The German machines reached Iraq in the first week of May 1941. While RAF Bomber Command destroyed Hannover's city centre and 86% of crews dropped their bombs within 5 km (3 mi) of the aiming point, losses were severe. [67] In the space of less than twenty minutes, Schnaufer shot down no less than seven Lancaster bombers. Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer (heavy fighter) of the German Luftwaffe. Gordon Gollob, future General der Jagdflieger. This book concentrates on the career of the Bf 110 as a daylight fighter. [72] These losses were primarily a result of fighter defences, at the heart of which was the Bf 110. [73], The Phoney War and the "Battle of German Bight", North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East. The Bf 110 also supported the German defence during Big Week in February 1944, as Lt. Gen. Doolittle's tactical changes for the 8th Air Force's escort fighters (increasingly consisting of P-51 Mustangs) went into effect: The experiences of Zerstörergeschwader "Horst Wessel", a Bf 110 squadron, indicates what happened to twin-engine fighters in the new combat environment. 80 Squadron with 6½ kills. [34] (Z)/JG 5, achieved an important victory on 10 May 1942 when six of its Bf 110s, which were escorting Ju 88s of the KG 30, ran into a formation of six Soviet SB-2 bombers escorted by nine Hurricanes of the 2 GSAP. JG 1 again responded, but this time they were joined by 8 Bf 110s of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. Eduard first released their excellent 1/72 scale Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 night fighter in 2013. On 17 September 1942 the Bf 110Es of the 5./ZG 1 ran into four. In game it is one of the fastest aircraft at its battle rating with a speed of 582/560 km/h (arcade and realistic bat… The initial raid was against Wilhelmshaven. [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. The targets around Frankfurt and the Saar region were hit. Originally slated as a heavy fighter the Bf-110 was pressed into service. Then, Nachtjaeger units were equipped with Bf 110 D models fitted with a forward-facing, Spanner-Anlage infrared sensor. Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-377-2801-013 / Jakobsen [Jacobsen] / CC-BY-SA 3.0During the invasion of Poland, Norway, and Denmark, the Zerstörer performed well. Once again, the Bf 110 encountered foreign flown Messerschmitt Bf 109s, this time belonging to the Yugoslav Air Force. The extreme power of the Bf 110's weaponry (when fitted with 20mm and 30mm cannon) could cripple or destroy any Allied bomber in seconds. 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. [10] Some sources claim a 12th Wellington was destroyed. During this time, a number of United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberators were destroyed. The power of its twin engines allowed it to lift greater loads than a single engine fighter. In the mid-1930s, there was a great deal of interest in the concept of the heavy fighter, namely a fighter aircraft with at least two engines which would give improved survivability in combat as well as possess the ability to carry heavier weapons and have a longer range. In the spring of 1940, Walter Horten, Jagdgeschwader 26 technical officer, was invited to participate in a "mock combat" with a Bf 109E. 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. [53], In January 1943 the Eighth Air Force began taking their daylight operations into Germany. "Timber" Woods of No. Jul 16, 2017 - Explore Mat Lambert's board "Me Bf110 Nightfighter" on Pinterest. The Germans were engaged by several Gloster Gladiators and machine guns manned by troops on the ground; in the ensuing battle, both sides lost two aircraft. Luftwaffe night fighters are featured. [63], On 22 February, six Bf 110s were lost for two kills against B-17s, while on 6 March, five Bf 110s were lost and one damaged out of nine machines committed. 33 and No. Most of these victories were scored by Bf 110s – Ju-88s were also being used in the night fighter role, but these were often used in long-range intruder operations over England and most of the defense of the Reich fell to the Messerschmitt. [43] In total Wessenberger 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). German night fighter model lockdown anti boredom project.61 inch wing span,fitted with two OS glow engines,Interesting thing was a successful flying model however it has been in my storage building hanging from the ceiling for a long time so will require some work to fly again,both engines turn with compression.good potential.collection or delivery by me possible USAAF P-51 Mustangs had now appeared, and were able to escort the Allied bombers to and from the target. Between 11 and 13 May, most of the 82 aerial claims over Belgium were made by the Bf 110 equipped ZG 26. Later in the war, it was developed into a formidable night fighter, becoming the major night-fighting aircraft of the Luftwaffe. In late 1943 and early 1944 Bf 110 formations were frequently devastated by the roving Allied fighters. 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.
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