Messerschmitt Bf 110

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Messerschmitt Bf 110
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-360-2095-23, Messerschmitt Me 110 aircraft.jpg
Type: destroyer
Design country:

German Reich NSGerman Reich (Nazi era) German Empire

Manufacturer:

Messerschmitt

First flight:

May 12, 1936

Commissioning:

1939

Production time:

1939 to 1945

Number of pieces:

5760

The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was a twin-engine , all-metal - low-wing aircraft of the German aircraft manufacturer Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (BFW, 1938: Messerschmitt AG ), the newly created in the 1934 class of the " destroyer was classified." The type was initially designed for two crew members, later a third person was added for various requirements.

The first flight took place on May 12, 1936; several plants built a total of 5,760 machines from 1939 to 1945.

The type designation

The serial number assigned by the Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM) to the new destroyer was 110. In accordance with its official designation system, the RLM Technical Office, which is responsible for aircraft procurement, combined the type number with the abbreviation of the manufacturer BFW to Bf 110. The designer Willy Messerschmitt as a shareholder in the manufacturer gave the type the designation Me 110, which corresponds to its name. Only after the RLM had temporarily stopped cooperation with the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke did Messerschmitt / BFW take over the designation Bf 110 required by the Technical Office -Illustrated Der Adler as well as in the aircraft identification books approved by the RLM (for example intended for the NSFK ) continue to be called Me 110. This designation was also common in other magazines and in everyday language used by the Luftwaffe.

Since the manufacturer was initially Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG, which was then merged into Messerschmitt AG in 1938 , the name of the technical office was initially BFW Bf 110 , then - while retaining the original manufacturer abbreviation - Messerschmitt Bf 110 .

commitment

Use at the beginning of the war

Due to its strong engine compared to the enemy aircraft and the resulting speed advantage, the Bf 110 was able to successfully assert itself in the air war over Poland , Norway and France against the more agile but largely outdated single-engine fighters of the opposing air forces. Their success was spectacular on December 18, 1939 in the aerial battle over the German Bight against a formation of 22 British Vickers-Wellington bombers, in which the fighters of JG 77 shot down almost half of the bombers.

Due to the German air superiority, the Bf 110 was not only used as a fighter, but also as a reconnaissance aircraft or attack aircraft at an early stage.

The initial tactics were based on getting into a favorable higher position and - taking advantage of the strong front armament - coming from behind and making a single approach to the enemy aircraft and thereby achieving the kill. If this failed, the Bf 110 evaded the threatening and for a twin-engine aircraft disadvantageous battle in curves by utilizing its stronger engine power. In order to get more favorable firing positions, some Bf 110 units practiced a tactic in which a Bf 110 with throttled engines flew relatively low, the rest of the squadron much higher. If an enemy fighter turned on the supposedly lame single aircraft, the rest of the squadron would attack the enemy from above.

Compared to the Bf 109, the Bf 110 was a powerful model at the beginning of the war, because the Bf 110 C used was already powered by the powerful DB-601 engines with direct injection , while the Bf 109s were still partly equipped with a Jumo 210 carburetor engine .

The Battle of Britain

A Bf 110C-4 captured by the RAF in 1941
Me Bf 110 1942

The Bf 110 did not prove itself as an escort fighter in the Battle of Britain . Although its range, in contrast to the single-engine Bf 109, was sufficient for its planned main purpose, its flight performance has now lagged behind that of the single-engine enemy fighters. Compared to the fast Spitfire in particular , the flight performance of the Bf 110 was not sufficient; depending on the altitude, the somewhat slower hurricane was also superior to it. Since it was designed as a twin-engine heavy long-range fighter, the maneuverability of the Bf 110 was worse than the single-engine aircraft. So she could not fight successfully from the defensive position into which she had been forced by her inferior performance - but also by the German tactic of flying close escorts for the bomber formations. Even the defensive armament consisting of a single MG 15 - acting backwards - could not compensate for these disadvantages.

Use as a fighter-bomber

Messerschmitt Bf 110 E-1 of the destroyer supplement group, Deblin-Irena (Poland), 1942

In 1941 the model was used in large numbers in the Mediterranean and in the Soviet Union , mainly as a fighter-bomber and ground attack aircraft. In preparation for the production of the successor model Me 210 , production was shut down after some time; However, when the production of the Me 210 was stopped because of its defects, the production facilities planned for the Me 210 re-manufactured the Bf 110.

Use as a night fighter

Booty machine Bf 110 G-4 with RAF badge, FuG 220/202; The flame annihilation tubes on the side of the engine are clearly visible
View of the rear command post
View from the rear command post to the pilot

Until the end of the war, the Bf 110 was the standard night fighter of the German Air Force alongside the Ju 88 . The normally equipped machines were retrofitted by the squadron mechanics to make them suitable for night flights: Among other things, the brightness of the instrument lighting had to be greatly reduced, as it was designed for daytime use and dazzled the pilot at night . The aircraft was very popular with pilots because of the long range, the enormous firepower of the four on-board cannons in the bow, the long flight time of over 250 minutes and the very good climbing performance with good maneuverability. The night fighter versions differed mainly in the installation of various radar systems ( FuG 202 "Lichtenstein" ), which were operated by a specially trained radio operator. Pilot and radio operator were trained as a "pair" and basically only used together. The radio operator guided the pilot behind the bomber via the three picture tubes (later only two). Nevertheless, on a dark new moon night the pilot could not see the matte black camouflaged bomber flying directly in front of him. According to the principle of “six eyes see more than four”, a third crew member was introduced: The 1st serviceman (i.e. the aircraft mechanic in charge) was taken behind the pilot and in front of the radio operator in a small makeshift seat and was therefore personally extremely interested in the Machine was technically in the best condition. He was not blinded by anything, searched the night sky with the pilot and was significantly involved in the success of the night fighters. The radio operator navigated , listened to the situation in the air by radio and gave control instructions to the pilot with the help of his picture tubes. Since the night fighters mostly traveled very far from their home bases during their long flights in the bomber stream , the 1st warden who was flown with them helped with refueling and ammunitioning for further missions that same night. Owing to the inclined music that was often installed later , the crew had very little room to move in the originally two-seater cabin, which was changed from the Bf 110 F-4 onwards by slightly lengthening the pulpit.

The air resistance of the four large VHF antennas of the Lichtenstein on- board radar reduced the top speed by around 50–80 km / h, which was not as difficult compared to the slower bombers at night as it was to the fast single-seater day fighters of the USAAF . The SN-2 on-board radar enabled the crew to locate a bomber flying at 3500 m or higher within an approx. 60 ° detection cone in height and to the side at a distance of 6-8 km. Below 2500 m the ground echoes were mostly too strong.

When the night fighters were equipped with flame destroyers, which were supposed to prevent the pilot from dazzling the exhaust flames and better protect the aircraft from being discovered at night, engine problems initially arose: The first flame destroyers used in the F series caused a high level of exhaust gas backlog, which would reduce its service life the aircraft engines Daimler-Benz DB 601 F [3] reduced to about 20 hours. Modified flame extinguishers increased the service life to around 60 hours. The most important night fighter variant, the Bf 110 G-4, was equipped with the more powerful DB 605 B [4]. In the beginning, this type of engine had frequent engine fires, which led to a ban on the use of maximum power in 1943. Because of the small cabin of the Bf 110, additional electronic equipment such as the FuG 350 "Naxos" or the FuG 227 "Flensburg" could not be carried.

The 20-mm on-board cannons of the “Weird Music” were equipped with drum magazines that the radio operator had to change. At the beginning the upper reflex sight was attached too weakly and could be unintentionally adjusted when the pilot got into the narrow cabin. When these problems were resolved, however, the effect for the British bombers was fatal: A short, well-aimed burst of fire from the Bf 110, which was about 50-100 m lower, into the gasoline tanks (still full on approach) between engines 3 and 4 of the right wing Quote: Paul Zorner ) "literally shaved off the right surface", so that the night fighter pilot had to pull very hard to the side immediately after the burst in order not to be hit by parts of the falling bomber. Although many of the German night fighter pilots hoped to give the bomber pilot on the left side of the plane the highest chance of survival for an emergency descent by aiming in the right wing, and thus give the crew a possible chance to jump , over 90% of the bomber crews survived the crash in the dismantling machines do not.

The "weird music" was only used when there were no clouds under the bomber. The sharp, dark silhouette of a night fighter under the bomber would have been clearly visible against the uniform gray of the clouds. However, when the ground was visible, the hunters' camouflage pattern was very effective. When the clouds were thick under the bombers, the "rear attack" was preferred, that is, from behind with the cannons pointing forward.

The muzzle of the four forward-facing machine gun in the bow appears the pilot when triggered so strong that this a short time after firing nightblind was. It was therefore shot at extremely short distances of around 50–80 m and usually every fifth cartridge was equipped with tracer ammunition. In this way, the pilot was able to assess the effect and readjust it if necessary. During the development of the Heinkel He 219  - the first German fighter aircraft intended mainly for night hunting - this experience resulted in its four on-board cannons being installed in a concealed hull under the fuselage, which considerably reduced the glare effect.

Well-known night fighters such as Schnaufer , Lent and Sayn-Wittgenstein achieved considerable success with the Bf 110; some crews managed to get five or more kills in one night. Young night fighter crews with fewer than ten kills were used from February 1943 to February 1944 on day missions against incoming American bombers. However, they had little chance in their Bf 110 with their braking antenna systems and the lack of experience in day hunting against the fast escort fighters of the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt type and were literally "burned out" from the perspective of the fighter pilots. Towards the end of the war (June 44 to April 45), night fighters were occasionally used as night fighter pilots.

Use as a tow plane

The Bf 110C was also used as a towing aircraft for the Me 321 "Gigant" in a three-way carriage . This Troika procedure entailed considerable dangers in the take-off phase: an engine failure in one of the tow planes or the failure of the glider's start-up rockets during the take-off phase could lead to the crash of the entire combination. Such a crash of a Me 321 full of soldiers is considered to be the worst aircraft accident in aviation history in terms of human casualties until the end of the war. In order to avoid these problems, the He 111 Z “Zwilling” was later designed as a single five-engine tow plane. Some Bf 110s were also used during testing and for training purposes by the test command 16 and JG 400 to tow the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket aircraft .

"Flight to England" by Rudolf Hess

The wreck of Hess' Messerschmitt Bf 110 E-1 / N

On his flight to Scotland (despite the misleading term "Englandflug") on May 10, 1941, Rudolf Hess used a Bf 110 E-1 / N (serial number: 3869). Parts of this aircraft are on display in the Imperial War Museum (London) and the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian .

rating

The Bf 110 was the German answer to the air war doctrine of France and Great Britain, which also developed universal combat aircraft ( Amiot 143 , Potez 63 , Breguet 693 ). Based on the experiences from the colonial wars of France and Great Britain, this universal type of aircraft should be able to cover its own bombers and intercept enemy bombers as a fighter aircraft with greater range , but also be used as a reconnaissance aircraft , dive bomber and deep attack aircraft .

Designed as a destroyer , the Bf 110 did not meet all expectations that had been placed on such a multi-purpose model. It should show that this class of aircraft could not actually perform any of the intended tasks effectively. As a heavy long-range fighter in particular, the Bf 110 was a failure, as the existing rear gunner and strong forward armament could not compensate for the lack of maneuverability and the aircraft, like other twin-engine fighters like the P-38 and Ki-45 , clearly became the more agile single-engine short-range fighters in classic curve combat was inferior.

The well-known British test pilot Eric Melrose Brown certified the Bf 110's excellent flight characteristics, in contrast to the single-engine Bf 109 , whose rudder adjustment and take-off and landing characteristics he strongly criticized.

In the originally not intended role of night fighter, which only emerged through the development of on-board radars, the Bf 110 was even very successful and, together with the Ju 88, formed the backbone of the night fighter units until the end of the war. Since the successor types developed by Messerschmitt ( Me 210 and Me 410 ) were designed for daytime use as destroyers and high-speed bombers capable of combat, they were not suitable as a substitute for the Bf 110 in the role of night fighter. Me 410 and other night hunting models such as Ta 154 and He 219 were removed from the armament staff in 1944 , so that the Bf 110 remained in production until the beginning of 1945.

production

The Bf 110 was largely manufactured by licensees, with Gothaer Waggonfabrik (GWF) and the Luther-Werke Braunschweig (LWB) outsourced by MIAG taking over most of the production. Messerschmitt Augsburg (MttA) was only involved in the construction until June 1941 and then switched to the production of the Me 210. In the early versions, Focke-Wulf (FW) took part in the license production.

Series production of the Bf 110 started in early 1939. Up to the beginning of the war only 118 aircraft could be delivered, so that only three destroyer groups were equipped with this aircraft during the Polish campaign . In the summer of 1941, Willy Messerschmitt suggested a variant with the new DB 605 engine . In the second half of 1941, however, production in favor of the Me 210 was supposed to be phased out and so the RLM put this proposal on file. After the failure with the Me 210, this design was taken up again in January 1942. Initially, three versions were planned: the Bf 110 G-1 as a fighter-bomber, the Bf 110 G-2 as a destroyer and the Bf 110 G-3 as a reconnaissance aircraft. This also corresponded to the classification in the F series. The last 17 aircraft were delivered in February 1945. About 2800 aircraft were built as destroyers, with some of the aircraft also being used as night fighters. Around 2500 night fighters F-4 and G-4 were built alongside around 600 reconnaissance aircraft (with a 3-man crew). At least 278 aircraft from the C to E series were converted into attack aircraft with armor. A total of 5926 aircraft can be verified, including prototypes and possible pilot series. The documents of the Federal Archives contain 5816 aircraft as individual deliveries, the difference to the aforementioned number being due to destruction after BAL acceptance (building supervision of the Air Force).

Construction figures for the Bf 110 up to February 28, 1945 :

version MttA GWF FW MIAG LWF GWF and LWF total comment
B. 26th 62 88
C-1 102 38 15th 40 195
C-2 134 95 53 76 358
C-2B 1 1
C-4 46 55 54 155
C-5 100 100 spotter
C-6 12 12
C-7 4th 35 39
D-0 83 83
D-1 21st 21st
D-2 52 52
D-2N 21st 21st
D-3 6th 181 66 253
D-4 6th 6th spotter
E-1 320 320
E-2 46 57 20th 212 335
E-3 224 224 spotter
F-2tp 4th 165 169
F-3 50 50 spotter
F-4 283 283 Night fighter
G-0 32 32
G-2tp 86 424 510
G-2 / R1 32 32
G-2 / R2 8th 8th
G-2 / R3 20th 60 80
G-2 / R5 16 16
G-2 / R6 63 33 96
G-3 179 179 spotter
G-4 439 240 679 Night fighter
G-4 / U7 60 60 Night fighter
G-4 / R3 278 129 407 Night fighter
G-4 / R6 342 342 Night fighter
G-4 / R7 100 162 262 Night fighter
G-4 / R8 252 189 17th 458 Night fighter
total 796 2744 345 272 1752 17th 5926

Technical specifications

Messerschmitt Bf 110 C

Bf 110 C-4 (1940/1941)

  • Purpose: destroyer / long-range escort
  • Crew: 2
  • Span: 16.29 m
  • Length: 12.11 m
  • Height: 3.51 m
  • Wing area: 38.36 m²
  • Wing loading: 176 kg / m²
  • Engines: two Daimler-Benz DB 601 B-1 [1] with 1020 HP each at an altitude of 4500 m, take-off power 990 HP
  • Flight mass: 6750 kg
  • Top speed: 560 km / h
  • Summit height: 10,000 m
  • Gradeability: approx. 11 m / s
  • Range: 1300 km
  • Armament: four 7.92 mm MG 17 and two 20 mm MG FF / M in the nose, a movable 7.92 mm MG 15 in the rear of the cockpit

Bf 110 G-2 (from 1943)

  • Purpose: destroyer / fighter-bomber
  • Crew: 2
  • Span: 16.25 m
  • Length: 12.1 m
  • Height: 3.5 m
  • Engines: two Daimler-Benz DB 605 B-1s with 1475 HP takeoff power each
  • Maximum speed (unarmed at an altitude of 7000 m): 633 km / h
  • Armament:
    • typical: two 30 mm MK 108 in the upper fuselage bow, including two 20 mm MG 151/20 , a movable 7.92 mm twin MG 81 Z in the rear of the cockpit
    • optional: under the fuselage two more MG 151, carrier for two bombs each 500 kg or a 3.7 cm BK 3.7 on-board cannon (omission of the two lower MG 151); two additional tanks under the wings, four launch tubes for 21 cm air-to-air missiles or two carriers for bombs up to 250 kg or special ammunition

Bf 110 G-4 (1943-1945)

Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 with radar antennas "Deer Antler" in flight in 1942
Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 / R6 in the RAF Museum
Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 / R6 in the RAF Museum
  • Purpose: night fighter
  • Crew: 3
  • Span: 16.29 m
  • Length: 12.68 m
  • Height: 3.98 m
  • Wing area: 38.36 m²
  • Wing loading: 244 kg / m²
  • Powerplant: two Daimler-Benz DB 605 B [4] with 1475 hp takeoff power each
  • Flight mass: 9800 kg
  • Top speed: 585 km / h (with radar approx. 550 km / h)
  • Summit height: 8000 m
  • Gradeability: approx. 11 m / s
  • Range: 850 km (without the two 300-liter additional tanks)
  • Armament:
    • four 7.92 mm MG 17 and two 20 mm MG 151/20 in the nose, a movable 7.92 mm twin MG 81 Z in the rear of the cockpit
    • Optional weapon container WB 151Z under the fuselage with two additional 20 mm MG 151/20
    • Optional replacement of the four MG 17s located at the top of the nose with two 30 mm MK 108 cannons
    • optional (series from autumn 1944) installation of two MG FF / M in the rear cockpit in front of the gunner as " weird music "
    • typical armament in 1944: four MG 17 and two MG 151/20 in the nose, two MG FF / M as angled "music" and the rear-facing MG 81 Z
  • Radar (active):
    • early versions without radar
    • FuG 202 Lichtenstein B / C (from late 1942)
    • FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 with FuG 202 for close range (from the end of 1943); FuG 220 alone from around mid-1944

Other versions

  • Bf 110 A series
Bf 110 A-0 - pre-series, four well-known machines with Junkers Jumo 210 engines
  • Bf 110 B series - first series version, Jumo 210 engines with 680 to 730 hp
Bf 110 B-1 destroyer, four 7.92 mm MG 17 (above) and two 20 mm MG FF (below) in the nose, MG 15 as rear armament
Bf 110 B-2 - reconnaissance aircraft, replacement of the MG FF with cameras
Bf 110 B-3 - school machine, armed only with MG 17, conversion of B-1 and B-2
  • Bf 110 C-Series - first large-scale production version, DB-601 engines; four MG 17 and two MG FF frontal, one MG 15 as rear armament
Bf 110 C-1 destroyer, DB-601-B-1 engines with 1100 hp
Bf 110 C-2 destroyer, C-1 with newer FuG-10 radio
Bf 110 C-3 - destroyer, like C-2 but MG FF replaced by MG FF / M
Bf 110 C-4 - destroyer, improved armor protection for the crew; MG FF / M
Bf 110 C-4 / B - fighter-bomber, like C-4 but bomb carrier for two 250 kg bombs; DB-601-Ba engines with 1175 hp
Bf 110 C-5 - reconnaissance aircraft, like C-4 but replacement of the MG FF with RB-50/30 cameras, DB-601-P engines with 1175 hp
Bf 110 C-6 - ground attack aircraft for attacks on ground or ship targets, 30 mm MG / MK 101 under the fuselage, DB 601 P, only a few copies
Bf 110 C-7 - fighter-bomber, C-4 / B after conversion to type DB 601 P [2] engines, reinforced chassis, two 500 kg bombs
  • Bf 110 D-series - destroyer / fighter-bomber for extreme ranges based on the C-series, equipment for additional tanks, reinforced landing gear, very often used in Norway
Bf 110 D-0 - prototypes made of C-3 airframes, series production with an additional 1200 l tank, "dachshund belly" under the fuselage
Bf 110 D-1 - destroyer, like D-0 but series production without a dachshund belly
Bf 110 D-1 / R1 - destroyer, equipping of dachshund belly, two 900 l dropping additional tanks possible
Bf 110 D-1 / R2 - destroyer, no dachshund belly, two disposable additional tanks with 900 l each and a disposable lubricant container with 85 l
Bf 110 D-2 - fighter-bomber, two 500 kg bombs and two 300 l drop-off additional tanks, DB-601-P engines
Bf 110 D-3 - fighter-bomber, like D-2, but extended hull for lifeboat
  • Bf 110 E-Series - improved C-Series, airframe and landing gear reinforced for greater bomb load; Armament like the C-series, drop-off additional tanks possible
Bf 110 E-1 - fighter-bomber, two 500 kg bombs under the fuselage, four 50 kg bombs under the wings, DB-601-P engines
Bf 110 E-2 - fighter-bomber, like E-1 but extended hull for lifeboat
Bf 110 E-3 - long-range reconnaissance aircraft, replacement of the MG FF / M in the lower nose with Rb 50/30 camera; Additional tanks possible
  • Bf 110 F-Series - improved E-Series, better armor, two 300-liter additional tanks, standard option, DB 601 F [3] with 1350 hp
Bf 110 F-1 - fighter-bomber
Bf 110 F-2 destroyer, often used to combat heavy bombers
Bf 110 F-3 - long-range reconnaissance aircraft, replacement of the MG FF / M in the lower nose with Rb 50/30 camera
Bf 110 F-4 - night fighter, specially designed for use with a three-man crew; Larger area rudder
  • Bf 110 G series - improved F series; DB 605 B-1 [4] with 1475 hp; Replacement of MG FF / M by MG 151/20
Bf 110 G-0 destroyer, pre-production with MG 15 in the rear
Bf 110 G-2 - destroyer, fighter-bomber or high-speed bomber, variable weapon equipment, up to 1200 kg bombs, 7.92 mm MG 81Z in the rear
Bf 110 G-3 - reconnaissance aircraft, replacement of MG 151/20 in the lower nose with Rb 50/30 camera
Bf 110 G-4 - night fighter, like F-4 but more powerful engines, partly with two MG FF / M as weird music
  • Bf 110 H series - projected version, like G series but with more powerful engines; painted
  • [1] The DB 601 B-1 was a modification of the DB 601 A-1 with a modified propeller reduction, the maximum power allowed for only one minute was 1100 hp, the normal take-off power 990 hp. Alternatively, the DB 601 Ba with 1045 HP (maximum 1175 HP) was used (modification of the DB 601 Aa with modified propeller reduction).
  • [2] The DB 601 P was a modification of the DB 601 N with a modified propeller reduction. Starting power 1020 (later 1175) hp
  • [3] The DB 601 F was a modification of the DB 601 E with a modified propeller reduction. Takeoff power 1350 hp (limited to approx. 1200 hp until the end of 1941 / beginning of 1942)
  • [4] The DB 605 B was a modification of the DB 605 A with a modified propeller reduction. Take-off power 1475 hp (limited to 1310 hp until mid-1943)

Received aircraft

There are still two surviving aircraft. An aircraft has been exhibited in the German Museum of Technology in Berlin since 2005 . Another aircraft is in the Royal Air Force Museum in London .

See also

literature

  • JL Campbell: Me 110 destroyer in action. Friedberg 1977.
  • Olaf Groehler : History of the Air War 1910 to 1980. Military publishing house of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1981.
  • K. Kaus : Two Messerschmitt 110 - witnesses of the air war over Burgenland. In: Karl Kaus: Burgenland. Archeology and regional studies, Opera selecta. Scientific papers from Burgenland (WAB) 114, 2006, ISBN 3-85405-153-0 , pp. 263-266.
  • Ernst König: The History of the Air Force. Rastatt 1980.
  • H. Mankau and P. Petrick: Messerschmitt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. The Messerschmitt destroyers and their competitors. 2001, ISBN 3-925505-62-8 .
  • H. Nauroth and W. Held: Messerschmitt Bf110 destroyers on all fronts 1939–1945. Stuttgart 1978.
  • T. Wood, B. Gunston: Hitler's Air Force. New York / London 1977.
  • Paul Zorner: nights in the bomber stream. Memories of a Night Fighter Pilot, Twenty-nine six publishers, ISBN 978-3-9807935-9-9 .
  • Monogram Close-up No. 18 Bf 110 G. Monoram Aviation Publication, ISBN 0-914144-18-9 .
  • Eric Melrose Brown Famous Air Force aircraft 1939–1945 , Motorbuch, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-87943-846-3 .

Web links

Commons : Messerschmitt Bf 110  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Olaf Groehler: History of the Air War 1910 to 1980. Military publishing house of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1981, p. 249 names 6150 pieces; Ernst König: The History of the Air Force. Rastatt 1980, p. 156 counts 5762 aircraft
  2. cf. Olaf Groehler: History of the air war 1910 to 1980. Military publishing house of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1981, p. 249.
  3. cf. Ernst König: The History of the Air Force. Rastatt 1980, p. 156.
  4. Hans J. Ebert, Johann B. Kaiser, Klaus Peters: Willy Messerschmitt - pioneer of aviation and lightweight construction. A biography. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 1992, ISBN 3-7637-6103-9 , p. 161 f.
  5. ^ Federal Archives / Military Archives Freiburg, holdings RL 3, production programs
  6. ^ [1] Deutsches Technikmuseum: Medieninfo Messerschmitt Bf 110 - Universal aircraft of the German Air Force
  7. ^ Royal Air Force Museum: ( Memento from April 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-2, accessed on January 26, 2009