Without encountering an Allied escort, it was capable of wreaking immense destruction. The defensive armament initially consisted of a single, It was acutely vulnerable then to RAF fighters, The remaining Bf 110s strafed the airfield and helped the ground troops take it; the air support provided by the Zerstrer was instrumental, and it was to perform well as a fighter-bomber in the coming campaigns. Willy Messerschmitt began work on this classic machine in 1935, in response to Germany's requirement for its first "modern" monoplane fighter (see Heinkel He 112). Later in the war, it was developed into a formidable night fighter, becoming the major night-fighting aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Between 11 and 13 May, most of the 82 aerial claims over Belgium were made by the Bf 110 equipped ZG 26. During this time, two versions of the Bf 110 were developed, the E and F models. The first attack on 27 January was conducted with 60 B-17s, and was met by resistance from JG-1. In late 1943 and early 1944 Bf 110 formations were frequently devastated by the roving Allied fighters. This ignorance was compounded by the tracerless ammunition used by the Bf 110s, as well as firing on the British bombers blind spots. 33 and No. Join IWM Duxford to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, as we retell the extraordinary story of the Second World War aerial campaign during the summer of 1940. . [35], The Rashid Ali Rebellion and resulting Anglo-Iraqi War saw the Luftwaffe commit 12 of 4./ZG 76's Bf 110s to the Iraqi Nationalist cause as part of "Flyer Command Iraq" (Fliegerfhrer Irak). In Norway, the Bf 110s helped secure the Oslo-Fornebu airport, escorting Junkers Ju 52 transports loaded with paratroops (Fallschirmjger). The handling characteristics were also affected; the Bf 110 was not manoeuvrable to begin with and the added weight made it worse. The Bf 110 had a hand in the destruction of some 2,751 RAF bombers in 1943, along with German flak and other night fighters. Many RAF crews witnessed a sudden explosion of a friendly aircraft, but assumed, in some cases, it was very accurate flak. The German defences had won a victory which prevented deep penetration raids for a time. When British bombers began targeting German territory with nightly raids, some Bf 110-equipped units were converted to night fighters, a role to which the aircraft was well suited. Jeffrey Page was one of the few pilots to fly both aircraft, so who better to sum up the difference between them? Ground-controlled interception began from mid 1941 and the Bf 110 began to take its toll on RAF bombers and was soon an aircraft to be feared. In total, 856 Bf 110E models were built between August 1940 and January 1942. 80 Squadron with 6 kills. Where the spitfire was pace and elegance the hurricane was rugged, tough and steady. [66] The Zerstrer was only to fly as a day fighter against unescorted formations. Future ace, commander of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 and Jagdfliegerfhrer Rumnien Wolfgang Falck scored his first kills over Poland, as did future night fighter ace Helmut Lent. However, the Messerschmitt did not have the range to fly beyond London and carried only seven seconds worth of cannon ammunition, which limited its operational usefulness. So there you have it, that's 8 iconic aircraft from the Battle of Britain. Hermann Gring was a proponent of the Bf 110, believing its heavy armament, speed, and range would make the Bf 110 the Luftwaffes premier offensive fighter. Messerschmitt Bf 110D 'Belle of Berlin'. The final version, similar to the G, was cancelled before any prototypes were ready after important documents were lost in an air raid on the Waggonbau Gotha factory, which was leading the H-development. The Heinkel could soak up huge amounts of punishment dished out by RAF fighters and would often return to base riddled with hundreds of bullet holes. Hermann Gring was a proponent of the Bf 110. By March 1945 a total of 6050 Bf 110s had been built. Type. However, its nose-mounted armament, or the upward-firing cannon fitted to some versions, made it a deadly night-fighter. [69] The He 111 was the most important of the Luftwaffe's early bombers, but was obsolescent in 1940. The E was designed as a fighter bomber (Zerstrer Jabo), able to carry four 50kg (110lb) ETC 50 racks under the wing, along with the centreline ETC 500 bomb rack. Pilots sat at the controls of aircraft that would become legends of aviation history on both sides. At the start of the Battle of Britain the Luftwaffe had 1,100 109s, by the end, some 650 had been lost. It was faster than the Spitfire at high altitude, could dive more rapidly and carried a more effective armament of two cannon and two machine guns. Grahame Park Way, Two Zerstrergeschwader, (1 and 76), were committed, with 64 aircraft. The Do 17Z became the main production version, equipping three Luftwaffe bomber wings at the height of the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe had embarked on the battle with 237 serviceable Bf 110s. One offensive weapons upgrade in 1943 for the Bf 109G - and also used for the Fw 190A - was one that mounted the Werfer-Granate 21 heavy calibre rocket weapon system with one launching tube under each wing panel. The losses had "marked the beginning of the end of the Bf 110 Zerstrer as a first-line weapon in the RLV". Pilots typically felt the Bf 110F to be the best of the 110 line, being fully aerobatic and in some respects smoother to fly than the Bf 109, though not as fast. The 110 units also escorted He 111, Ju 88 & Do 17 units during the Battle. Places of Pride, the National Register of War Memorials, is a new initiative designed to record the locations and photographs of every publicly accessible memorial across Australia. The Luftwaffe started the Battle with about 1,100 Bf 109s and 906 pilots available. Full description "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. It had the DB 601A engine, rated at 1,100 hp, and was armed with four MG 17 machine guns and two MG FF cannon in the nose, and a single MG 15 machine gun in the observer's cockpit. However, by the 26 May, no Bf 110s were left serviceable and German personnel were evacuated. One Bf 110 (Wk-Nr 4035) was captured by the RAF and test flown as RAF serial HK846, "Belle of Berlin". Spitfires shot down a total of 529 enemy aircraft, for a loss of 230 of their own. Only 45 Bf 110Bs were built before the Jumo 210G engine production line ended. Me 262 Volume 3 continues J. Richard Smith's and Eddie J. Creek's detailed analysis of the world's first operational jet fighter and fighter-bomber. Often stationed in Norway. Only one month later, ZG 1 and ZG 2 had lost 31 Bf 110s (all to Soviet fighters), plus five more of the recce units to the same cause. 19 Squadron at Duxford in August 1938. The Fw 57 V1 flew in 1936, but its performance was poor and the machine crashed. The Germans were forced to use Bf 109s to escort the Bf 110s. The achievements of the Bf110 led to the development of a successor, which started out as the Me210. The Bf 110G was considered a superior gun platform with excellent all-around visibility, and considered, until the advent of the Heinkel He 219, to be one of the Luftwaffe's best night fighters. Most units that operated the 110 did so for reconnaissance. Also killed in this battle was the ace F/Lt W.J. "Timber" Woods of No. During these battles, a future 110-kill Luftwaffe ace, Helmut Lent, scored his fifth and sixth victories against Norwegian opposition. The Messerschmitt Bf 110C and Es were committed to the invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece in April 1941. [22], The Bf 110 force also encountered the Swiss Air Force during this period, as several German raids violated Swiss airspace. The Bf 110's main strength was its ability to mount unusually powerful air-to-air weaponry. Spitfire or Stuka? It had no forward firing armament, which meant it could not shoot down enemy aircraft from behind. These could carry 110lbs/ 50 kg of bombs each, and combined with the ETC 500 rack under the fuselage (which could carry two 1102lb/ 500 kg bombs) to give the Bf 110E-1 a total bomb load of 2656 lb/ 1400 kg. [44] Schenk was to achieve 18 aerial victory credits on the Zerstorer, and was awarded with Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) for the Knight's Cross on 30 October 1942. Here are 9 iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain: The Spitfire was the iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain and became the symbol of British defiance in the air. Gordon Gollob, future General der Jagdflieger. [43] In total Weissenberger scored his first 21 victories (out of his 175 on the Eastern Front) on the Messerschmitt Bf 110; he would score 33 more in 1945 while flying Me 262 against Western aircraft). It was designed as a fast medium bomber and first flew in December 1936. Messerschmitt Bf 110G with SN2 radar The only significant change between the Bf 110Fand the 110G was the use of the new DB 605 engine. In 1941, nearly 20% of the Zerstrergeschwader's missions were ground-attack orientated. [12] About air warfare, he was mistaken." 1 Vasco gives many examples in his books. Over six thousand Bf 110s were produced until the end of the war. Of the original seven companies, only Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Messerschmitt), Focke-Wulf, and Henschel responded to the request. Learn more about some of the pilots who participated in the Battle of Britain in 1940. Messerschmitt Bf 110 Type: Heavy fighter plane, Zerstrer (destroyer), fighter- bomber, night fighter History: History: Animated 3d model of Messerschmitt Bf 110 F Zerstrer Specification for Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-4 References and literature A single hit . In September 1944 development work on the Bf 110 was curtails, and in November 1944 the aircraft was not included in the Emergency Fighter Program. But the Bf-110 suffered greatly in "close escort," where they were forced to lumber alongside the slow bombers, taking away their tactical edge and forcing them to always respond to the attacking fighters, which were never taken by surprise and could easily avoid the attacks of the Zerstrer, and even turn the tables. But this extra weight reduced the aircraft's performance. Variants, Weapons, Equipment; John Weal, Chris Davey - Arctic Bf 109 and Bf 110 Aces, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 124; Jerry L. Campbell, Don Greer . However, it was a stable and rugged aircraft that could be maintained and repaired more easily than the Spitfire. However, its nose-mounted armament, or the upward-firing cannon fitted to some versions, made it a deadly night-fighter. Development work on an improved type to replace the Bf 110 - the Messerschmitt Me 210 - began before the war started, but its shakedown troubles resulted in the Bf 110 soldiering on until the end of the war in various roles. It proved serviceable as an attack aircraft, but could not take on first-rate Allied fighters. So today we're gonna take a look at 8 iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain, we're not gonna rank them, but you can in the comments below. The photographs were analysed, annotated and supplied to bomber crews as target information. Same as the E, again strengthened airframe, better armour, two 993kW (1,350PS) DB 601F engines. By April 1944, the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe had hoped to convert the Bf 110 Geschwader to the Me 410. On their worst day, the 18th of august 1940, 12 JU 87s were shot down and many more were damaged or written off. After some initial successes by heavily escorted formations, the Stukas were slaughtered by RAF fighters. The Ruhr Area was the prime target for British bombers in 1943, and German defences inflicted a considerable loss rate. As a consequence the aircraft played no further part as a day fighter in the Battle. JG 1 again responded, but this time they were joined by 8 Bf 110s of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. It was effective during the campaigns in Poland and France, when German forces operated largely in an environment of air superiority. First up the Heinkel HE 111. One of his deputies, Leutnant Rudolf Scheffel, was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) a day earlier for scoring five aerial victories and destroying 50 Soviet tanks during Operation Blau.[45]. On 23 November 1939, the Bf 110 claimed its first Allied victim when LG 1 Bf 110s engaged and shot down a Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 of the Arme de l'Air over Verdun. [19] During the campaign, the Bf 110 demonstrated its capabilities as a strike aircraft. Getting into the formation both made head on attacks and were each credited with the destruction of a B-17. On the first day, 6 April, Bf 110s of I./ZG 26 lost five of their number in exchange for two Yugoslav Bf 109s. Significantly, on the night of 2223 May, the Bf 110 was pressed into night fighting service over the desert. . ", The Bf 110F featured the new DB 601F engines, which produced 993kW/1,350PS (almost double the power the original Jumo engines provided), which allowed for upgraded armour, strengthening, and increased weight with no loss in performance. We flew these missions at no greater than Schwarm strength, and were ourselves never escorted. [38] On 29 September 1942, while on patrol alone, Oberleutnant Helmut Haugk of ZG 26 engaged a formation of 11 B-24s, dispatching two of the bombers. The F-4 was the first version of the Bf 110 to be designed specifically as a night fighter. 87 Squadron RAF. Due to these changes, the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke design better fit the Ministry's requests. And once they get to know the Bf 110's weaknesses, you could be in for a very nasty surprise. Many G-series night fighters were retrofitted or factory-built with the The Bf 110s lost nine machines, with 11 killed and seven wounded. The Hurricane was the most numerous of RAF Fighter Commands aircraft during the Battle of Britain, equipping 33 squadrons by September 1940. Jeffrey Page: "I tend to give an example of the bulldog and the greyhound, the Hurricane being the bulldog and the greyhound being the Spitfire. [17], Additionally, the Technik Museum Speyer preserves the wings and other parts from a Bf 110 that were recovered from a lake in Sweden in 1995. [72] These losses were primarily a result of fighter defences, at the heart of which was the Bf 110. 500 km/hTop Speed at Best Altitude. The first Spitfires were delivered to no. Landing their cargoes, many transports were destroyed. they also needed to destroy fighter command's operations on the ground and for that they needed to send bombers. 80 Squadron RAF for two losses. Night-fighter. "Individual History: Messerschmitt Bf110G - 4/R6 W/NR.730301", "I Nattens Mulm og Mrke Blev Bomberne Smidt Over Danmark Den 9. The enormous Dackelbauch ventral tank, owing to cold weather and limited knowledge of fuel vapours, sometimes exploded, leading to unexplained losses during the North Sea patrols. The substantial added drag of the early "dachshund's belly" ventral fuselage tank in test flights mandated its omission from production D-1s, although they were still prepared to mount an improved, better-streamlined, version. The Battle of Britain is on Gring is pouring his air force across in waves to try and break our spirit. Escorting German bomber formations on attacks against Warsaw, the unit claimed 30 kills on the first day. As a result, the aircrews came to dislike this version. The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was designed as a heavy fighter and was originally intended to protect the German bombers from enemy fighters. The targets around Frankfurt and the Saar region were hit. 141 and 264 - into action in July and August, which resulted in two separate massacres at the hands of the Luftwaffe. (Z)/JG 5 lost three Bf 110 at the hands of Soviet. Between 16 and 17 August, 23 more were lost.[30]. The Messerschmitt Bf110 originated from the drawing boards in 1935 and the first Bf110A flew in May 1936. Even without delivery of the DB 600 engines, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke began assembly of the Bf 110 in mid-1937. The E series was powered by the DB 601N engine. Messerschmitt Bf 110; Crash Sites Messerschmitt Bf 110. [54] Reichsmarschall Hermann Gring insisted that all aircraft, including the night fighter force, would be put into the air to resist these attacks against Germany. Despite its shortcomings, the Hurricane accounted for 656 German aircraft during the Battle of Britain - more than the Spitfire. Would You Like This Plane In-Game? After a few initial successes, the Stuka suffered heavily against RAF fighters. Supermarine Spitfire The Spitfire was the iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain and became the symbol of British defiance in the air. Some 650 aircraft were shot down. to a 7.92 mm MG 81 machine gun with a higher rate of fire, and the G-series was equipped with [40][41], Just 51 air worthy Bf 110s took part in the initial rounds of Operation Barbarossa, and all were from three units; ZG 26, Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 (redesignated from Erprobungsgruppe 210) and ZG 76. Furthermore, although it had a higher top speed than contemporary RAF Hurricanes, it had poor acceleration. The British defences and a Gloster Gladiator pilot claimed credit. Bergstrom, Dikov & Antipov 2006, p.48 and p. 59. invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece in April 1941, Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia, Aces of the Luftwaffe - Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, Aces of the Luftwaffe; Heinz-Wolfgang Schnauffer, "VIII Bomber Command 33: 4 February 1943", Aces of the Luftwaffe: Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Messerschmitt_Bf_110_operational_history&oldid=1154666498, On 11 March 1942 the 6. C-1 This was the first production version of the C series. The Royal Air Force Museum is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC000922) and is a charity registered in England and Wales (1197541). 162000 Price. galleries are progressively closed from 4 pm. [70] The Focke-Wulf design, the Focke-Wulf Fw 57, had a wingspan of 25.6m (84ft) and was powered by two DB 600 engines. In January 1942 work began on a new version of the Bf 110. . The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,[Note 1] is a twin-engined Zerstrer (destroyer, heavy fighter), fighter-bomber (Jagdbomber or Jabo), and night fighter (Nachtjger) developed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. In September 1943, Arthur Harris, convinced that a strategic bombing campaign against Germany's cities would force a German collapse, pressed for further mass attacks. However, the promising new design was compromised by Ernst Udet, deputy to the Luftwaffes Commander-in-Chief Hermann Gring. Polish pilots were unfamiliar with the type [1] often identifying them as bombers. Early versions had four 7.92mm (.312in) MG 17 machine guns in the upper nose and two 20mm MG FF/M cannons fitted in the lower part of the nose. [34] Over Greece, on 20 April, II./ZG 26 claimed five Hurricanes of No. Let us know your ranking or if we missed any aircraft that you love in the comments below. The number of Bf 110s on the Eastern Front declined further during and after 1942. When encumbered with a total of four 21cm (8in) Werfer-Granate 21 (Wfr.Gr. Between 30 July and 16 September, 404 Hurricanes were destroyed. The aircraft went to II/JG1, and later a few went to II/JG26 as equipment for high-altitude squadrons. and many G-series aircraft, especially those which served in the bomber-destroyer role, had two 30 mm [8] RAF Bomber Command sent 22 Vickers Wellington bombers to attack the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven. On 9 July 1940, seven out of a force of 12 Bristol Blenheims bombing Stavanger were shot down by a mixed force of Bf 110s and Bf 109s from ZG 76 and JG 77 respectively.[17]. [67] The wastage and woeful deployment of the type prevented any lasting success. The Bf 110 rendered valuable support to the German Army by carrying out strike missions in the face of very heavy anti-aircraft artillery defences. As long as the brunt of air opposition in that front consisted of slow and outclassed Polikarpov I-153, I-15bis and I-16 fighters, and the tactics and training of the Soviet pilots were inferior to those of the German airmen, the Bf 110 could still more than hold its own in the skies of the East. A squadron of Bf 109s and another of Bf 110s shot down eight in as many minutes with the Bf 110s claiming four kills; among the victors was Herbert Schob, who survived the war as one of the most successful Bf 110 pilots. Designed by Reginald Mitchell, it had an advanced all-metal airframe, making it light and strong. Around 12 Bf 110s were lost over Crete. The initial batch of six preseries production G-0 aircraft built in June 1942 were followed by 797 G-2, 172 G-3 and 2,293 of the night fighter-dedicated, three-seater G-4 models; built between December 1942 and April 1945. [8], The production of the Bf 110 was put on a low priority in 1941 in expectation of its replacement by the Me 210. The Bf 110's lack of agility in the air was its primary weakness. Other aircraft, such as the Junkers Ju 88 and the Dornier Do 217, also played a big role, but none more so than the Bf 110. the twin-barreled MG 81Z. It was eventually moved to the RAF Museum in 1978, where it has remained ever since. Two RAF Gladiators were claimed by future night fighter ace Martin Drewes, but RAF raids badly damaged two Bf 110s. We recognise their continuing connection to land, sea and waters. typically mounted immediately in front of the rear cockpit. Losses were eight Bf 110s. The brainchild of Reginald Mitchell, the Spitfire entered service in August 1938, but it became an icon. Despite help from Bf 109 units, it was the Bf 110 which excelled in the bomber destroyer role. The Bf 110s participation in Fall Rot's Operation Paula, an offensive to destroy the remaining French air forces in central France, was to lead to 101 losses for the Luftwaffe, of which just four were Bf 110s. The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110, is a twin-engine heavy fighter (ZerstrerGerman for "Destroyer") and fighter-bomber (Jagdbomber or Jabo) developed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. However, it was better suited as a long-range bomber escort than most other aircraft of the time, and did not have the problems of restricted range that hampered the Bf 109E. A G-series night fighter, it was likely built in 1944. The Messerschmitt BF 110 was a two-seater, long-range heavy escort fighter or Zerstrer- destroyer. [10] [23] This represented 32 percent of the Zerstrerwaffe's initial strength. While RAF Bomber Command destroyed Hannover's city centre and 86% of crews dropped their bombs within 5km (3mi) of the aiming point, losses were severe. Messerschmitt Bf110 C, D and E A study of the Luftwaffe's prime heavy fighter, which met its match against the fighters in the Battle of Britain. Luftwaffe night fighter ace Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was the highest scorer in the Defence of the Reich campaign and ended the war with 121 aerial victories, virtually all of them achieved while flying examples of the Bf 110. Contents 1 Description In the far north, in the battlefields between Kirkenes (Norway) and the port of Murmansk, the Bf 110 still could claim important successes in the first half of 1942. 500 km/hTop Speed at Sea Level. After the Battle of Britain it was used in the Mediterranean and the Soviet Union. However, while crews found the Me 410 faster in "raw speed", they found it even less agile than the Bf 110 and very difficult to bail out of. [21] By this date, Oberstleutnant Friedrich Vollbracht's ZG 2 had claimed 66 Allied aircraft. D-1s so equipped were known as D-1/R1, whereas the D-1/R2 was equipped with two 900-litre drop tanks and a droppable 85-litre oil tank. 21) rocket tubes, with two of these under each outer wing panel, and additional armament, the 110 was vulnerable to Allied escort fighters, partly from the development of a major change in American fighter tactics at the end of 1943, rendering them increasingly vulnerable to developing American air supremacy over the Reich.

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