Combat aircraft of Hitler's Luftwaffe Detailed cutaways and colour diagrams

100 Pages·2014·31.98 MB·English

German Fighters
of WWII
Combat aircraft of
Hitler’s Luftwaffe
Detailed
cutaways
and colour
diagrams
Rare
photographic
images
£7.95
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INTRODUCTION 3
T
HIS EDITION OF AEROPLANE COLLECTORS’ ARCHIVE Thirteen fighter types are described and presented in the rough order
focuses on the broad range of fighter aircraft operated by the of their first flight dates and this clearly shows how German designers
German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. As well as worked hard to meet the urgent needs of the Luftwaffe as the conflict
using pictures taken by German and Allied photographers, turned steadily in favour of the Allies. Advanced aeronautical research was
the main types are illustrated with period artwork produced by strongly supported by the Third Reich and innovative ideas were numerous
Aeroplane artist James (Jimmy) Clark together with Air Ministry among the leading designers in the main manufacturing companies, but
instructional diagrams and more recent examples of cutaway drawings raw materials and the Allied bombing campaign against Hitler’s fuel supplies
from the talented artist, John Weal. frustrated the introduction of new fighters in sufficient numbers to overcome
During the war years, the Air Ministry allowed Aeroplane and Flight the ascendancy of Allied air power and change the course of the war.
magazine artists and photographers access to captured Luftwaffe The book begins with a section outlining the early biplane fighters with
aircraft. While the Ministry was not in the market to promote enemy which the German Air Force began its comparatively short existence, and
aircraft, it was important for the British technical press to gain at the end of the book is a brief look at Germany’s other, less numerous
knowledge of what the Allies were up against and to give readers, fighters and the last few desperate attempts to produce expendable
many of whom were in the Services, useful information on what the rocket-powered interceptors and advanced jets.
enemy was capable of producing. Some of these pictures are included,
Barry Charles Wheeler,
together with others taken by the German Propaganda Ministry and
Luftwaffe pilots and aircrew. Editor
Designed by Arado engineer, Walter Rethel, the single-seat Ar 65 was the first fighter produced for the newly-formed Luftwaffe. Armed with two 7.9mm
MG 17 machine guns, it was powered by a 750hp BMW VI liquid-cooled engine giving a maximum speed of 186mph at 5,400ft. The Ar 65Es in the picture
are seen in 1935 following transfer to the DVS Jagdfliegerschule based at Schleissheim, near Munich.
Aviation Archive
German fighters of the Second World War
Editor Barry Wheeler • Production manager Kerry Beasley • Design Paul Sander • Cutaways and diagrams James Clark and John Weal
Published by Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG. Telephone [phone] Fax [phone] www.kelsey.co.uk
Printed by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd., Willenhall, West Midlands.
© 2014 all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with prior permission in writing from the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements.
The views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. ISBN 978-1-907426-63-6
German fi ghters of WWII
43
14
23
6 Luftwaff e Fighter History 36 FOCKE-WULF FW 190D
An overview of the rise and fall of one of the ‘LONG-NOSE’
world’s most powerful air arms.
‘Faster and higher’ development of the
7 Fledgling Fighters initial ’190 series.
Early biplanes equip the ‘new’ German air 43 MESSERSCHMITT ME 210 & 410
arm in the 1930s.
‘HORNISSE’
8 MESSERSCHMITT BF 109
This long-range fi ghter-bomber moved from
The iconic monoplane fi ghter which saw the failure to only partial success.
Third Reich through six years of war.
47 MESSERSCHMITT ME 163
16 MESSERSCHMITT BF 110
‘KOMET’
A long-range interceptor which switched from
More dangerous to its crews than to the enemy,
daylight mediocrity to night war success.
this was the world’s only operational rocket-
23 JUNKERS JU 88 powered fi ghter.
Luftwaff e ‘maid of all work’ which included the 52 MESSERSCHMITT ME 262
role of heavy fi ghter among its many tasks.
‘SCHWALBE’
28 FOCKE-WULF FW 190
Considered the peak of wartime fi ghter
The ‘star’ among the Luftwaff e’s mid-war piston- development, the twin-jet design just failed from
engine fi ghters line-up. changing the course of the confl ict.

64
97
64 HEINKEL HE 219 ‘UHU’ 90 FOCKE-WULF FW 187
Potentially a ‘war winner’, this night-fi ghter ‘twin’ A slim-line ‘twin’ with great potential, but denied
failed to gain offi cial support. its chance to shine.
68 FOCKE-WULF TA 152 91 BLOHM & VOSS BV 155
‘Too few – too late’ was fortunate for the Allies as A curious design for high-sky combat which was
this fast interceptor showed great promise. only in test at the end of the war.
72 FOCKE-WULF TA 154 ‘MOSKITO’ 92 HEINKEL HE 100/113 & HE 112
Germany’s late-war attempt at emulating the A record-breaker, propaganda tool and short-
success of the British all-wood Mosquito. lived Luftwaff e fi ghter.
74 DORNIER DO 335 ‘PFIEL’ 94 MESSERSCHMITT ME 209/309
One of the fastest fi ghters of the confl ict, thanks Two designs aimed at replacing the famous Bf
to its ‘push-pull’ engines. 109, yet neither reached production.
83 HEINKEL HE 162 ‘SALAMANDER’ 96 HORTEN HO IX
A last-ditch, low-cost fi ghter intended for use by The innovative jet-powered fl ying wing which just
young Nazi pilots. reached fl ight status in the last weeks of the war.
88 DORNIER DO 17/215/217 97 BACHEM BA 349 NATTER
From early intruders to late-war fi ghters, these A unique rocket-powered point defence interceptor
were bomber conversions on a heavy scale. which was tested as the confl ict ended.
6
Luftwaffe fighter history
W
hen Adolf Hitler came to power protection. Experience over England resulted
in 1933, Germany had virtually no in new, more capable versions of the Bf 109
armed forces in accordance with appearing and the type remained in production
Allied restrictions ordered after the throughout the war.
end of the First World War. However, a clandestine In 1942, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 appeared in
air arm was in training in the Soviet Union and service. This radial-engine-powered fighter came
with behind the scenes armament development from the drawing-board of the talented Focke-
in Germany and in countries such as Spain and Wulf designer, Kurt Tank, and proved to be one
Sweden, Hitler and his henchmen were soon of Germany’s most versatile single-seat combat
establishing a new militarism to take the down- types. The new aircraft all but ruled Europe’s skies
trodden nation to a brighter future. for many months until new Spitfire versions made
The new Luftwaffe was officially revealed on their appearance to regain the ascendancy. Tank
March 1, 1935, with 34 squadrons of fighters, countered with much modified developments
bombers, reconnaissance and coastal patrol aircraft. like the Fw 190D ‘long nose’ and the final Ta 152,
In charge was former First War fighter ace, Hermann considered to be the pinnacle of German piston-
Goering and he ordered a major expansion for engine fighter design.
the new air arm, building airfields, establishing Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, the ruthless Meanwhile, behind the scenes designers were
manufacturing plants, expanding fuel stocks C-in-C of the Luftwaffe and number two to Hitler working to perfect the jet-powered fighter. In
and introducing new armament and weapons, during the short-lived Third Reich. Britain it was Frank Whittle at Power Jets, while
linked across Germany by a modern road and rail in Germany Pabst von Ohain was working with
network. The industrial base tooled up to build fast, during Germany’s attack on Poland on September financial support from Heinkel and it was the He
capable aircraft, the resulting force becoming the 1, 1939, and during the May 1940 Blitzkrieg 178 which became the world’s first jet-propelled
strongest in Europe. However, the weak link in this across Europe. But in the skies over England in aeroplane to fly, on August 27, 1939, powered by
expansionism was the lack of a strategic bomber the summer of 1940, Supermarine Spitfires and Ohain’s HeS 3B engine. Germany can also claim
arm, the new air force being developed first and Hawker Hurricanes of the RAF fought the Bf 109E to have flown the first combat missions with jet
foremost as a tactical arm aimed at supporting the on more equal terms during the Battle of Britain. fighters when the Messerschmitt Me 262 entered
newly-created mobile army. The Battle also showed that two-seat, twin- service in April 1944. Despite operating the rocket-
In 1937, Germany’s latest Messerschmitt Bf 109 engine ‘bomber-destroyers’ like the Bf 110 fared powered Me 163 and the brief appearance of the
monoplane fighter fought its first combats in the badly when pitted against agile single-seat Heinkel He 162 jet, the overwhelming numerical
Spanish Civil War and outclassed all its opponents. fighters and even the feared Junkers Ju 87 Stuka supremacy of the Allies finally defeated the once-
This all-metal fighter retained its ascendancy dive-bomber was outclassed without heavy fighter powerful Luftwaffe.
Considered more manoeuvrable with better pilot handling than the He 51, Arado’s Ar 68 fighter entered service in 1936. Armed with two MG 17
machine guns, the type served for just two years, before being replaced by the monoplane Bf 109 and transferring to the fighter training schools.
This Ar 68F, powered by a BMW VI engine, served with Flugzeugfuhrerschule (FFS) A/B 14 at Klagenfurt/Aigen in 1942.
GERMAN FIGHTERS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR 7
A grey-painted Heinkel He 51B trainer ‘white
2’ of an unidentified Jagdfliegerschulen,
probably in 1941. The tailskid fitted to
earlier He 51s has been replaced by a
tailwheel to ease ground handling.
Fledgling fighters…
With the clandestine formation of the Luftwaffe, of development increased, the He 51 had replaced The Ar 68 entered service in 1937 and seven
so a new fighter was required to give some ‘teeth’ the Ar 65 with the older type being transferred to a Jagdgruppen were equipped with the type,
to the emergent force. Two companies responded, fighter training role. replacing the He 51. However, changes to the
Arado with the Ar 65 and Heinkel proposing the While the He 51 was rolling off the production structure of the fighter groups meant that the
He 51. Both were biplane designs with the former lines, the Arado team was working on a successor Ar 68E, the principle production version, served
entering service with the Reklamefliegerabteilung- to the Ar 65 and came up with the Ar 68. Still only briefly in front-line use before being replaced
Staffel (Publicity Flying Department Squadron) at a biplane, the new aircraft was a more refined by the new monoplane Messerschmitt Bf 109.
Berlin-Staaken late in 1933, the same year that the machine and proved in mock combat to have the The day of the biplane fighter was all but over
first pre-production He 51As were built for service edge over the Heinkel and a production contract and the surviving Ar 68Es were passed to the
evaluation. Less than two years later, as the pace was placed with the Arado Company. Jagdfliegerschulen (Fighter Flying Schools).
Early summer 1934 and three Heinkel He 51A-0 pre-production
fighters formate for the camera. Although military aircraft, they
carry civilian markings as national insignia was not introduced until
May 1936. They were part of an evaluation batch of nine and were
forerunners of 700 production He 51A-1s, Bs and Cs, 135 of which
were shipped to the Nationalist Forces in Spain from 1936.
8
Messerschmitt Bf 109 –
monoplane icon
Perhaps the most famous German fighter aircraft
of the Second World War, the single-seat Bf 109
was built in greater numbers than any other
fighter – German or Allied - with over 34,000 of
some 100 different models. Initially designed
under the BFW (Bayerische Flugzeugwerke
AG) name, hence the Bf prefix, the company
adopted the surname of the chief designer, Willy
Messerschmitt, in July 1938, just over three years
from the first flight of the prototype Bf 109V-1 on
May 28, 1935. The engine fitted on this notable
occasion was an imported British 695hp Rolls-
Royce Kestrel, but the first production version, the
Bf 109B, was powered by a 720hp Junkers Jumo
which gave a top speed of 285mph. This figure
improved to 348mph with the more advanced The fifth prototype Bf 109B-02 D-IEKS at Messerschmitt’s Augsburg factory. It was sent to Spain for
Bf 109E or ‘Emil’ of 1939, thanks to the higher- operational trials with the third and fourth prototypes.
powered 1,100hp Daimler-Benz DB 601.
The Spanish Civil War gave the sprightly tactics which would have a profound influence undercarriage which was costly and took aircraft
fighter its first combat experience when 45 Bf on both sides in the Second World War. Its out of operations. A lockable tailwheel was one
109Bs were sent to the Condor Legion in 1936- first taste of operations also showed up the answer, but the aircraft would be plagued by
37 to assist nationalist forces under General major weakness of the type – its narrow track this inherent problem throughout its life.
Franco. Against inferior Republican fighters, main undercarriage! In 1939, some 255 aircraft Armament increased through the early versions
the German pilots gained considerable success were damaged because of ground looping from three rifle-calibre machine-guns, one of which
and developed new fighting formations and and 240 of these resulted in repairs to the fired through the propeller boss, to four or five
The prototype Messerschmitt Bf 109V-1,
registered D-IABI and powered by an imported
British Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engine, made its
initial flight on May 28, 1935. At the controls
for this historic occasion was test pilot,
Hans-Dietrich Knoetzsch.
MESSERSCHMITT BF 109 9
guns and a single cannon in the nose and appeared
in mid-1941. However, not everything went well for
the new mark as a weakness in the rear fuselage
resulted in losses before strengthening cured the
problem. In 1942 came the G or ‘Gustav’ series which
had top speeds in excess of 384mph at 23,000ft.
More ‘Gustavs’ were built than any other variant
and streamlining production resulted in output
increasing from 50 aircraft per month in 1942, to over
250 per month in 1943.
The final version was the Bf 109K of 1944.
The latter was a refined Gustav with a DB 605
engine, a two-stage turbocharger, aerodynamic
refinements, and improved armament, but few
saw service before the German surrender.
While upgrading engines, equipment and
armament throughout the war, the Bf 109
changed little in overall size. The early E had
a wing span of 32ft 4.5in and a length of 28ft
4.5in, while the Bf 109K spanned 32ft 8.5in with
a length of 29ft 7.5in.
As later versions entered service, so early Bf 109Ds like this one ended up with fighter training Post-war, Czechoslovakia developed the CS-199
units. Standard armament was four 7.9mm MG 17 Rheinmetall Borsig machine guns, two in the version of the Bf 109 powered by either a 1,340hp
wings and two above the engine. Junkers Jumo 211F or a 1,420hp Jumo 211J. It
equipped the Czech Air Force and from 1948, the
7.9mm MG 17s before two were replaced by 20mm of a 300lit drop tank carried under the fuselage, at new Israeli air arm, but its handling characteristics
MG FF cannon in the wings. The E version saw the same time adding more armour, the increased were poor. In Spain, Hispano Aviacion produced
service during the Battle of Britain, but its lack of weight being countered by the introduction of the the HA-1109, initially with a 1,300hp Hispano-
endurance cut operations down to minutes before improved 1,175hp DB 601N engine. Suiza 12Z but later adapted to take the 1,635hp
pilots were forced to break off combat and fly A redesign to regain superiority over the Spitfire Rolls-Royce Merlin. The Spanish Ejercito del Aire
back to refuel at their French bases. Messerschmitt produced the Bf 109F. This combined good handling flew the type until 1967, ending a 30-year history
designers partially solved this with the introduction with a concentration of firepower from two machine for one of the world’s most iconic fighter designs.
10
One of wartime Germany’s leading fighter Production of the Bf 109E series at Messerschmitt’s Regensburg factory early in the war. In the
designers, Willy Messerschmitt was born in foreground, fuselage shells receive the engine and tailplane before joining one of the two
Frankfurt-am-Main on June 26, 1898. He died production lines in the background for wing fitting and final assembly.
in Munich on September 15, 1978, aged 80.
An early Bf 109B on acceptance trials in the summer of 1937. The deep chin radiator intake was a feature of the Junkers Jumo-powered versions and
the tailplane bracing strut was retained until the later Bf 109F. On the outer square-tipped wings are automatic leading-edge slots, fitted to improve
aileron control at low speed.