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The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a single seat combat aircraft used by Germany and many of her allies during World War II. The Bf 109 was 8.64m (24' 4.5") long and had a wingspan of 9.87m (32' 4.5"); it had a height of 2.50m (8' 2.33") and weighed 2665kg (5875lb) when loaded. It was normally powered by a single 876kW (1175hp) Daimler-Benz DB 601 Aa inverted V-12 liquid cooled engine, this allowed the fighter to travel at a maximum speed of 560km/h (or 348mph) at a range of 660km (roughly 410 miles). The fighter had a service ceiling of 10,500 meters (34,450 feet), but the oil-cooled design left the engine far more vulnerable to damage than the air-cooled designs of later fighters. The 109E; the first major production model, had an armament of two 7.92mm machine guns in the nose and two 20mm cannons in the wings. The armamants, engines, and armor varied by model type and were changed to suit mission requirements as the war progressed. ^{[1] [2]} The Bf 109 was the mainstay of the Luftwaffe through the war, with Germany never being able to produce the Fw 190 in sufficient numbers to replace it. The Fw 190 was by most accounts, a superior aircraft.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early History 1.2 Spainish Civil War 1.3 World War 2 1.4 Other operators 1.5 Variants 2 References 2.1 Notes 2.2 Sources

HistoryEdit

Early HistoryEdit

The Bf 109 was conceived in the summer of 1934, when the German Air Ministry (RLM) issued a requirement for a single seat interceptor fighter monoplane to replace the obsolescent Heinkel He 51 and Arado Ar 68 biplanes then in service.^[3] The issuing of the requirement was partly due to a disagreement between Obstlt Wilhelm Wimmer, an influential official in the RLM technical department, and Willi Messerschmitt & Rakan Kokothaki, directors of Beyerische Flegzeugwerke (BFW), during which Wimmer complained about BFW concentrating on producing aircraft for foreign countries. Messerschmitt responded by pointing out that BFW had been forced to seek outside orders in order for the company to survive, due to the lack of orders from Wimmer's department.^{[4] [N 1]} Four manufacturers were subsequently awarded development contracts; Arado for the Ar 80, Beyerische Flegzeugwerke for the Bf 109, Ernst Heinkel A.G. for the He112 and Focke-Wulf for the Fw 159. The Focke-Wulf used the new and relativly untried Jumo 210A engine producing 610hp, while the others used the more reliable Rolls Royce Kestral V rated at 695hp.

The Bf109V1, bearing factory number 758 and civil registration D-IABI, was completed in the summer of 1935.^[3] The Bf 109V1 made it's first flight in the hands of Hans-Dietrich Knoetzsch at Augsburg-Haunstetten on May 28th, with further test flights before the aircraft was flown to the experimental test centre at at Rechlin on October 15th. However, following severe damage caused when the aircraft bounced on landing, D-IABI was returned to Augsburg for repair, before being sent to Travemunde for evaluation, as Rechlin was overburdened with development work. Evaluation was also carried out on prototype V2 (WNr 759/D-IILU)^{[N 2]}, which was first flown on 12 December 1935. ^[7]

In early 1936 Dr Ing Hermann Wurster replaced Knoetzsch as chief test pilot, collecting D-IABI on 17 July 1936 for spin and stall tests, as well as trials for weapon installation, which took place from August 1935 until 13 January 1937, when it was grounded. The aircraft was eventually scrapped, despite the crash of D-IILU/D-IDUE little more than three months after it's first flight. The loss of both D-IABI and D-IILU/D-IDUE meant the third prototype (Wnr 760/D-IOQY) was the only example available for testing when it made it's first flight on 8th April 1936. D-IOQY was the first Bf-109 to carry armament, although difficulties with the engine mounted cannon restricted this to a pair of rifle calibre machine guns in the cowling. directly above the 500hp Jumo 210C engine.^[8].

D-IOQY was transferred to Travemunde for an extensive test programme, which led to the deletion of the So-3 vertical bomb cell located behind the pilot's seat^{[N 3]}, as the small bombs could only be released from low altitude due to a lack of SC 10 electrical fuses.^[8]

Spainish Civil WarEdit

Following removal of the So-3, and the first flight of the Bf-109V4 - D-IALY - on 23 September, D-IOQY was crated up and sent to Spain for operational evaluation as part of the Spanish Civil War. ^[8] The V4 was also shipped on 30th November after serving as prototype for the B series at Travemunde. At least 20 Bf-109As went to Spain, including some test examples.^[10]

Serving with the Tablada based Jagdgruppe 88 of the Condor Legion, V3, V4, V5 (D-IEKS/D-IIGO) and V6 (D-IHHB) were joined by the first examples of the Bf-109B to be sent to Spain. ^[11] It was while the 109B was operating with the first and second Stafflen in Spain that rumors regarding the type's structural weakness began circulating, giving the impression that the type was liable to disintegrate when performing high stress manoeurves. ^{[N 4]}

Towards the end of the civil war, a few Bf 109Es were passed to Spain, gaining the nickname 'Tripala' due to their three bladed propellers.

World War 2Edit

By the time war was declared on September 3rd, 1939, following the invasion of Poland, the Bf-109E-1 was the standard fighter in Luftwaffe service, although a number of D models remained in service.^[12]

Other operatorsEdit

Info from Combat Legends Messerschmitt Bf109 unless stated otherwise.^[13]

Bulgaria - Deliveries to the Vozdushni Voiski (Royal Bulgarian Air Force) began in 1940-41, with 19 examples of the Bf109E-3a, followed by examples of the E-4

and E-7, resulting in 69 Bf109Es in service with Bulgaria, who named the aircraft the Arrow. Also recieved at least 5 Bf109F-2 and F-4, followed by between 145 and at least 200 Bf109Gs. Many of the Bf109Gs were passed to Yugoslavia.

Croatia - Croatian pilots from the 10th and 11th Fighter squadrons of the Croatian 4th Air Force Group initially flew German owned Bf109Es and Fs with 15.(kroat)/JG52 on the Eastern Front from October 1941, recieving 7 Bf109Gs in july 1942. Grounded by the Germans in March 1944, following an accellerated rate of defections, the unit was reformed with Bf 109G-10s and G-14s as 1. Kroatische Jagdstaffel under Luftflotte 6, and operated until more defections resulted in the unit being grounded again.

Finland - Supplied with a total of 162 Bf109s while allied with Germany, starting with 30 Bf109G-2s for HLelv 34 in March 1943, with attrition during the Continuation War made good by replacements. Finland also purchased 112 Bf109G-6s and two G-8s. Some Bf109s were used for combat against the Germans after the Finnish/Russian Armistice of 19 September 1944.

Hungary - Hungary’s declaration of war against Russia made it an ally of Germany, and therefore eligible for military assistance, resulting in the delivery of 2 Bf 109Ds to the Magyar Kiralyl Honved Legiero (Royal Hungarian Air Force) in 1941. This was followed by 66 Bf 109E-4/B fighter bombers, 84 G-2s and G-4, and 50 E-4 fighters. Hungarian pilots were also attached to JG.52, forming 1 Ungarische Jabostaffel (1st Hungarian Fighter-Bomber Squadron) flying Bf109Fs. In addition, fighter squadrons 1/1, 2/1 and 5/3 – which respectively became 101/2, 101/1 and 101/3 – used Bf109s for Home Defence, before pulling back into Austria. In May 1945 the MKHL ceased to exist when personnel of 101 Wing set fire to their aircraft. Hungary supplemented aircraft delivered from Germany by producing Bf109Gs at the Gyor plant, which delivered 205 G-2s, G-4s and G-6s in 1943, later adding 33 G-10s and G-14s.

Italy - The Regia Aeronautica (Italian Airforce) received enough Bf109s to equip two Gruppi – No 3, comprising 153, 154 and 155 Squadriglia, and No 150, comprising 363, 364 and 365 Squadriglia. Both gruppi were mainly employed to defend Sicily and Italy during 1943. Total number of Bf109s in RA service has been quoted as 15 F-4s, 6 G-2s, 10 G-4s and 91 G-6s. Following the Italian Armistice of 8 September 1943, the Fascist government in the North formed the pro fascist Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, with 2 units flying the Bf109. 43 Bf109G-6/R-6s from I/JG 53 and II/JG77 arrived in May 1944 to join 2 Gruppo, who began flying operations on 22 June 1944.

Japan - Recieved 13 Bf 109Es – 10 in 1940 and a further 3 in 1941 – for evaluation preceding possible license production for the Japanese Army Air Force. The Allies saw fit to assign the reporting codename ‘Mike’ to the Bf109.

Rumania - Received 11 Bf109E-3as in 1940, which were followed by 39 ex Luftwaffe training aircraft in 1941 and 15 more in 1942. Germany also transferred 5 109Fs and approximately 200 109G2s, G-4s and G-6s, followed by a single G-12 trainer and 48 more G-2s. The Industria Aeronautica Romana plant at Brasov built G-4s - as the Ga-4 - and G-6s – as the Ga-6 - delivering 75 between April and August 1944, when the Russian invasion resulted in Rumania breaking with the Axis, by which point 349 109s had entered service.

Slovakia - Following the establishment of a Slovakian puppet state after the German takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1939, the Slovak Air Force was eligible for re-equipment by Germany. Pilot training on Bf109Es commenced in 1942, and the following year saw 43 F-2s, F-4s G-2s and G-4s being transferred to Slovak control. In March 1943 enough G-6s were loaned to equip 13./(slow)JG 52 for service in the East, flying combat missions until the end of the year. Loaned G-6s were also used by a Slovakian 12th Fighter Squadron. The 13th Fighter Squadron originally operated old Bf 109Es for the defense of Bratislava, eventually replacing them with 14 G-6s. By the time of the Communist Slovak uprising on 29 August 1944, the 12th and 13th Squadrons were almost out of aircraft, with the end of the revolt spelling the end of the Slovak Air Force, with the 15 G-14s built by the Avia established production line at Prague presumably being passed to the Luftwaffe.

Spain - Several examples of the Bf 109 Vercuchs machines (prototypes), as well as numerous As, Bs, Cs and Ds, were left behind when the Condor Legion left Spain after the Civil War. In addition, Spain were supplied with 44 E-3a aircraft. During WW2 Spain formed the Escuadrion Azul (Blue Division), whose air element formed five excadrilles attached to German Jagdeschwadern on the Eastern Front. Enough Bf109E-7 aircraft were supplied by Germany to equip the initial unit, designated 1a Escadrille, which became 15.(span)/JG 27 in 1941. The other Spanish volunteer units, which flew the Bf 109F-4, each took it’s place in the front line, successively becoming 15.(span)/JG 51. The 4th Escadrille later re-equipped with Fw 190As, while the 5th received Bf109G-6s, which they used until – to the disgust of the pilots – Franco pulled the Blue Division out of Russia in 1943, by which time the five Spanish units had claimed 159 soviet aircraft downed for the loss of 21 pilots killed, wounded or taken prisioner. 25 Bf 109G-2s, without engines and other items, arrived in Spain in 1943. After obtaining a manufacturing licence, Hispano Avicon initially completed these airframes as HA-1109-J1l aircraft, by fitting the 1,300hp Hispano-Suiza HS-12-Z-89. One flew with a 1,300hp HS-12-Z-17 as the HA-1109-K1L, while another was modified to serve as a two seat trainer as the HA-1110-K1L.

Switzerland - The only country to directly purchase the Bf 109D-1, receiving 10 examples from 1939, followed by 56 Bf 109E-3a aircraft in 1939, with another 24 delivered in 1940. Two Bf 109Fs were acquired in 1942. In May 1944 14 G-6s were delivered after the destruction of a Bf 110G night fighter carrying secret electronic equipment, which had landed on Swiss soil in error.

Russia - Purchased 3 Bf109Es during 1940, and acquired other examples through capture after Operation Barbarossa.

Yugoslavia - During 1939-1940 Germany supplied the Jugoslovenska Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo (JKRV) with 73 Bf 109E-3a models. 61 remained in service when Germany launched the invasion, but most had been destroyed or burnt by the time Yugoslavia surrendered on 17 April 1941. When Yugoslav pilots were able to support the Partisan People’s Liberation Army in 1944, the Eskadrila za vezu were issued with 10 G-6s and G-10s, most of which were captured Croat Air Force aircraft, the unit flying it’s final mission of WW2 on 28 May 1945, with Bf109G-10s which escorted a single Ju-87 sent to bomb German troops who refused to surrender.

VariantsEdit

Bf 109A-0 (Retrospective designation for early prototype and trial aircraft), Bf 109B-1 (Initial production version), Bf-109C-1 (First version with fuel injection), Bf 109D-1 (Final carburettor equipped version), Bf 109E (Main production version, including fighter bomber and tactical reconnaissance aircraft), Bf 109T (STOL modification of Bf 109E with wings extended by 3 ft 11 3/4in (1.22m). Originally intended for operation from the two Graf Zeppelin class Aircraft Carriers, these aircraft were eventually denavalised and sent to Norway), Bf 109F (Version with revised airframe without tail struts. First version to use Rustsatze Field upgrade kits), Bf 109G (Version with DB 605 engines; some fitted with clear vision 'Galland Hood'. Some examples of early sub types converted into dual control trainers as G-12s), Bf 109K (Final production version with tall tailplane and clear vision hood).^[14]

ReferencesEdit

NotesEdit

1. ↑ This may have been due to distrust of Messerschmitt's designs within the RLM, following crashes involving examples of the M29 Light aircraft and the M20 passenger plane.^[5]
2. ↑ Also known as D-IDUE.^[6]
3. ↑ Containing five 22lb (10kg) bombs, the S0-3 was intended to provide a means of providing an offensive capability without incurring the drag penalty of an external bomb rack.^[9]
4. ↑ This was due to exaggerated reports about a damaged 109B losing it's tail while in a high speed dive.^[3]

SourcesEdit

1. ↑ Robert Jackson, Jim Winchester. Dogfight: Military Aircraft Compared and Contrasted. Amber Books Ltd (2006), ISBN 978 0 7607 8169 2
2. ↑ Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. Complete Book of Fighters. Salamander Books. 2001. ISBN 1-84065-269-1
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Green, William. Famous Fighters of the Second World War. Purnell Book Services. 1975.
4. ↑ Template:German Aircraft WW2
5. ↑ {A&L Bf 109}} Pages 7-8
6. ↑ Nowarra, Heinz.(1989),
7. ↑ Scutts, Jerry. (2002), Pages 6-7.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Scutts, Jerry. Combat Legend Messerchmitt Bf 109. Airlife Books (2002), ISBN 1 84037 364 4 Page 7.
9. ↑ Scutts, Jerry. (2002), Page 89.
10. ↑ Scutts, Jerry. (2002), Page 8.
11. ↑ Scutts, Jerry. (2002), Page 21.
12. ↑ Nowarra, Heinz 1989. Page 55
13. ↑ Scutts, Jerry. (2002), Pages 81-86.
14. ↑ Scutts, Jerry. (2002), Page 92.

v • d • e Fighter Aircraft of the Luftwaffe Single-Engine Fighters Heinkel He 51 • Focke Wulf Fw 190 • Messerschmitt Bf 109 • Heinkel He 112 (Limited Use) • Focke Wulf Ta 152 • Messerschmitt Me 163 • Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger Night Fighters Heinkel He 219 • Junkers Ju 88 (Some versions) Twin-Engine Fighters Messerschmitt Me 210 • Messerschmitt Bf 110 • Messerschmitt Me 410 • Messerschmitt Me 262 Experimental Fighters Dornier Do 335Z • Focke Wulf Ta 183 • Heinkel He 178 • Horten Ho 229 (Fighter/Bomber) • Messerschmitt Me 209 • Messerschmitt P.1112 • Messerschmitt P.1101 • Messerschmitt Me 609 • Arado Ar 240