The Destroyer: Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110 (C-4) - Specifications:
General
- Length: 40 ft., 6 in.
- Wingspan: 53 ft., 4 in.
- Height: 10 ft., 9 in.
- Wing Area: 414 sq. ft.
- Empty Weight: 9,921 lbs.
- Loaded Weight: 14,771 lbs.
- Crew: 2
Performance
- Maximum Speed: 348 mph
- Range: 1,500 miles
- Service Ceiling: 35,000 ft.
- Power Plant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 601B-1 liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 1,085 hp
Armament
- 2 × 20 mm MG FF/M cannons
- 4 × 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns
- 1 × 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun
Messerschmitt Bf 110 - Design & Development:
In 1934, the Reich Air Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium - RLM) issued a requirement for a tactical multi-role fighter/bomber. This request was driven by a desire to have a powerful fighter that possessed a longer range than those under development at the time. The RLM specifications called for a three-seat monoplane featuring twin engines, an internal bomb bay, and armed with cannons. Responding to the request, Henschel, Focke-Wulf, and Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Messerschmitt) submitted designs. While Henschel and Focke-Wulf closely followed the design requirements in creating the Fw 57 and the Hs 124, Messerschmitt elected to omit the bomb bay in favor of increasing the aircraft's armament.
The resulting Bf 110 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane that featured twin tails and two Daimler-Benz DB600 engines. As the development process moved forward, RLM, under pressure from Colonel General Ernst Udet, shifted the focus to the fighter aspects of the original specification.
This benefited the Messerschmitt design which first took flight on May 12, 1936 with Rudolf Opitz at the controls. Though faster than the Messerschmitt Bf 109 variant then in service, the new Bf 110 lacked the anticipated maneuverability. Despite this, the new aircraft defeated its competitors from Focke-Wulf and Henschel in early 1937. Ordered into production, Messerschmitt soon encountered problems as the DB600 engines proved problematic and were not widely available. As a result, the first production models of the type, the Bf 110B, utilized Junkers Jumo 210B engines. These left the aircraft underpowered.
Messerschmitt Bf 110 - Further Development:
The fighter variant of the Bf 110B that entered service in 1937 was armed with four 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns and two 20 mm MG FF cannons. A year later, Daimler-Benz introduced the DB 601 B-1 engine which was employed on the C-series of the aircraft. This improved the type's speed and overall performance. In 1939, work moved forward on the D-series with the goal of increasing the Bf 110's range. This saw the addition of a ventral fuel tank and the ability to receive drop tanks. Though an aging aircraft whose weaknesses had been exposed in combat during the early years of World War II, development of new Bf 110 variants continued in 1941 due to a variety of issues with the new Messerschmitt Me 210. This resulted in the E-, F-, and G-series which saw numerous upgrades to the aircraft. Of these, the E-series was intended as a fighter/bomber while the F-series was perhaps the best fighter of the Bf 110 line. While G-series was employed in a number of roles, the G-4, equipped with a FuG 202/220 Lichtenstein radar, was the Luftwaffe's top night fighter until the introduction of the Heinkel He 219 in 1943. Though possessing flaws, the Bf 110 was know for its versatility and ability to accept a variety of armaments. Additional reconnaissance and training variants of the Bf 110 were also created.
Messerschmitt Bf 110 - Operational History:
Making its combat debut in September 1939, the Bf 110 performed well during the invasion of Poland and had success escorting German bombers. This run continued later that fall when it excelled as a bomber destroyer against Royal Air Force bombing raids on Wilhelmshaven. Its effectiveness helped convince Bomber Command to abandon daylight bombing in favor of night operations. The following year, the Bf 110 continued to offer good performance during the invasions of Denmark and Norway, as well as in the campaigns in the Low Countries and France. In the summer of 1940, the Bf 110's weaknesses were exposed during the Battle of Britain. Though possessing a greater ranger than the Bf 109, the Bf 110's lack of maneuverability and slow acceleration were exploited by the RAF's nimbler Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires. While attempts were made to develop new tactics for the aircraft, Bf 110 units sustained heavy losses in the fighting and some were withdrawn.
As the fighting shifted east in 1941, Bf 110 units took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and the Battles of Greece and Crete. To the south, the type saw service in North Africa and frequently supported Junkers Ju 87 Stuka squadrons. That summer, some Bf 110s aided in the invasion of the Soviet Union, but the aircraft was never used in large numbers on the Eastern Front. By 1943, many Bf 110 units were withdrawn to Germany for defense against Allied bombers. In 1943 and early 1944, prior to the appearance of the North American P-51 Mustang, Bf 110 units achieved success against largely unescorted bomber formations. Attacking with its powerful armament, the aircraft could inflict massive damage in one pass. As the P-51 arrived in larger numbers, it permitted Allied formations to be escorted for the duration of their missions and crippled the Bf 110's effectiveness.
First employed as night fighter in 1940, the Bf 110 provided the bulk of the Luftwaffe's night forces during the war. Using radar and an upward firing Schräge Musik cannon system, Bf 110s could attack Allied bombers, such as the Avro Lancaster, from below. Increasingly supported by radar-equipped Junkers Ju 88s, Bf 110s remained in the night fighter role for the duration of the war and were largely effective. Retired at the end of the war, the Bf 110 was also operated by Italy, Romania, Hungary, and Croatia.
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