sch1)/L@ 2, at
Praschnitz, Poland, on June 22, 1944.
012 LUFTWAFFERGHTERS BF 109 E-7
White 12, flown by Oberleutnant
Joachim Mlincheber
based at Ain EI Gazal
June 1981,
17156 25,
Libya during
‘Spanish Civil War in 1997. It was
powered by a Jumo 210 D but
still only armed with a pair of
MG 17s. Three firms produced
the BF 109 B ~ Messerschmitt
itself, Fieseler and Era,
Production of the next variant,
the Bf 109 C, began during the
spring of 1998. It featured a new
oll system with a larger capacity
tank and strengthened wings
that could now carry anether
MG 17 each, for a total of four
including those mounted on the
‘engine cowling. The biggest
cchange, however, was a newly
‘upgraded engine - the Jumo 210
‘G which produced 690hp and
boasted direct fuel injection.
Minor detail changes included
larger exhausts, improved
instrumentation, a reduced
windscreen angle, the external
electrical socket being moved
{rom below the cockpit sil on
the starboard side to fuselage
frame 2 and the oxygen filler
ppoint being relocated aft of the
‘cockpit on the starboard side,
Just 58 Bf 109 Cs were made.
‘The BI 109 D was based on
the C but with the Jumo 210 D.
‘rom the Bi 109 B fitted instead
of the Jumo 210 G. The D-t
became the Luftwaffe's standard
fighter just before the beginning
of the Second World War and 657
were made, all but four of them
by subcontractors AGO, Arado,
Ela, Fieseler and Focke-Wulf
All these early types had been
justa precursor of what was to
‘come however, The first Bf 109
to be made in truly astonishing
‘numbers and a wide variety of
sub-types was the Bf 109 E,
entering production in late 1938.
‘Again, the biggest change was a
‘new engine - this time the Jumo
210 being replaced entirely by the
‘much more powerful Daimler-Benz
DB 601 A. It was longer and 400lb
heavier but it gave the Bf 109 a
respectable 1085hp, compared
to the Jumo 210's 690hp.
Rather than enlarge the existing
‘nose-mounted radiator to provide
the necessary cooling for this,
3601 49 SHL SVM SAdAL
“ANS 4O ALSINWA 3GIM WV CNY
SUAEINNN ONIHSINOLSV ATNYL
NI JQVW 3 O1 60} 48 LSHId AHL MURMIAGA FIGHTERS]
om
BF 109 F-2
Double Chevron flown by Hauptmann
Dietrich Hrabak of Stab /JG 54 from
Ostrow in the USSR, July 30,1981.
BF 109 E-7 TROP
Foldwebel Ginthor Steinhausen
‘of 1G 27 flew White 10 from
AlE}-Gazala, Libya, during
‘August 1941. He shot down two
Hurricanes of 1 Squadron SAAF
‘on August 2 and then a P-40
flown by Sergeant MS Hards of
250 Squadron RAF on August 2.
~ MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
new power plant, Messerschmitt
instead moved the main radiators
to the underside of its wings. The
oll cooler that was positioned
under the nose appears as litle
‘more than a streamlined slot.
Putting the radiators under the
wings meant they had to be almost
completely redesigned to cope
with the weight but this also served
to provide a counterbalance:
to the weight of the engine.
The aircraft's armament,
however, remained the same.
‘After an initial Batch of 10,
pre-production E-Os, the E-1
production version was ordered
and 1183 were built. The E-2
kept the usual cowling MG 17s
but supplemented them with a
single MG FF 20mm autocannon
‘mounted in the engine that could
fire through the aircraft's spinner
and two more MG FFs in the
wings. This combination did
not work as well as expected,
however, and only a small number
of E-2s were made. Instead,
[production switched to the
E-3 which deleted the engine
LUFTWAFFE PGHTERS
cannon but kept the other two.
‘The various subcontractors
turned out 1276 examples,
At the beginning of the Battle
of Britain during the summer of
1940, the E-3 was in the process
of being replaced by the E-4 — with
‘many E-3s being updated to E-4
standard. This meant swapping
the MG FFs for improved MG
FF/Ms and providing the pilot
with better armour protection
for his head. A new cockpit
canopy was introduced too,
offering a wider field of vision
‘The production run went to 496
Ex4s, with some 65 E-3s being
Upgraded. Later examples were
fitted with the 1159hp DB 601 N
tengine, designed for high altitude
work. Both the E-5 and E-6 were
reconnaissance platforms based fon the E-1, The E-5 was fitted
with a Zeiss Rb 21/18 camera in
its fuselage behind the cockpit,
‘while the €-6 had the smaller Ro
12,5/7 x9, Just 29 of the former
were made and nine of the latter.
“The E-7 was intended to
adress the horrendously limited
range of the earlier versions ~ the
Bf 109 having been originally
envisioned as an interceptor
rather than a long-range fighter.
It was the first Bf 109 able to
carry a drop tank, specifically
the Luftwaffe's standard 300 litre
unit mounted on a rack under the
ceentreline of the fuselage, and.
range was consequently increased
{rom 410 miles to 820 miles.
The same rack could,
alternatively, be used to carry
bomb ~ making the E-7 a
BF 109 E-7
Flying Yelow 1 on August 10,
1841, from Chudovo inthe USSR,
Oberieutnant Erbo Graf von
Kageneck of 8G 27 downed a
pair of Polikarpov 1-180 for his
42th and 47th victories.
fighter-bomber of sorts. With,
the introduction of the E-7,
at the end of August 1940, a
[programme of upgrades was
‘begun to bring all other Bf
4109s in service up to the same
standard, A total of 438 purpose-
built BT 109 E-7s were made.
‘One final Bf 109 E was
produced, the E-8, but these were:
Greated by modifying existing 601 48 SHL HOS
df YV49d OL AWIL MOO! LI IMUSWIGYAFIGHTERS| © MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
BF 109 G-14/AS
‘An American flak battory opened up on Oberioutnant Emst Schoufole of 4/JG
‘4 while he was tying Black 2 over Saxony on December 3, 1944. His aircraft was
‘wrecked and he was wounded. Having balled out, he was taken prisoner on the
‘round. At the time, his unit was based at Frankturt-Main in Germany.
absolutely and unquestionably previous model through the
superior fo the Me 109.” extensive use of plywood parts.
‘Messerschmitt had proven ‘The only version to see quantity
him wrong time and again. production was the K-4. This,
‘And now, with the Bf 109 K, ‘could be distinguished from earlier
the company succeeded in ‘models by a relocation of the radio
[producing one of the best piston- equipment hatch to a position
\gined aircraft of the war. It was higher up between frames four
intended to iron out old flaws in _and five, and a repositioning of
the type's design and provide the fuselage fuel tank filer point
{ull interchangeabilty of parts, to between frames two and three.
‘as well as being easier to build ‘The D/F loop moved rearwards to
and using up fewer strategically a point between frames three and
important materials than any four on the fuselage spine. The
BF 109 K-4 rudder had a Flettner
tab as standard and a long fully
retractable tailwheel was added;
040. LUFTWAFFE RGHTERS BF 109 K-4
Yellow 10 was flown by Leutnant
Heinrich Hackler of 11/0 77, from
"Neuruppin, Germany, during November
‘1044, Just over a month ater, on
January 1, 1845, he took part in
‘Operation Bodenplatto and was killed
‘when his aircraft hit the cables of
barrage ballon near Antwerp =
tearing off the lft wing.
BF 109 K-4
‘White 19 of 5G 11 as f appeared
at Strausberg in Germany during
February 1945.
BF 109 G-14/AS.
Unteroffizier Herbert Maxis of 18/6
'53 flew White 13 during the i-fated
Operation Bodenplatte on January
11,1945. The 24-year-old strafed
‘American positions along the road
‘rom Felsberg to Boulay but wae shot
down. As he approached for a belly
landing he fired al of his aircraft's
‘guns. Then, stepping out of the aircraft
With his hands raised he was shot in.
the head and killed by a member of 8
battery of the 738th FA Battalion.
~
LUFTWAFFEGHTERS 044 MURMIAGA FIGHTERS]
‘THE MK 108 CANNON EVIDENTLY DID NOT
REACT WELL TO VIOLENT MANOEUVRING
the wheel itself measuring 350 x
135mm. Two small doors closed
over the tailwheel recess to provide
aa smooth aerodynamic form,
‘There were large rectangular
fairings for the type’s big 660
x 190mm main undercarriage
heals and doors covered the
Wheels when they were retracted ~
though these were often removed
by front line units. The K-4 was
fitted with a FuG 162Y radio
set, the aerial extending from
the underside of the port outer
wing, a FuG 25a IFF and FuG.
125 Hermine D/F equipment.
Standard armament was an
fengine-mounted MK 108 or MG
181/20 and a pair of MG 131s
in the nose with 300 rounds per
‘gun. Underwing gondolas fitted
with additional MG 151/20s were
an occasional upgrade and other
alternative Rustsatze included
300 litre drop tanks, bombs up to
'500kg and Wi.Gr. 21 rockets.
DURING COMBAT AND FREQUENTLY
JAMMED - LEAVING THE PILOT WITH
JUST THE COWLING MACHINE GUNS.
BF 109 K-4
‘The MK 108 evidently did not
react well to violent manoeuvring
during combat and frequently
jammed ~ leaving the pilot with
Just the cowling machine guns.
‘The Bf 109 K-4's gunsight was,
the standard Revi 16C. There had
been plans to replace it with the
EZ 42 Gyro gunsight but none
of these were ever installed.
Yellow 19 was flown by Feldwebel Bruno Naser of 15/0
based at Stuttgart-Echterdingen, Germany, on March 19, 1
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS
~ MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
Early K-4s were powered by the
DB 605 DM but this was quickly
replaced with the DB 605 DB/
DC. This versatile unit included an
adjustment screw which allowed
‘machanics to set it for either B4
fuel with MW 50 Methanol Water
injection or C3 fuel with or without
‘MW 50 boost. Running on C3 fuel
with MW 50, the DB 605 DC could
supply an astonishing 1971hp —
with the fully loaded K-4 weighing MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
BF 109 K-4
‘White 12 of 9/0G 3 at Pasewalk,
Germany, March 1946.
BF 109 G-10
{TINIG 11's White 43 was stationed at
Fassborg in Germany during April 1945.
BF 109 K-4
‘A ypical late production |
K-4 without markings a8
appeared at Nurnberg in
Germany on April 2, 1945,
046. LUFTWAFFERGHTERS just 6834Ib. By comparison, the
late war Supermarine Spitfire’s
Rolls-Royce Griffon 65 generated
2050hp against a fully loaded
‘weight of 8574lb ~ giving the K-4 a
slight power to weight advantage,
though only while using MW 50.
‘Top speed with boost was 440mph
at 24,610ft. Even without MW
'50, however, the K-4 could stil
‘manage a respectable 416mph,
‘The K-4's propeller was
‘a.8m diameter three-bladed
wide-chord VDM 9-12159A,
the same one used on the
AS, G-14/AS and G-10.
By the end of November 1944,
a total of 534 BY 109 K-4s had
been built by Messerschmitt
at Regensburg, with the total
-6/
BF 109 G-10
White 14 flown by Hauptmann
Waldemar Wagler of Stab II/G 51,
‘based at Usedom, Germany. On Apri
24, 1945, Wagler was supposed to
lead his men to Junkertroylhot in East
Prussia but took off late and ended up
flying to Rinkaby airfield in southern
‘Sweden instead.
standing at 1598 by the end of
March 1945. When the war drew
toa close, around a quarter
of all BI 1098 were K-s,
Towards the end of 1944,
Messerschmitt and its
‘subcontractors were struggling
‘o meet their production targets,
and corners were frequently cut.
Unskiled labourers regularly
‘made serious mistakes during
construction of the aircraft
and slave labourers would
sometimes attempt sabotage
by cutting cables or failing to
tighten screws in areas where
‘this was ikely to go unnoticed
~ or deliberately installing
pparts the wrong way round,
‘Allof this meant that brand new
BB 109 K-ds frequently failed to live
up to Messerschmitt’s performance
stats, In peak condition and in
the hands of a skilled pilot, the
k-4 was capable of going toe-
to-toe with the very best Allied
fighters. But the Luftwaffe of
1945 had too few pilots truly
capable of making the most of
Messerschmitt’ last Bf 109. ©
~
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS 048 .
MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
BF 109 K-4
The aircraft of
BF 109 K-4
‘The aircraft of Stab 1/3G 62's Hauptmann Wilhelm Batz as it
‘appeared at Zeltweg in Austria on May 6, 1945. At the end of the
‘War, Batz and his Gruppe evaded Soviet captivity by escaping
{rom Hungary, where they had been stationed, and returning to
‘Germany via Austria, He scored a total of 297 victories.
048. _LUFTWAFFERGHTERS MUSA FIGHTERS]
Doomed to forever play second
fiddle to Messerschmitt’s
world-beating Bf 109, the twin-
engined Bf 110 nevertheless
became a success in its own
right. The type's early
promise evaporated
when it suffered
heavy losses during
the Battle of Britain
but later in the war,
when it was deployed as a radar-
equipped night fighter against
the RAF's heavy bomber fleet,
it became a fearsome hunter —
picking off Allied aircraft as they
traversed occupied Europe to and
from their targets.
hen plans for Germany's new air force were being
laid during the early 1930s, it was decided that
‘among the categories of aircraft required would be
a Kampfzerstirer ~ a twin-engine two-seater heavy
fighter with the ability to carry bombs or other equipment to
fulfil a wide range of roles,
‘A requirement for this multole machine was issued in 1934
to Arado, Focke-Wulf, Gotha, Henschel and Messerschmit,
‘The Arado and Gotha designs were evidently dismissed at an
early stage but the other three manufacturers were presented
048. LUFTWAFFE RGHTERS
‘Dackelbauch ventral fuel tank
Intended to significantly extond the Bf 110's
range is evident on MB+FH of 6/26 76. This
Is how it appoared at Stavanger-Forus in
Norway during June 1940
with otders for prototype aircraft. Focke-Wulf produced the
physically massive and enormously heavy Fw 57, Henschel
built the Hs 124 which was similar to the Fw 57 in layout if not
size, and Messerschmitt constructed the Bf 110.
During mid-1935, however, it was decided that an
aircratt expected to do 50 many jobs would be too much
of a compromise and a new requirement was issued which
effectively divided the Kampfzerstorer concept into two: a
‘Schnellbomber or ‘fast bomber’ and a Zerstarer or ‘destroyer’
aheayy fighter. The Focke-Wulf and Henschel designs were Bf 110 C-1
‘Gloster Gladiator flown by Sergeant Per Schye
of the Norwegian Fighter Wing was shat down
‘over Bratenjordet on April 9, 1940, by Leutnant
Helmut Lent. Lent, of /26 76, based at
Fernebu in Norway was fying ME+DH.
deemed incapable of meeting either requirement and were
dismissed, leaving only the Bi 110 in the running for the
Zerstorer contract. Another version of the Bf 110, the Bf 162,
was designed to compete as a Schnellbomber against two new
designs ~ the Junkers Ju 88 and the Henschel Hs 127.
The Bf 110 V1 first flew on May 12, 1936, with the civilian
registration D-AHOA, It was a low-wing monoplane with twin
rudders, Handley Page leading edge siats and a retractable
tailwheel, powered by a pair of Daimler-Benz DB 600 A
engines. Further test fights followed and the Bf 110 V2 took to
the ar forthe first time on October 24, 1986, The V3 was the
first example to be fitted with weapons ~ a quartet of MG 17s
in the nose,
‘The 986hp DB 600 was proving to be unreliable however,
and for the first batch of Bf 110 A-Os a pair of 610hp Jumo 210
Bs was substituted, Just four A-Os were built, between August
1937 and March 1938, due to the engine's poor performance.
‘Two examples of a revised variant, the Bf 110 B-0, were
produced during early 1938. This featured a non-retractable
‘alwheel, slightly lengthened fuselage and reshaped nose, and
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS 04 _ MESSERSCHMITT BF 110
Bh110C
One of the most successful Zersterer plats
who flew during the Battle of Britain was
Oberieutnant Theodor Rossiwal of 6/ZG 26.
He is credited with five victories during the
battle and shot down 19 enemy aireraft during
400 missions overall, 3UsAP was his aircraft
luring July 1940 while based at St Omer-Crécy
in France.
Was intended to receive the DB 600 A now that Daimler-Benz.
had seemingly got to grips with its earlier difcutties. However,
the two machines were initially flight tested with Jumo 210 Gs.
‘Armament was upgraded to include a pair of MG FF 20mm
Cannon in addition to the MG 17s and a single MG 1 machine Bf 110
gun was installed in the rear cockpit. ‘The Staffekapitin of 6/2 25, Oberleutnant
With the DB 600 stil unavailable, another eight B-0s were Heinz Nacke, piloted MB+NP during August
‘then buit with 210 Gs. These were soon supplemented by 40, 1040, Based at Cherbourg-West in France, he
production model B-18 which all had the same powerplant destroyed two Hurricanes on August 15 and
easily identifiable by the large radiator fitted beneath each another three on August 30
engine. By the end of 1938 the DB 600 had been v
dropped and the DB 601 B-1 engine chosen to
power the next Bf 110 variant - the C series.
‘The DB 601s" radiators were fitted under
the aircraf’s wings, slightly outboard of
each engine nacelle. Beneath the nacelles
‘themselves were small oil coolers and alt
scoops. Rounded wingtips, which had
been a feature ofall previous Bf 110s,
Were replaced with squared off tips.
‘A series of 10 pre-production C-05
were built, followed by the full production
C-1. The first of these were delivered to
Luftwaffe units in early 1939 and a total of 195,
were made up to the beginning of the Second
World War. Further variants of the C series
included the C-2, which had a FuG 10 radio fitted,
the C-3 which had its MG FF cannon upgraded
10 MG FF/Ms, the C-4 which had better armour
protection for the crew and the C-4/B which added a
pair of bomb racks to the basic C-4. The line was further
extended with the C-5 reconnaissance version, which had
both MG FFs removed and an Rb 50/30 camera installed,
the C-6 with a single MK 101 30mm cannon attached via an
tnder-fuselage mount and a C-7 based on the C-4/8 but
with centreline bom racks able to carry double the
payload - two 500kg bombs compared to the earlier design's,
‘wo 250kg bombs.
Work on the Bf 110 D long-range variant had begun during
the second half of 1939. This was designed, intially, to extend
the standard Bf 110 C’s operational range by adding a large
and ungainly-looking fuel tank to the aircraft's underside,
This streamlined tank extended from halfway back under the
nose to the rear of the crew canopy and could hold 1050 —
Fires of adtional fu. fs bulbous appearance resulted | -as
pl S,
init ceiving the nickname ‘Dackelbauch’ of
dachshund's belly and the huge additional
drag it created meant it was largely
dropped after the initial tun of BY 110
-0 pre-production machines, which
had been converted from existing C
series aircraft ay ij
The D-1 was set up to
accommodate a pair of 900 ire drop
tanks, one under each wing, but was also
designed with fitings for an improved Dackelbauch,
‘Those that actually received the tank were designated
D-1/R1, while those that had the drop tanks instead were
the D-1/R2 the ‘R standing for Rustsatz
= 4 <
eds
050. LUFTWAFFERGHTERS Bf110D
‘Oberleutnant Alfred Habiech and radio
‘operator Unterotfizior Ernst Elfner, of
aferprommgearupye 219 bane ‘at Calls
‘shot down in S9+CK and
Suture on Agus 18,10,
-
LRAE RCTS Ost FIGHTERS). MESSERSCHMITT BF 110
Br110C
Fiyjing the aircraft of his units commanding
officer Erich Groth, Oberleutnant Hermann
‘Woeber of Stab IL/ZG 76 made an emergency
landing at Cousley Wood, East Sussex, on
September 4, 1940. Groth’ victory markings
are recorded on the tall of MB+AC.
Bf110C
BrT10s of ViZVLG at Ligescour,
France, were escorting Ju 88s ona bombing
mission over England on September 27,
4840, when they were attacked by waves,
of Hurricanes and thelr formation was
broken. L14X8, flown by Hauptmann Horst
Lionsberger, was chased by Flying Officer
Perey Burton of 249 Squadron unt Burton
Fammed him = causing both airraftto crash.
Liensberger, his radio operator and Burton
‘wore allkiled,
The D-2 kept the drop tanks but added centreline racks for
@ pair of 500kg bombs, while the D-3 featured a lenathened tail
s0 that a rescue dingy could be installed. Either 300 tre or 900
litre drop tanks could be added with the two bomb racks as an
optional replacement. The final ‘D' variant was the D-4, which
again retained the drop tanks but had both MG FFs removed
and an Rb 50/30 camera fitted.
‘The BI 110 had proven itself a capable enough fighter
Up to the beginning of the war but during the Battle of
Britain it struggled to match the capabilities of the nimble
Spitfire and Hurricanes fielded by the RAF. By the end of
052. LUFTWAFFE RGHTERS
1940 Messerschmitt was already lining up its replacement,
the Me 210, which was expected to offer true multrole
capability as well as far exceeding the abilities of the Bf 110
in all ofits existing roles. However, the Me 210 was dogged
by developmental problems that kept it from entering front
line service in any great numbers. Messerschmitt therefore
Continued to work on the Bf 110~ which had by now also
begun a new career as a night fighter.
‘Starting during the summer of 1940, night fighter units were
equipped with a mixture of Bf 110 Cs and Ds and enjoyed
some measure of success against increasingly obsolete RAF x
940.95
g2oh03
emma em
Zona nh
2o>mc>h
a To=
Gms es
mUmsgye
BO9n35E
3 cre
So05mm
Zazgams
MEESISO
ZSZzcm
755252
mI°Sz
5
Bf110 E-3
‘Gorman flak guns mistakenly opened fre on G9+BG, flown by
LLeutnant Gustav Uellenbeck of Stab II/NJG 1, on May 9, 1944,
returned to hie units ba
BE110 E-1
{INGER flown by Leutnant Felx Brandis, of 1(2)/JG 77 based
at Rovaniemi Finland, on September 1, 1941. Five months
later, Brandis hit bad weather while fying at iow level and
crashed in zero visibility conditions. He was killed, though his
radio operator Feldwebel Herbert Baus survived.
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS 08S) (USRUGHAFIGHTERS| © MESSERSCHMITT BF 110
types such as the Handley Page Hampden, Vickers Wellington.
and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. Initially, the night fighter
Bf 110s were unmodified and sought out their prey with the aid
of searchiights on the ground but they were quickly fitted with
features such as exhaust flame dampers and improved radios.
The Bf 110 was particularly well suited to operations against
the RAF's bomber fet after dark because its large canopy
offered much better visibility than that of a Bf 109, it could stay
in the air longer to stalk the enemy, and it packed a powerful
fenough punch to quickly disable or destroy a large aircraft. At
right, its relative lack of manoeuvrability was not a problem.
The next step in the Bf 110's development was the E, which
Was designed as a fighter-bomber, rather than a bomber escort
or heavy fighter, It was fited with four underwing racks able to
carry a 50kg load each plus a fuselage centreline rack, It also
offered further improved armour protection for the crew and the
fuselage was strengthened to cope with the heavy munitions
it was expected to carry. Pre-production E-0 examples were
powered by DB 601 B engines but Messerschmitt switched
1o the newly available DB 601 P for the ful production E-1
‘Armament was the same as that of the C-4. There were only
{wo other variants though ~ the E-2, which had the same
fuselage extension as the D-3 and the reconnaissance version
-3, which had the usual omission of MG FFs and Rb 50/30
camera installed,
The additional weight of armour and fuselage strengthening
combined to make the Bf 110 E unwialdy and difficult to fly
Well. Production of it began in August
1940 and was stil ongoing when
the BI 110 F was introduced in
December 1941. A
total of 856 Es
were built
all together, up to January
1942, The Bf 110 F retained the armour
and stronger fuselage of the E but had DB 601
F engines that were powerful enough to restore the type's,
performance to adequate levels. There were four versions of
the Bf 110 F — the F-1 fighter-bomber, F-2 long range heavy
fighter with the bomb racks deleted, F-3 reece version and the
F-4 night fighter.
During 1941, the Bf 110 night fighters had been equipped
with a new device intended to help them identify their targets
in the dark ~ an infrared torch system known as the Spanner-
‘Aniage which was mounted within the pilot's windscreen, This
Was deemed a failure however, as was its replacement the
Spanner Il which was meant to detect the heat from bomber,
engine exhausts,
“The Bt 110 F-A differed from the rest of the F series in two
important respects: it was the first model to be fitted with the
FuG 202 Lichtenstein radar set - which required aerials that
protruded from the aircraft's nose like antlers ~and it had a
Crew of three. Tests of Lichtenstein began in February 1942
and by the summer it was being used operationally. The F=4
was armed with four MG 17s, its rear-firing MG 15 and a pair
of MG 151s replacing the usual MG FFs. Some aircraft had
a pair of MK 108s fitted in a ventral pack too, providing truly
devastating firepower. A pair of drop tanks was also fitted
as standard
‘Some 512 Bf 110 Fs were made before the series was finally
switched entirely to its final iteration ~ the Bf 110
054. LUFTWAFFERGHTERS Bf 110 D-1
2FVMA of Stab/SIG. 5, based at Gambut in
Libya, December 1941.
Bf 110 E-1
‘Oberleutnant Withelm Willy Herget of 47NIG 1
flow GOsHIM from Herdla in Norway. This is how
7 the aircraft appeared on February 20, 1942.
Bf 110 F-2
LVsMR flown by Oberfeldwebel Theodor
Weissenberger of 6,2)/JG 5, based at Kitkenes
In Norway, June 1942. A month earlier, on May
10, he shot down five enemy aircraft between
a
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS 08S, MURMIAGA FIGHTERS] ~ MESSERSCHMITT BF 110
BIN0D-3h a
{n te night of May 30/5, 1092, St Trond-based 47NIG 1 intercepled
RAF bombers heading for Cologne. Oberleutnant Walter Barte
destroyed a Welington at 1.46am and another 11 minutes later. He
{then went after a crippled Manchester being flown home by ying
Officer Leste Manger of 0 Squadron, Based at RAF Skelingtorpe.
Maneer was klled whon Barts shot out the aerafts one remaining
‘engine. The Brits pibt was later awarded the Victoria Cross for
keoping the airrat alt lng enough for his crew to ball out. This is
Bart's G9sFM as l appeared in dune 1942.
Powered by a pair of DB 608 engines, an intial batch of half
a dozen pre-production G-0s were built in June 1942 before
{ull series production began with the G-2 in December 1942 ~
there was no G-1. Two additional base versions of the Bf 110 G
Were built ~ the G-3 long-range reconnaissance version and the
G-4 night fighter, which had similar features to the F-4
However, a huge range of assembly line modifications and
depot or unit-installed upgrades resulted in a bewildering
variety of Bf 110 G variants. Six of the former, named Umiriist-
Bausitz, are known including the U1, which involved the
addition of two MG 151/20s to update the G-3's armament,
the US which was an upgrade of the aircraft's radar to cover,
awider search angle and the US which installed an electronic
system intended to home in on Monica signals emitted by RAF
bombers. The U7 was a nitrous oxide power boosting system
{or the DB 605, the U8 involved fitting additional fuel and oil
tanks in the rear cockpit and the U9 saw the four MG17s in the
aircraft's upper nose replaced with a pair of MK 108s.
The Rit equipment upgrade was a Rheinmetall-Borsig 37mm
cannon mounted in a centreline fuselage gondola, the R2 was
‘another name for the U7, the R3 was the same as the U9, the
4 was both the R2 and R3 fitted together, the RS was the Rt
and R together, and RE was the RI-and Re together. The R7_
Bf 110 E-4
‘C9+BD of Stab./IL/NIG 1, based at
Juvincour, France, December 1942.
a
ue J Lo Ei] Es
BE110 G-2
‘Aitio of Soviet Polikarpov R-6s was shot down,
by Oberfeldwebel Josef Kociok of 10.26 1,
based at Crimea in the USSR. This is hie
aircraft, 2N+GU, during the summer of 1943.
056 | LUFTWAFFERGHTERS Bf110 E-1
‘Oberfeldwebe! Will Dibowski of 6/2 1
, based at Konstantinovka in the
USSR, was hit by Soviet flak and forced
topelly land S9sEN on duly 13,1982,
LUFTWAFFE GHTERS O87 IMUSWIGHFIGHTERS| © MESSERSCHMITT BF 110
apparently involved a variation on the usual drop tanks while
the RB, otherwise known as Schrage Musik or jazz music’, saw
the Bf 110 G fitted with a pair of upwards fring MG FF/Ms in its
rear cockpit. The latter was developed during mid to late 1943
and was introduced on front line machines during mid-1944.,
Finally, the R9 was another Schrage Musik arrangement but
with the more powerful MK 108 fitted instead of the MG FF/Ms.
Beyond the Umrust-Bausitz modifications and the Rlsteatz
Upgrades were seven further equipment alterations ~ the
Betriebs and Munition options. There were two of the former,
=the B1 which saw a streamlined oil tank fitted under the
fuselage, and the B2 which involved a pair of underwing 800
litre jettisonable fuel tanks being installed. The M1 saw a tray
fitted under the fuselage to hold a pair of MG 151 cannon, the
M2 was two ETC 500/IXb bomb racks under the fuselage but
covered by a fairing, the M3 was pairs of ETC 50/Vilid racks
under the outer wings, Md was a pair of SD2/XIl racks under
each outer wing and MS involved fitting the BF 110 G with
pair of WrGr. 21 rocket launchers ~ for fring at bombers,
Between December 1942 and April 1945, 797 Bf 110
G-2u, 172 G-3s and 2293 G-4s were built - all together more ™
than half the total number of BI 110s manufactured.
Remaining in service long after it was declared obsolete,
the Bt 110 proved to be an invaluable gun platform for the
Luftwaffe ~ plugging a gap between the highly manoeuvrable
but lightweight single-seat fighters and the
larger more ponderous bomber and
rmultiole types, such as the Ju 88.
Bf 110 G-2
Blagk 5 was flown by plots of 872676, based
a Otingen, Germany, during January 1948.
itis eon hore fited wih Wer 21 rocket
launchers
FIAT
Lt
GUN PLATFORM
KW
Ly
OBSOLETE, THE Bf 110
PROVED TO BE AN INVALUABLE
REMAINING IN SERVICE LONG
AFTER IT WAS DECLARED
058. LUFTWAFFERGHTERS Br110 F-4 &
‘Chevron 22;BF of the Stab /IVINIG 6, based at
(topenl in Romania during November 1943. FIGHTERS] . . MESSERSCHMITT BF 110
Bf 110 G-4
‘Tipo Chevron GOVAA of the Stab NIG 1,
‘lown by Oberstieutnant Hans-Joachim Jabs,
Husum, Germany, Fabruary 20/21, 1946,
060. LUFTWAFFE AGHTERS. < BE110 G-4
= shooting down
Bombers in jut over 90 minutes,
Bf110 G-4
Double Chevron 22+MF of Stab W/NIG
flown by Hauptmann Martin Tino’ Becker,
Schleissheim, Germany, November 1944,
Bf110 G-4
30sBA ofthe Stab./IINUG 4, flown by
Naor en Wotgang Schau, Cagebek,
Germany, April 1985.
v MURA FIGHTERS)
FOCKE-WULF
FW 190
Focke-Wulf’s Fw 190 was ocke-Wulf had suffered
one of the Luftwaffe’s two | a disappointing defeat
when Messerschmitt’s
standard front line day BY 109 made its Fw 159
fighters for much of the design ook outdated and clumsy
Jide during the 1994-35 contest to
Second World War, alongside
