Even as the German invasion of the Soviet Union was underway, work began on yet another improved type - the Bf 109G model. The Germans eventually lost their initiative in the east and were on the defensive for the rest of the war - the Soviets now having introduced more competent fighter types to contend with the masses of Bf 109s and Fw 190s. The German involvement in North Africa was only hurried by the lack of Italian success in the theater - as was the case with Crete, the Balkans and Greece.
Messerschmitt Bf 109G "Gustav"
The next evolution in the German series brought about the aforementioned Bf 109G ("Gustav") of 1942 - largely appreciated by her pilots and marked by students of the war as the most prolific of the series as a whole. By now the Bf 109 was committed to multiple fronts including the war against the Soviet Empire in the East and over Africa. As such, the G-model represented the most-produced mark of the Bf 109 series as a whole and therefore became its definitive version. The mark introduced the Daimler-Benz DB 605 series inline piston engine of 1,475 horsepower. The powerplant brought along with it increased performance specifications which, therefore, allowed for a more potent armaments loadout. The Bf 109G-1 mark was completed with a pressurized cockpit and supercharged engine for high-altitude work. The Bf 109G-2 brought along the same impressive performance and armament but with a loss of the complex pressurization system. These were fitted with the Daimler-Benz DB 605 A-1 series engines of 1,475 horsepower and an armament of 1 x 20mm cannon in the nose and 2 x machine guns in the wings. The Bf 109G-5 was given an 1,800 horsepower engine with emergency fuel injection system for short bursts of power at altitude. The Bf 109G-6 utilized a lethal armament loadout of 1 x 30mm cannon in the propeller hub, 2 x 20mm cannons under the wings and 2 x 7.9mm machine guns in the upper fuselage. This form could be used as a fighter-bomber with a 1,102lb loadout as well. It was the G-6 mark that went on to become the definitive Bf 109G sub-variant mark. The Bf 109G-14 was given provision for externally-mounted 210mm WGr-21 high-explosive air-to-air rockets and conventional drop bombs as well as underwing gun pods. The Bf 109G existed from the G-1 through to the G-16 sub-variants. and this included reconnaissance marks. Many German aces fought behind the controls of the Gustav marks.
The Bf 109 is Challenged Like Never Before
Mounting losses and the relentless Allied air bombing campaign soon took their toll on the German war machine and its war-making facilities. The involvement and improvement of American airmen to the fray also worsened conditions for the Germans as their sphere of influence grew ever smaller. Italy was ultimately invaded as was northern France (after the removal of Axis forces from North Africa) and captured territories served to provide useful Allied airbases that could strike within Germany with impunity. Air superiority of the Luftwaffe was formally challenged by the likes of Spitfires, North American P-51 Mustangs, Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts arriving in droves. Additionally, these aircraft could be used in the strike role and clear out railway stations, key bridges, armored columns and air defense networks.
Messerschmitt Bf 109H
The Bf 109H became a high-altitude development based on the Bf 109F series in 1943. The wingspan was increased for the required role and the more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 601E series engine with supercharger was fitted. While the performance specifications proved strong, development was ultimately dropped when vibration issues threatened the wings and tail. The Bf 109H proved one of the final operational-level Bf 109s to be developed before the end of the war in 1945. It only existed as through the H-0 and H-1 marks, representing preseries and intended production aircraft respectively.
The End in Sight
With so many tides turned and fortunes now shifted, German high command focused on the defense of Germany itself. Bf 109 production remained uninterrupted despite the Allied bombing campaign and further evolved fighters were introduced. Additionally, jet technology ushered in a breed of all-new aircraft but these would only make a slight imprint on the direction of the war itself. This placed much of the pressure upon the likes of the Bf 109 and Fw 190 platforms for the duration of the war - though now being relegated to roles they were never initially intended for. Ultimately, Allied air superiority was in play and German ground forces became fodder for Allied strike aircraft, particularly on clear-weather days. To make matters worse, German forces were running low on spares and fuel shortages were apparent. Additionally, the Luftwaffe lacked experienced pilots due to mounting losses. Converted Bf 109 night-fighters were deployed as desperate measures in defense of the Reich against British night raids. It would seem that time had run out on Hitler's "1,000 Year Reich".
Messerschmitt Bf 109K "Kurfurst"
The final operational Bf 109 became the Bf 109K ("Kurfurst") and this version was based on the Bf 109G series with further aerodynamic improvements. The initial K-model production mark appeared in September of 1944 and these were identified by their larger propeller spinners, revised fuselages, increased vertical tail fin area and new cockpit canopy with improved all-around vision. The engine of choice became the Daimler-Benz DB 605 ASCM series which promised 2,000 horsepower output in extreme circumstances. The initial production variant was the Bf 109K-2 appearing in November of 1944. The K-2 mark was joined by the Bf 109K-4 which brought along a cockpit pressurization system. The K-4 was armed with 1 x 30mm cannon in the nose and 2 x 15mm cannons under the wings and could reach and altitude of 41,000 feet. The Bf 109K-6 was developed as a bomber interceptor and appropriately armed for the role with 1 x 30mm cannon in the nose, 2 x cannon pods under the wings and 2 x 13mm machine guns in the upper fuselage. The Bf 109K-14 was given a Daimler-Benz DB 605L series inline piston engine of 1,700 horsepower and intended for high-altitude fighting. Armament was 1 x 30mm cannon in the nose and 2 x 13mm machine guns in the upper fuselage. The Bf 109K-6 began delivery in January of 1945 while the Bf 109K-14 entered service in the remaining weeks of the war - however the end of the conflict came all too soon for these marks - Germany would capitulate in April of that year, the war in Europe being formally over in May. Thusly, the final Bf 109 forms saw only limited service and restricted combat exposure despite their impressive performance qualities.
Messerschmitt Bf 109Z "Zwilling"
One rather interesting Bf 109 development became the Bf 109Z "Zwilling" twin fuselage aircraft design. The type was nothing more than a pair of Bf 109F aircraft fused together at a shared inboard wing assembly. The remaining fuselage and wing assemblies of the original Bf 109 aircraft remained largely intact and only the left-side cockpit was manned, the right being covered over. The type was intended as a heavy fighter that could be used for long-range interception of bombers or for strike sorties against ground targets. The design utilized the strong inherent qualities of the proven Bf 109 airframe times the power of two, allowing for more internal fuel volume to be carried and improved armament options to be considered. Power was through 2 x Daimler-Benz DB 605 series inline piston engines held in their conventional front-fuselage locations while armament would have been a series of light-and heavy-caliber cannons as well as an external bomb load of up to 2,200lbs. Despite the promising nature of such an endeavor, the Bf 109Z was only ever completed in one prototype form and never achieved flight. It was damaged beyond repair during an Allied bombing raid and the project never picked up after 1944. Interestingly, the Americans managed a similar successful venture in their joining of two P-51 Mustangs to create the F-82 Twin Mustang which saw combat in the Korean War.
Primary Bf 109 Strengths
The Bf 109 airframe proved highly adaptable for all manner of fighting forms. The type was principally a fighter first but later variants allowed the platform to be a successful fighter-bomber, close-support aircraft, bomber escort, bomber interceptor and high-altitude interceptor. As such, the armament configuration of the Bf 109 changed throughout its career though she remained one of the most well-armed fighters of her time. The mix of cannon and machine gun allowed pilots to engage fighters and bombers with equal fervor. The addition of air-to-air, high-explosive rockets only made a lethal weapon that much more deadly over time. It was through the initial vision that the Bf 109 found its success for if the original airframe were never designed for such adaptability, the legacy of the Bf 109 would have turned out to be something less worthy to be sure. Another oft-forgotten quality of the Bf 109 was its fuel-injected powerplant which allowed the pilot to undertake violent maneuvers without fuel being cut off from the engine. Conversely, early Spitfires suffered from this limitation.
Primary Bf 109 Weaknesses
The Bf 109 pilot enjoyed many inherent benefits of his aircraft especially when the type was evolved to compensate for the changing nature of war. However, one of the true detrimental aspects of its design was in its "narrow-track" undercarriage which was specifically centered under the fuselage to take on most of the aircraft's weight when on the ground or taxiing. In other contemporary fighter types, the main landing gear wheels were typically fitted under the wings near the stronger wing roots for better ground handling but this inevitably placed much weight upon the wings themselves. The German initiative was a novel one, all things considered, but the fact remained that this narrow-track undercarriage proved highly fatal to many Bf 109 pilots during the operational service life of the aircraft. It is said that roughly 5% (1,750 aircraft) were lost to undercarriage accidents during the war. As such, a steady hand and much experience at the controls were necessary in maneuvering the aircraft about. However, once in the air, the sheer power of its inline took over and the Bf 109 proved a pleasure to fly - this considering the myriad of additions the military required of the design, defeating some of the pure handling qualities of the original Messerschmitt vision of 1935 when compared to the late-war additions to the line.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 Operators
The Bf 109 served beyond the German Luftwaffe. Operators included Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union received five examples of early versions at some point. Czechoslovakian-based Avia produced the Bf 109G mark as the SS-99/SS-199, its factories were surprinsingly untouched by the Allied bombing campaign. Israel procured some Czech-originated models for its fledgling air force in 1948 giving rise to 101 Squadron. Spain received a license for local production of the Bf 109 in 1942 and knew these as the Hispano Ha-1109/Ha-1112. After the war these were fitted with the British Rolls-Royce Merlin series inline engines in a bit of irony. Production of Spanish Bf 109s lasted until 1958. While German Luftwaffe use of the Bf 109 ended in 1945, the Spanish Air Force managed their Bf 109s until 1965 before retiring them in full.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 Production
All told, 33,984 Bf 109s were produced while some sources state as many as 35,000 when presumably including all succeeding foreign types. Without a doubt, the Bf 109 represented Germany's most important fighter of the war through both number and tactical deployment. It was the most-produced fighter of World War 2 and most-produced German fighter of the war accounting for thousands of enemy aircraft destroyed during the conflict. It even made aces of non-German pilots in Finland, Romania, Croatia and Hungary.
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