PROFILE

Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Editors

Nico Braas
Srecko Bradic
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Interesting to see naturall metal Bf 109G during test

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U4
(Richard Atkins Collection via Mark Nankivil)
, flown by Capitano Giovanni Spiga-
glia, Nucleo Commando, 2 Gruppo
CT, Villafranca, November 1944.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14, from

III/JG 76, 1944

US evaluation of the Bf 109G

Bf109G 464549

Introduction

When the Messerschmitt design abbreviated the original name

team began work in 1934 on a new
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke or Ba-
fighter for the Luftwaffe it resulted
varian Aircraft Factory) and its Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-1, flown
in an aircraft that gained the same
production from 1937 continued by Walter Nowotny, East front. Air-
fame as the British Spitfire. It was plane wears non standard top coat
until the end of the war, although in single green color
probably Robert Lusser, the “fa-
the last Bf 109 variants had little
ther” of the M-37, alias Bf 108 Tai-
in common with the first versions.
fun who was responsible for most
The two versions in production un-
of the basic design work, rather
til the end of the war were the Bf
than Walter Rethel as suggested in
109G and the much improved final
some sources. version the Bf 109K. It was the
Bf 109G that was built in greater
The new fighter type became numbers than any other 109 vari-
known as the Bf 109 (where Bf ants and the type that was encoun-

2 3
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Bf 109G captured at Malta. Note

camouflage striking pattern under
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/MW, the wing.
unknown unit (Sqn Ldr. Jack Cornelius
R.A.F. Retired)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-0, code let-

ters VJ+WA, fresh delivered
Bf 109G-6 on East Front

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-1/R2 , 6/JG

54, wear one of the non standard
camouflage pattern

Romanian crew in relaxed

atmosphere

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-1, delivery

markings

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Bf 109G with attached SC 250 bomb

ready for the mission

tered -and feared- by the American

day bomber groups. the suitability of the Fokker S.14 over-developed. Poor landing
Machtrainer: characteristics added to its woes.
Quotes from German aces
The latest Messerschmitt fighters Birth of a champion
Johannes Steinhoff, Sicily, Com- combined the worst possible flight
mander JG 77 (July 1943): characteristics...... Willy Messerschmitt was the man-
aging director of the Bayerische
The Malta Spitfires are back Unpublished report Fokker Air- Flugzeugwerke A.G.. The compa-
again... They're fitted with a high craft Works. ny, which was based at Augsburg,
altitude supercharger and at any- built various aircraft types mostly
thing over twenty-five thousand Günther Rall commented on the of single-engine design.
feet they just play cat and mouse Spitfire, having had the opportu-
with us. nity to fly various captured allied In the economic crisis of the thir-
aircraft, as well as the Bf 109G: ties, also Messerschmitt's com-
At 28,000 feet the Spitfire could pany ran into financial difficulties
turn in an astonishingly narrow The Spitfire, too (referring to the which in 1931 resulted in bank-
radius. We on the other hand, in P-38 with power ailerons), was a ruptcy. Messerschmitt still owned
the thin air of those altitudes had very manoeuvrable aircraft, very Messerschmitt Flugzeugbau as a
to carry out every manoeuvre with good in the cockpit." dormant company holding all his
caution and at full power so as not technical patents. New working
to lose control. ...Nicknamed Gustav, the BF 109G capital was borrowed and on 27
was well armed but not as light April the Regional Court of Augs-
Johannes Steinhoff, Messer- as the earlier E and F versions. burg issued a verdict that gave
schmitts Over Sicily, (Stackpole Its more powerful engine meant Messerschmitt the opportunity to
Books, 2004), pp. 97-98, 111. higher power settings whose initial re-open his factory gates with 85
climb rate sent it soaring to 18,700 employees. He received an order
Johannes Steinhoff as member of ft. in six minutes but at low speed from Romania to build a small se-
the European Commission visiting the plane was difficult to handle. ries of light passenger aircraft but
Fokker Aircraft at Schiphol to test ...Most of us considered the 109G the German Ministry of Aviation
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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-1/R1, Werknr. 14008,
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2, Werknr 10639, PG#QJ
BD+GC (also known as FiSk 199) was fitted
was captured by the R.A.F. where it received the
with an auxiliary tail wheel to give more ground
serial RN228.
clearance during the start with a large size bomb
under the fuselage. After the start it came down
on a small parachute for re-use. As far as known
it was not adopted for operational use. It was fit-
ted with a pressurised cockpit.

new Messerschmitt fighter. Even-

tually a development contract for Rare color picture of Messerschmitt
Bf 109 G-2, WerkNr. 13993 of the
ten prototypes was placed for both
During its career all Bf 109s were fitted with a small track fighter, intended to be fitted with a Finnish air force with registration
Bf 109 and He 112, but it was the number MT-229
main undercarriage in spite of many complains from the more powerful engine -the Junkers
Bf 109 that was finally selected for
pilots flying it. This Messerschmitt Bf 109 V31, Werknr 5642, Jumo 210A of 610 hp.
SG#EK was experimentally fitted with a wide track under- mass production beginning in the
carriage, but this was only to test it for the future Me-309 spring of 1937.
However, as this engine was not
fighter. It was an ex-Bf 109 F-2 that was also used to test the
retractable type belly radiator of the Me-309. available Messerschmitt selected
From Bf 109V1 to Bf 109G - Hon-
(Scott Hochstein collection) the Rolls Royce Kestrel liquid
ing the breed:
cooled in-line engine as prelimi-
nary power source . The new de-
Lusser's design for the new single-
sign received the RLM type des-
seat fighter revealed an aircraft
ignation No.109, preceded by the
with a sleek fuselage combined
initials 'Bf' for the Messerschmitt
with tapered wings fitted with au-
works trade name at that time:
tomatic leading edge slats. The
'Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'. Later
main wheels were attached to the
the initials were changed into 'Me'
fuselage and retracted outwards
but this was only for the first time
into the wings. The advantage of
RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) facturers. This opportunity would used on the Me-163V4 Komet this construction was that even
refused permission to build them. have far-reaching consequences! rocket fighter. without its wings the fuselage Knoetzsch at the controls. It car-had provision for two 7.9 mm syn-
The RLM was of opinion that the Although Messerschmitt had no could rest on its wheels. The hori- ried the civil registration D-IABIchronised machine guns in the nose
new development and production practical experiences in designing During the fighter competition, zontal tail was supported, just like and it was this machine that was above the engine firing through
capacity had to be strictly used for fighters, he had sound basis with held in October 1935 at Trave- the preceding Me-108, with single used in the fighter contest at Trave-
the propeller. A third prototype Bf
Germany. the all-metal Messerschmitt Bf münde, Messerschmitt entered his struts and the tail wheel was not münde in October 1935! 109V3, registered D-IOQY, (first
108 4-seat light plane. This was Bf 109 against the Heinkel He 112, retractable. In the first prototypes flight on 8 April 1936), very simi-
In compensation Willy Messer- of modern light-alloy monocoque the Focke Wulf FW 159 and the the engine drove a two-bladed In January 1936 it was followed lar to the Bf 109V2, joined the
schmitt received a contract for construction with a fully retract- Arado Ar 80. The FW 159 parasol Härzel propeller. On 28 May 1935 by the 610 hp Junkers Jumo 210A test programme in June 1936. This
the development and construc- able main undercarriage. From the plane and the Ar-80 with a fixed the Rolls Royce Kestrel powered powered Bf 109V2 registered D- prototype was in fact the first Bf
tion of a single engine aircraft to Bf 108 Willy Messerschmitt and landing gear were clearly inferior, prototype, the Bf 109V1, made its IUDE. which made its first flight 109B-0. More prototypes not only
compete in a fighter contest be- Dipl. Ing. Robert Lusser designed but Heinkel's He 112 was in all as- first flight at Augsburg with Flug- on 12 December 1935. The Bf joined the testing program, but also
tween the various aircraft manu- a small and sleek single engine pects more or less equivalent to the kapitän (flight captain) Hans 'Bubi' 109V1 was unarmed, but D-IUDE participated in the prestigious air
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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G
races held in the summer of 1937 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 ‘Black 1’ flown by the
at Zürich. The Bf 109V10 and V13 Croatian pilot Franjo Dzal. He was credited with a
The Bf 109 G-2 assembly line at the
Messerschmitt Regensburg factory. D-ISLY and D-IPKY entered this total number of sixteen aircraft shot down. After the
competition as ‘sport planes’ with war he was court-martialled and sentenced to death.
He was executed in October 1945.
up-rated engines and convincingly
(Josip Novak collection)
won the speed contests! However,
by this time the Bf 109V4 D-IALY
was already fully armed with three
MG 17 machine guns. The RLM
had placed a contract for the de-
livery of the Bf 109 a year earlier.
According to many early sources
the first planned production mod-
el Bf 109A was never built but in
fact a small series of 24 Bf 109A's
was manufactured during Janu-
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 CC#PG ary-February 1937 at the Messer-
during an engine test run with schmitt Regensburg plant. They
engine covers removed. When this were allocated Werknrs. (works
photo was taken, it was a brand new numbers) 803-810; 878-884 and
machine.
1001-1009. Werknr. 884 became
the Bf 109V10. The Bf 109B-0
was delivered in small numbers
to the Luftwaffe in the spring of
1937. It was the Luftwaffe's first
modern single-seat fighter. The
B-0 was further developed and the
Bf 109B-2 with a 670 hp Junkers
Jumo 210G and a two-blade vari-
able pitch propeller was the first
to see action when the German plane types encountered in com- Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 ‘Black 3’ was flown by the Croatian pilot Cvitan
Condor Legion joined Nationalists bat and a future German ace like Galic. It has 11 kill-marks on its rudder! He was killed on 6 April 1944 during
forces in the Spanish Civil War. Werner Mölders scored in Spain an Allied attack by Spitfires on Zaluzadi airbase. At that time he had a final
It was superior over all other air- his first kills by shooting down a score of 38 kills.
(Josip Novak collection)
Republican Polikarpov I-15 Chato.
A Croatian air force Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 showing Remarkably this aerial victory was
the Croatian national symbol under the cockpit section. It
flew in standard Luftwaffe markings. claimed as a 'Curtiss fighter' in the
(Josip Novak collection) German biography of Mölders
(Fritz von Forell, Mölders und
seine Männer, Steirische Verlag-
sanstalt, Graz-Austria; 1941).

According to recently discovered

Messerschmitttt internal docu-
ments it appears that there never
was a Bf 109 B-2! All machines so
identified were in fact Bf 109B-1s
retrofitted with a VDM propeller.
The Condor Legion gained valu-
able combat experience from its
military expedition in Spain that
was put to good use later when
German forces began their full

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/R2-Trop. ‘Irmgard’ captured in

North Africa but now with the markings of its new owners!
This machine was later tested at Wright Field.
(Jean-Claude Mermet collection)
Technical details
Specifications Bf 109 G-6 :
Power plant: 1 × Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 liquid-cooled inverted V12, 1475 hp maxi-
mum output at start; 1310 hp during climb and battle and 1075 hp max. continue power
driving a VDM 9-12087 three-bladed light-alloy propeller with a diameter of 3 m

Dimensions:
-Length: 9.02 m (8.94 m has always been used in error; even in pilot manuals!)
-Wingspan: 9.924 m
-Height: 2.50 m
-Wing area: 16.05 m²

Weights:
-Empty weight: 2,247 kg
-Loaded weight: 3,148 kg
-Max. takeoff weight: 3,400 kg

Performances

scale attacks on Poland, the Low featured an improved aerodynamic for a short time to over 2000 hp. -Maximum speed: 640 km/h at 6,300 m (VNE 750 km/h)
Countries and France. By that time shape of the front fuselage, a re- In addition water/methanol injec- -Cruise speed: 590 km/h at 6,000 m
the Bf 109B had already been suc- shaped wing with rounded wing- tion (MW 50) was used to briefly -Range: 850 km; 1,000 km with droptank
ceeded by the much improved Bf tips and a more powerful Daimler boost performances. The GM-1
-Service ceiling: 12,000 m
109E. This type had been preced- Benz DB601 engine and no longer and MW 50 systems boosted the
ed by the lesser known Bf 109C had the characteristic struts for the engine differently : GM-1 above
and D built in smaller numbers. horizontal tail. In general the 'F' - the rated altitude and the MW 50 Armament
The Bf 109E, armed with two ma- 'Friedrich'- was regarded as hav- below the rated altitude.
chine guns and one 20 mm cannon ing the best all-round performance 2 × 13 mm MG 131 machine guns with 300 rounds per gun
and fitted with a 1100 hp Daimler of the 109 variants and it soon Externally the 'Gustav' was simi- 1 × 20 mm MG 151 cannon with 150 rounds
Benz DB601 engine with fuel in- replaced the Emil on all fronts. It lar to the preceding F-model. The
G-6/U4 variant:
jection, was the variant used dur- was this version that made Hans most visible differences were the
ing the Battle of Britain. Although Joachim Marseille famous and he lack of the small triangular cockpit 1 × 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannon with 65 rounds and 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 under-
the Supermarine Spitfire was a was one of the several German window and the addition of small wing cannon pods with 135 rpg (optional kit - Rüstsatz VI)
more manoeuvrable aircraft the Bf aces who scored kills while flying air openings on each side of the Rockets: 2 × 21 cm (8 in) Wfr. BR 21 rockets
109E was found to be a very dan- this type. nose. The first batch of three Bf Bombs: 1 × 250 kg bomb or 4 × 50 kg bombs or 1 × 300 litres drop tank with optional
gerous opponent for the famous racks
British fighter. After the Battle, The Gustav
the Bf 109E, known as 'Emil' in
the Luftwaffe, continued to see Avionics: FuG 16Z or 16ZY radio
The Bf 109G 'Gustav' was the most
service intercepting raiding Brit-
important variant of the Bf 109. It
ish warplanes and in the Southern-
was also built in the largest num-
European and North African war bers, in particular during the last
theatres. years of the war. The Gustav was
fitted with the new Daimler Benz
However, the Emil was quickly DB605 engine giving 1475 hp.
succeeded by an improved vari- With GM-1 (nitrous oxide) injec-
ant; the Bf 109F. The F-version tion equipment it could be boosted Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-1/Trop, 3/
JG 53, Sicily 1942.
12 13
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Erla-built Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4/R6, WNr 14997, KJ+GU of

8.-JG52 at the Kuban area near the Black Sea. On 28.05.43 Herbert A captured Bf 109 G-2/R6 in Soviet
Meissler was forced to land by Russian pilots. Meissler tried to set air force markings.
his machine on fire... in reallity, this “story” has been created by the (Genady Petrov collection)
Soviets for a propaganda film (Newsreels)... The smoke is the result
of smoke producing devices...
(Denis Estafyev collection)

Bf 109 G-2 of the Roumanian air 109G-0 machines with Werknr. Bf 109 G-2/U3 with markings N5#EK ‘Green 5’
force. Note Mickey Mouse figure on 14001 to 14003 was delivered was quite unceremonially left behind in a desolate
the aircraft in front! over 1942 although still fitted with condition. U3 meant it was fitted with reconnaissance
(Milan Janak collection) a DB-601 engine since the DB605 camera’s. It was a machine of the unknown
NAGr Bromberg (Nahaufklärungsgruppe or
was not yet available. Soon more short-range reconnaissance group)
versions followed, designated as (Jim Crow collection)
Bf 109G-1 (the first one being
Werknr. 14004) to G-16. By early
1943 most Bf 109F’s had been re-
placed by the G-variant.

The following versions of the G-

variant were manufactured:
Bf 109G-0 pre-series still fitted
with DB601E engine armed with
two MG 17 machine guns and one
MG151/20 cannon. They were ad-
ditionally strengthened and had Bf 109G-2 similar to Bf 109G-1 butFuG 7A. Main differences with the
provision for a pressurized cock- without pressurised cockpit. Actu-Bf 109G-1/2 were the use of thick-
pit. er main wheels for the undercar-
ally, the version without pressurized
cockpit was the “light version” Bfriage (669x160 mm wheels against
Bf 109G-1 fitted with DB605A-1 109G-1/R2. It also had armour pro-669x150 mm), hence the appear-
engine of 1475 hp with GM-1 in- tection for the fuel tank removed for
ance too of small bumps over the
jector and a pressurized cockpit. better performances. wings, a bigger tailwheel (350x150
mm against 290x110 mm) and the
Bf 109G-1/Trop tropicalised version Bf 109G-3 similar to Bf 109G- attachment point of the vertical an-
fitted with a dust filter. 1 but fitted with FuG 16Z board tenna thread relocated to the seventh
radio instead of s t a n d a r d section of the fuselage.
14 15
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Bf 109 G-4Trop WNr 13030 with markings Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/U3,

NH#RT in Italy. This plane was camouflaged Erganzungs-NAGr. Bromberg,
with German paints RLM 79 (Sand) and RLM January 1945
78 (Sky-blue).
(Jean-Claude Mermet collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2, 7/JG

54, this white 12 has improvized
camouflage

Bf 109 G-6, Wnr 163824 still exist at the Teolar Centre in Australia.
Its painting is still original! Remarkable on this plane is the fact that
it was an ex-Bf 109 G-6AS. That’s the confirmation of what is written
in the Bf 109 G-AS manual: every G-AS could be retro-modified into
a standard plane. This was perhaps a war weary plane retrofitted with Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2, Finland
a standard DB 605 A that was to go to a Jagdfliegerschule (Figher MT-222, WNr 13528, Skz DL+IC ,
pilot school) flown by Adjutant I. Juutilainen, 1/
LeLv 34, Utti 1943. Interesting pat-
tern with sole RLM 74 at top

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2, WNr

10467, Skz GE+WW , Finland MT-
232, in standard Finland’s camou-
right side of the engine, against left flage with black and green at top
Bf 109G-4 similar to G-3 but with- side on the previous versions. and light blue at bottom
out pressurised cockpit.
The Bf 109G-5/U2 had the GM-1,
Bf 109G-5 powered by a DB605 en- Bf 109/R2 was a reconnaissance
gine with MW-50 injection (metha- version and Bf 109 G-5/R6 had
nol/water 50/50) to boost perfor- two underwing MG 151/20 guns.
mance for a short period to1800 hp. Sixty-seven Bf 109G-5s received a
This version introduced the cowl- DB 605 AS engine with GM-1 and
ing-mounted MG 131 with bulges were called Bf 109G-5/U2/AS.
for the ammunition chutes, the cab- The G-5 could also be fitted with
in-compressor was located on the two underwing Wgr21 21 cm mor-

16 17
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

A Bf 109 G-6 at Borovo, Yugoslavia

en route to Bulgaria.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/R4, 4/JG (Josip Novak collection)
53, Sicily, 1942

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/R4/Trop, A Bf 109 G-6 with -most likely- the

I/JG 27. Airplane shows traces technical maintenance crew sitting
of painted over and all colors are on its wing.
desert colors.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, WNr 167271 MT-507 on

display at the Finnish air force museum at Tampere.

tar launchers. Most likely it was later developed

further into the Bf 109 G-14 with-
Bf 109G-6 the most important out pressurised cockpit.
Gustav version built in the largest
numbers. It could be fitted with a Bf 109G-8 photo reconnaissance
DB605AM, AS, or ASM engine. It version. It was armed with two
was armed with two MG 131 ma- MG 131 machine guns and the
chine guns. The Bf 109G-/U4 had standard MG 151/20 mm cannon
a single MK 108 30 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub.
firing through the propeller hub For reconnaissance missions it
and two MG 151/20 cannons fitted could be fitted with two Rb 12.5/7
under the wings as Bf 109G-6/R6. or Rb 32/7 camera's as Bf 109 G-/
This combination was regarded U3.
as the most suitable for daylight
bomber interception althoughit Bf 109G-9 not built.
lacked the performances to meet
allied escort fighters on even Bf 109G-10 the fastest of all Bf
terms. As for the Bf 109G-5, the 109G versions. It could fly at 7600
G-6 could be fitted with WGr 21 m with a speed of 690 km/h pow-
mortar launchers under the wings. ered by a DB605D engine with
MW-50 injector. Standard arma-
Bf 109G-7 a proposed improved ment was a single MG 151/20 mm
Bf 109G-6 that was never built. cannon and two MG 131 machine
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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, WNr. 15909

Double Chevron white 5 was personal airplane flown
by Hauptmann Gerhard Barkhorn, Jagdgeschwader JG
52. This WNr 15909 was an Erla-built Bf 109 G-6.

Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn

Lieutenant-General Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn (20 March 1919 - 8 January 1983) was one of
most successful fighter ace of all time. Barkhorn joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 and
completed his training in 1939. Barkhorn flew his first combat missions in May 1940, during
the Battle of France. His first victory came in July 1941. In March 1944 he was awarded the
third highest decoration in the Wehrmacht for 250 aerial victories. Barkhorn flew 1,104 com-
bat sorties and was credited with 301 victories. He flew with the famed Jagdgeschwader 52 and
Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2). Barkhorn survived the war and was taken prisoner by the Western
Allies in May 1945 and released later that year. After the war Barkhorn joined the Bundes-
luftwaffe, serving until 1976. On 6 January 1983, Barkhorn was involved in a car accident and
Gerhard died two days later on 8 January 1983.

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Bf 109G-6 of the Swiss air force with registration J-704. The G-6
model succeeded their earlier E-models exported from Germany.
(Schweizer Fliegertruppe) Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/R6, flown
by Oberts Wolf-Dietrich Wickie,
Stab JG 3, Pitomnik, Autumn 1942

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/R6, 365

Squadriglia, 150 Gruppo CT, Lecce,
end 1942

guns. The U4 had two additional extra underwing MG 151/20 can- Bf 109 G-4/R6 with Red Star
MK 108 cannons fitted in a stream- nons or two launching tubes for and winter camouflage
lined pod under the fuselage that Wgr 21 rockets. It had under the
could be replaced by a non drop- fuselage an ETC 250 bomb rack.
pable fuel tank. As Bf 109G-14/U4 it had the MK
108 in place of the MG 151.
The Bf 109G-10/R2 was built by
WNF in Austria. It was a recon- Bf 109 G-14AS, the most built ver-
naissance version fitted with FuG sion of all Bf 109G-AS built. En-
IFF radio equipment. gine could be DB 605 ASM (until
December 1944, or DB 605 ASB/ sion of DB 605; M = MW 50 with
Bf 109G-11 not known. ASC from January 1945 onwards). C3 fuel or B4 fuel with MW 50
(emergency power below the rated Captured Bf 109G-6 with R.A.F.
Bf 109G-12 a two-seat training Bf 109G-15 not built. altitude) serial number VX101
version with tandem cockpits.
They were modified from the Bf Bf 109G-16 a heavily armed DB 605 AS stood for A = first ver-
109G-4 and G-6 retaining the stan- ground attack version that never sion of DB 605; S = Sonder (Spe-
dard armament of the respective left the drawing board. cial) for the DB 603’s supercharger
versions. mounted on DB 605. Standard on
The DB 605 engine variations can DB 605 D
Bf 109G-13 not built (no trace be summarized as follows:
found in Messerschmitt archives). DB 605 ASM stood for A = first
DB 605 A used only B4 fuel and version of DB 605; S = Sonder
Bf 109G-14 fighter-bomber ver- eventually with GM-1 over the (Special) for the DB 603’s super-
sion with a single MG 151/20 rated altitude. charger mounted on DB 605; M =
cannon and two MG 131 machine MW 50 with C3 or B4 fuels with
guns. It could be fitted with two DB 605 AM stood for A = first ver- MW 50 (emergency power for the
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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

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 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Bf 109 G-6 with 21 cm Wfr. BR 21

launchers under the wings.

Two Bf 109 G-6/R6s armed with two underwing

MG 151 cannons. Registration of the plane on the
background is NK#OO.

42 43
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G
R1: bomb rack 1 ETC 500/IX or
ETC 250.

R2: was photo reconnaissance

equipment. It lacked the pres-
A derelict Bf 109 G-6/U2, WNr
410061, found at Wunstdorf in surised cockpit and fuel tank ar-
1945. mouring of the Bf 109G-1.
(Jim Crow collection)
R3: was the functioning system of
transferring fuel from the auxiliary
tank to the main 400 litres fuselage
tank with the aid of compressed
air coming from the engine super-
charger. The number of auxiliary
tanks could be one under the cen-
tral fuselage belly or two; one un-
der each wing.
latter) charger mounted on DB 605; B =
C3 fuel with MW 50. R4: 2 streamlined wing pods with
Other AS engines : 1 MK 108 30 mm cannon each.
Bf 109 G-6/R6, WNr 27083 of
Those two engines could be ad- R5: same 'recce' equipment and
5.-JG2 photographed in 1943 in
France DB 605 ASMO stood for A = first justed for B4 (87 octane) or C3 fuel tanks under the wings as on
version of DB 605; S = Sonder (96-100 octane) fuel with an oc- the Bf 109G-4/R3.
(Special) for the DB 603’s super- tane-choice device.
charger mounted on DB 605; M = R6: two underwing MG 151/20
MW 50; O = Oktan-Selektor (Oc- DB 605 D : cannons, one under each wing in a
Nice and much published in-flight tane-choice) (First designation of streamlined pod
propaganda-shot of the Bf 109G-6
BD 605 ASB/ASC before January DB 605 DMO stood for D= fourth
from JG 27 'U' stood for Umrüst-Bausatz or
1945) version of the DB 605; M = MW
50; O = Oktan-Selektor (Octane- 'modification construction set'.
DB 605 ASB stood for A = first choice) (First designation of BD There were six U-sets available
version of DB 605; S = Sonder 605 DB/DC before January 1945) for modification depending on the
(Special) for the DB 603’s super- DB 605 DB stood for D= fourth specific task the Bf 109G had to
charger mounted on DB 605; B = version of the DB 605; B = C3 fuel fulfil. U1 to U3 were power modi-
C3 fuel without MW 50 or B4 with without MW 50 or B4 with MW 50 fications; U4 to U6 were armament
MW 50 DB 605 DC stood for D= fourth modifications.
version of the DB 605; C = C3 fuel
DB 605 ASC stood for A = first without MW 50 with MW 50 U1: Me P6 propeller.
version of DB 605; S = Sonder Those two engines could be adjust-
(Special) for the DB 603’s super- ed for B4 (87 octane) or C3 (96- U2: GM-1 boost (nitrous oxide).
100 octane) fuel with an Oktan-
Selektor (octane-choice device). U3: reconnaissance equipment.

DB 605 B, BS, E were respectively U4: the modifications for the in-
Bf 109 G-4/R6, black at top
equivalent to A, AS and D versions stallation of these weapons (or
with a different gear box (different the unique axial MK 108 firing
ratio between engine and propel- through the propeller hub) was
ler) for very high altitude. Rarely the object of “U4” (reinforcement
used. of the wings and installation of
compressed air bottles in the fu-
The suffix 'R' stood for Rüstsatz , selage for working the MK 108s
or 'equipment package' . (pneumatic loading and electrical
firing). The modification was ex-

44 45
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-5, unit JGr. Erla-built Bf 109 G-6/U2/R6, WNr 412951 with R.A.F.
50, Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, 1943. serial TP814. Its previous identity at the Luftwaffe was
This unit was specific in field modi- NS#FE of JG300. A typical snap made with non sensitive
fication of basic camouflage. film (yellow and red rendered black). The lisible black
RAF serial is due to sunlight reflexion on the paint
(Mick Gladwin collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U2

(Erla), WNr. 463141, no additional
info of unit and pilot

A wrecked Bf 109 G-6/MW, WNr 165545,

as found by Allied forces at Augsburg in
May 1945.
(Jim Crow collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/MW/AS,

2/JG 3, Monchengladbach, 1943

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/AS, 9/JG

clusively made by WNF in Austria U1 to U3 could also be fitted on
1, Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, 1944 who produced G-6/U4 and G-10/ other versions. In the sub-type des-
U4 versions. ignation methanol/water injection
MW-50 was only marked as fol-
U5: 3 x MK 108 30 mm cannons. lows : 'Bf 109G-6/MW'
U6: provisional MK 103 instal-
lation. It was not used on a wide One Bf 109G, Werknr. 14003 with
scale since it was regarded as too registration VJ#WC, flew with
heavy. an experimental V-tail during the
spring of 1943. Although it flew as
The armament U-sets were specific well as the standard version with a
for the Bf 109G-6, G10 and G-14. normal tail, the V-tail remained an
46 47
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

A Bf 109 G-6/U4 in Italy. Nose emblem is from ‘Pik-As’ JG 53

Bf 109 G-6/AS, pilots girlfriend (Jean-Claude Mermet collection)
nickname on fuselage

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/ASN, 1/

NJGr. 10, Werneuchen, 1944

Wreck with a broken fuselage of a

Bf 109 G-8 reconnaissance version.
(Photo by John Bailly)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 from

Stab I/JG 52

experiment! Hood. It also became known as

the 'Galland-Hood' but it seems
Initially all Bf 109G's were fitted that this name was 'invented' after
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/R6, from with the standard cockpit canopy the war by some authors! The Erla-
6/JG 53, Littoria, September 1943
of the earlier versions with its very Haube did not provide the perfect
broad frames. Pilots had always all-round view of the bubble cano-
complained about this canopy py on the U.S. P-51D Mustang, but
since it gave a very restricted view it was a vast improvement over the
to the outside world and that for earlier type.
a fighter was unwanted. This was
solved by fitting a new full-blown With more power, but also with
canopy with limited internal fram- more armour and armament the
ing. It was manufactured by the subsequent versions of the Bf
Erla works and was consequent- 109G had an all-up weight that
ly called the Erla-Haube or Erla gradually increased. With the wing
48 49
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Veszprem, Hungary 1944 or 1945: WNF built Bf 109

G-10 with pilot Fw. Heinz Mannel of 6./JG52.
(Bernd Barbas collection)

Hungary 1944 or 1945, Bf 109 G-10 with pilot

Heinz Ewald of 5./JG52 and his mechanic.
Ewald was credited with 84 victories in 395
combat missions by the end of the war
(Bernd Barbas collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/R1, Stab

area unchanged that meant a ever ful the big cannons inflicted such
I/JG 51 increasing wing loading. This had heavy damage that, even if the
an adverse effect on the flight per- bomber did not break up in flight,
formances, especially at higher it had to leave the formation. Once
altitudes. Although the Bf 109G this happened, it became a strag-
was not intended as a high-alti- gler and at this stage the chances
tude fighter (it was rather a light- of a safe return to its home base
weight fast climbing interceptor), were substantially reduced! How-
it fought mostly at altitudes above ever, the cannon-armed Bf 109G's
5000 m, especially in home de- were definitely not on even terms
fence sorties against American against escorting Allied fighters!
day bombers like the B-17 and These were mostly 'kept busy' by
B-24. These operated mainly at lighter versions with smaller cali-
some 7000-7500 m altitude. The bre weapons! In general the spe-
Bf 109 G-6, WNr 27083, 5./JG 52. Focke Wulf FW-190 flight perfor- cialised 'Viermot' or '4-engine'
1943 mance deteriorated rapidly above killers tried to avoid contacts with
5000m, making it less suitable to the escort fighters. A frontal attack
attack high-flying bomber forma- of the Allied bombers with the
tions. For bomber interception the heavy armed Bf 109G's required
Bf 109G was fitted with a heavier not only great skill, but also great
cannon armament. The basic tactic courage and the most successful
was to fly in formation alongside German aces scoring against Vi-
the large bomber formations but ermots had both! A frontal attack
beyond their firing range. Then on the big bomber formations not
they turned in to meet the bombers only exposed the German fighters
for a frontal attack. When success- to their own flak, but it also meant

50 51
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G now in A WNF built Bf 109 G-10 of 2./JG52 at Veszprem, Hungary.
different colors, standard RAF day (Bernd Barbas collection)
fighter camouflage and tested

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 from

Romanian Grupul 7 vanatoare,
Budapest, 1944

Lt. Heinz Ewald of 6./JG52 posing in his Bf

109 G-10 with a Luftwaffe technician.
(Bernd Barbas collection)

Bf109G-6 Y flown by Hartmann

name Usch under the cockpit

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/R6, WNr

165267, Skz GU+LS, flown by Sgt.
E. Lyly, from 1/HLeLv 34, Lappeen- they had to fly straight through the heavy losses on Allied bombers.
ranta, Summer 1944 bomber formation's defensive fire Typical examples were during the
from dozens of gun positions! Schweinfurt daylight raids. The
first one took place on 17 August
It was a risky business and a deadly 1943 with a formation of 229
game for the German pilots, even B-17's. The objective was to bomb
when they succeeded in avoiding ball-bearing factories and during
the escorting P-51 and P-47 fight- this raid no less than sixty bomb-
ers! In spite of this, such coordi- ers were lost; most of these shot
nated fighter attacks could inflict down by German fighters. Another

52 53
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Bf 109 G-10 ‘Gelbe 6’ of JG 52 at Neubiberg

in May 1945 Bf109G-10 6316
(Jim Crow collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10, unit

unknown, end of war

Another shot of Bf 109 G-10 at Neubiberg, this time

white 5. Repainted area under fuselage number indicate 87 B-17's were damaged. During spare parts and in particular a lack In spite of this the Bf 109G and K
previous service in another unit. this attack there were no escort of 'air superiority' simply meant were used until the very last days
(Jim Crow collection) fighters to protect the bombers! On the Luftwaffe was losing. Even of the war and in the hands of an
14 October of the same year, the the introduction of the new Mess- experienced pilot it still was a very
raid was repeated by 260 B-17's, erschmitt Me-262 jet fighter could dangerous and effective weapon
again without sufficient escort not change this: there just were not when encountered by Allied pilots.
and again losses were terrific: 65 enough available!
bombers were shot down, 12 re- Between G and K
turned back with damage beyond The Bf 109G was also very active
repair an another 121 had to be re- on the battle fronts , in particular One of the lesser known Bf 109
paired. Also on daylight missions on the Russian front where large variants was the Bf 109H. Devel-
to other German targets it was evi- formations of low flying Ilyushin opment of this special high-alti-
dent that large formations of U.S Il-2 bombers were attacking Ger- tude fighter started early in 1943. It
heavy bombers B-17 and B-24 man forces. For the cannon armed had an increased greater wingspan
were unable to defend themselves Messerschmitts and Focke Wulfs of 2 metres by adding an additional
effectively against German fight- these single engine bombers were section to the wing root. This also
ers! Only the arrival of large num- a relatively easy prey and that may meant it had a wider track main un-
bers of long-range P-51D Mustang explain why the top of German air dercarriage when compared with
fighters turned the tide in favour of aces like Erich Hartmann gained all standard versions. From the
the Allies...... so many aerial victories! However, beginning pilots had complained
the increasing number and qual- about the narrow track wheels
By that time, there were still ity of the Russian fighters drew a which made the Bf 109 tricky to
enough Bf 109's, and also FW- heavy toll on the German fighter land, in particular under crosswind
190's, but a lack of sufficiently squadrons and at the end of the conditions. Consequently landing
trained pilots, a lack of fuel and war only few 'Experte' survived! accidents with ground loops were

54 55
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Shot of the aircraft scrap heap at Neubiberg with Bf

109 G-10 ‘< 3’ at the foreground and a Bf 110 night
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10/R2,
fighter at the background. Souvenir hunters have
NAGr. 14, Furth, May 1945
already removed the swastika on the tail.
(Jim Crow collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 from

JG 300, Erla production machine,
JG 300

Neubiberg May 1945: row of Bf 109 with in front G-10 ‘No. 21’.
Schwarze 22 is an Erla-built G-10 and belonged to 5./JG 52
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 from JG (Jim Crow collection)
300, Erla production machine, info
of units are not known

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 from II/

JG 52, Neubiberg, May 1945

frequent. With its wider track and SP # EB and was fitted with an ex-
larger wing it was at least easier to perimental Daimler Benz DB628A
land than the standard Bf 109. The engine. From flight reports we can
Bf 109HV1 prototype was convert- draw the conclusion it was fitted
ed from Bf 109G-5 Werknr. 16281 with a standard Bf 109G wing and
and flight-tested at Rechlin. Most that it was intended as a test bed
likely it was also designated as the for the new DB628A engine rather
Bf 109V49. It flew with the code than as a prototype for a high-al-
56 57
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

A gear collapsed Bf 109 G-10, WNr 151536 ‘No. 22’ of 2./JG 52 at Zeltweg Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 from 4/
(May 1945). JG 3, Nogent-le-Roy, 1944
(Jim Crow collection)

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/MW

from III/JG 76, Athis, 1944

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4/R2 (recce) in

adopted camouflage pattern

titude fighter. When further work WNF in Austria. Because of the

on this engine was abandoned the proximity of advancing Red Army
DB628A was removed and the air- troops this was also never realized.
frame was later transported to the The Bf 109H had a service ceil-
Daimler Benz factory at Stuttgart ing of 14,600 m. Very few details
for a new DB605 engine instal- are available on the operations of
lation. In August 1944 it was de- this type and photographs of the Bf
stroyed in an air raid. Other proto- 109H are unknown!
types of the H version were the Bf
109V50, V54 and V55. As far as Production and production
known these machines all had the numbers Messerschmnitt Bf 109 G-2 in stan-
increased wing span. dard camouflage pattern of RLM
greys 74, 75 and 76
Of all Bf 109 variants a total of
A small batch of Bf 109H-0 devel- some 33,500 was built by the Ger-
opment aircraft was produced for man aircraft industry.
operational testing.
They were not only manufactured
The production version Bf 109H-1 in the Messerschmitt works, but
was never built. Series production also at other production locations.
of the Bf 109H-2 and H-3 pow- Even when the main production
ered by a DB605E were planned facilities were bombed by Allied
for Macchi in Italy. However, with air raids, production continued on
the surrender of that country, the a large scale. Lusser's team had
production was to be relocated to
58 59
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Undercarriage retraction tests on Erla-built Bf 109 G-10, WNr

490407 of 2o Sq, 1o Gr of the Italian air force (February 1942).
(Giorgio di Giorgio collection)
Yugoslav post war machine

Bf 109G-5, unknown details

not only designed the Bf 109 as a disrupt the existing production

fighter with high performances, but and that might be the reason why
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 from also as a fighter that could be easi- some versions were never pro-
JG 300, one of variation of night ly and economically manufactured duced. It might also explain why
fighter scheme in the shortest possible time with- the final types of Bf 109 still had
out any concessions in quality. For the narrow-track main undercar-
the Bf 109 production line a mod- riage legs of the earlier versions
ular system was established that in spite of many complaints from
created all separate components the pilots flying it. A wider track
before final assembly. This could inwards retracting undercarriage
be easily dispersed when large would have disrupted production
factories were bombed and using since this needed a totally new
large numbers of forced labourers wing construction. One Bf 109F-
production continued in very large 1 was experimentally fitted with
numbers, even over the last two such a wide track undercarriage as
years of the war. This continued the Bf 109V31 (Werknr. 5642) but
until the very last weeks of the war this was purely to test the under-
Bf 109G-6, Slovak when the economical structure of carriage (and also the new retract-
the Third Reich collapsed with in- able radiator) for the new Me-309
vading forces occupying more and fighter.
more territory both from the East
and the West! At the German capitulation many
Bf 109G’s and K’s were dispersed
However, the well-organized and over various deserted airfields;
speedy production of the Bf 109 most of them destroyed. Howev-
also had its drawbacks. It meant er, a number of the latest versions
that great structural changes would were captured intact and transport-

60 61
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Maintenance on Italian Bf 109

G-10
(Giorgio di Giorgio collection)
Bf109G-10 Hungary 613165

Erla built G-10, 15233, black 7

Erla built G-10, 151536

ed to the U.K and the U.S.A. The 683 875 2,015 4 , 4 7 2

Soviet Union also captured some 1,018 9,063
Bf 109G's. Fieseler, Kassel 1945 only.
155
Even today a number of these ma- 155 Foreign users
chines can still be seen in various W.N.F., Wiener Neustadt
aviation museums! 836 1 , 2 9 7 Bulgaria
2,200 3,081 541 7,892 with a number of Bf 109s, includ- Finland When Finnish ferry pilot had col-
Production breakdown Győri Vagon- és Gépgyár, Győr ing the G-2, G-6, G-10 and the K. lected the Bf 109G-4 they were all
As a German ally, the Kingdom
(Hungary) They fought on the Russian front, To replace the ageing Fokker ready to fly but with the Bf 109G-6
of Bulgaria had the Bf 109 in its
Factory, location Up to 1939 39 270 but returned later to defend their D.XXI, Brewster Buffalo and Mo- it was quite different. The Finnish
air force inventory . They began
1939 1940 1941 1 9 4 2 309 homeland against Allied fighters. rane MS-406 fighters the Finn- aircraft were collected at a disper-
with a small number of Bf 109E's,
1943 1944 1945* Totals* Ago, Oschersleben but later received in total 145 Bf ish government purchased 162 Bf sal field near Anklam in the North-
Messerschmitt, Regensburg 381 109G's in the versions G-2, G-6 Czechoslovakia 109G’s (48 G-2s, 111 G-6s and ern part of Germany. When Finn-
203 4 8 6 381 and G-10. After the war the Czechoslovakian three G-8s). They were used in the ish ferry pilots and technicians
2,164 6,329 1,241 10,423 Totals 1,860 1,540 1 , 8 6 8 air force operated some captured final phase of the war against the arrived here to collect their Erla-
Arado, Warnemünde 2,628 2,658 6,418 1 4 , 1 5 2 Bf 109G’s. The Avia works contin- Soviet Union. Finnish pilots found manufactured Bf 109G-6s they
Croatia
370 2,800 33,984 ued to built the Bf 109 fitted with the ’Mersu’, as they called their found out to their dismay that most
370 a Junkers Jumo engine as the Avia new fighter, an enormous improve- of them were far from airworthy
The Croatian Air Force (Hrvatsko
Erla, Leipzig * Production up to end of March
bojno zrakoplovstvo) operated
S-199. ment over the older fighter types. because as the numbers of aircraft

62 63
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

An unmarked WNF built Bf 109 G-10, WNr 612802 at the railway station of Deutsch Bf 109 G-10, WNr 613165 ‘Schwarze 16’ in A damaged Bf 109 G-10 captured in
Brod airbase in Czechoslovakia. Deutsch Brod was later renamed ‘Nemecky Brod’. Hungarian markings. All other 109G’s are in the CSR
It is the location where part of were JG52 surrendered! Not entire JG 52 surrendered Luftwaffe markings! (Zdenek Nowele collection)
at Deutsch Brod because II./JG 52 surrendered at Neubiberg and Bad Aibling, near (Jim Crow collection)
München, Bavaria.
(Bernd Barbas collection)

built increased the quality and operating in Northern Italy.. They Slovak Republic
Bf 109 G-10/R2 WNr 770269 of NAG14.
quality control decreased. In gen- operated 300 Bf 109G-6/-10/-14s
(Jim Crow collection)
eral the Finnish technicians had to and two G-12s; three K-4s were The short-lived Slovak Republic
work for some two weeks on each also received. used 30 Bf 109G6s under Luft-
aircraft to make it safe enough for Japan waffe command. Some were cap-
its ferry flight to Finland! tured when Romanian and Russian
During the war Japan received troops entered Slovakia and used
Hungary new equipment and documents against the Germans.
from Germany by submarine. At
Operating together with Luftwaffe least two Bf 109Gs must have been Spain
units, the Royal Hungarian air crated for export to Japan who had
force had almost 500 Bf 109G's of earlier already received a small Apart from some earlier models
all sub-types. number of Bf 109Es. These were already in operation, the Spanish
actively tested and there is pho- air force also wanted to have the
Israel tographic evidence showing the G-model. There were plans for
Emil in Japanese marking. How- licence construction by Hispano-
During their Independence War ever, the final fate of the Japanese Suiza, but when these were finally
in the late forties, the Israeli air Bf 109G is unknown. It is not even realized the war was over. Hispa-
force operated a number of Junk- certain they ever reached Japan. no-Suiza continued to produce the
ers Jumo engined Bf 109G's built Bf 109G, but with a different en-
by Avia in Czechoslovakia as Avia Romania gine. Further, some Spanish pilots
S.199. fought as volunteer on the Russian
The Romanian air force had at front with the Bf 109G-4 and G-6
Italy least 235 Bf 109G's of various at the German JG 27.
sub-types. Another 75 Bf 109G-6's
The Regia Aeronautica had a small were built by IAR. A few remain- Switzerland
number of Bf 109G-6s. The Italian ing Bf 109G's were kept operation-
Social Republic, or Aeronautica al immediately after the war for a To defend its neutrality the Swiss
Nazionale Republicana was close- short time. air force already flew in the early
ly related to the German Luftwaffe stage of the war with the Bf 109E.

64 65
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G
R.A.F. technicians working on a
An Erla Bf 109 G-10/R6, WNr 150816 on the scrap heap A captured WNF built Bf 109G-10/ captured Bf 109 G-14 (or G-6MW)
with the swastika symbol cut out. This plane of II./JG U4 in the U.S.A. with the registration test flown at 1426 Sq. ‘Enemy
300, was found by American troops at Bad Langensalz in T2-123. Other sources have incorrectly Aircraft Flight’ at Collyweston in
February 1945. For the G-10, Rüstsatz 6 was the PKS 12, claimed this as being a Bf 109K-4 the U.K.
an all-weather device.
(Jim Crow collection)

By that time the Daimler Benz DB of 25 was built. The Buchon was used by the Span-
Rare colour shot of Bf 109 G-14 ‘Gelbe 5’ of 1./
605 was no longer available. As an ish air force until it was phased out
JG. 53 at the Henschel Aero Werke at Kassel,
taken in May 1945 alternative the Junkers Jumo 211F The next version was the HA- in the sixties. However, this was
(NARA) from the Heinkel He-111 bomber 1109-K1 with the original German not their final appearance! A num-
was used. In total 603 were built propeller replaced by a De Havil- ber of Buchons was re-painted in
and a number was exported to Is- land Hydromatic. It was armed a Luftwaffe colour scheme to fight
rael, who badly needed fighter air- with two 20 mm cannons and un- again in the Battle of Britain; now
craft for their Independence War. derwing rockets. These were mod- in the famous movie alongside the
In the Czechoslovakian air force ified from the earlier J1L version, CASA 1.111 bomber (a He-111
the S-199 was far from popular that never was operational. also fitted with Rolls Royce Merlin
and pilots called it the Mezek or engines)!! After their participation
Mule. The S-199 had even more The improved HA-1112-K1L "Tri- in the movie many Buchons found
handling problems than the Bf pala" followed in 1951. In total 65 there way to collectors instead of
109G and suffered a high accident were built including conversion of being scrapped and some are still
rate with many landing accidents. the 25 earlier HA-1109s. flying........
The S-199 also was far from popu-
lar in the Israeli air force, although A HA-1109-K1L served as a pro-
pilots managed to score some kills totype for the next version, the
in aerial combat with the Egyptian HA-1112-K1L fitted with a Rolls
air force! Royce Merlin engine.

They were later replaced by the Bf Belgrade. The Hispano-Suiza Buchon The final variant was the Merlin
109G-6. A total of 14 was supplied. powered HA-1112-M1L Buchon.
After the war Hispano-Suiza had already planned Total production of this last ver-
Yugoslavia the licence construction of the Bf sion was 175.
The Avia S-199 109G during the war. When the
After the war Yugoslavia used for war ended, the production of the So the Bf 109 story ended as it had
a short time a few ex-Croatian and After the war the Avia works in Daimler Benz DB 605 also ended. started: the first Bf 109 was pow-
ex-Bulgarian Bf 109Gs. A Messer- Czechoslovakia used parts, plans As an alternative, Spanish built Bf ered by a British engine; the Rolls
schmitt Bf 109G-4 in Yugoslavian and left-overs from Luftwaffe air- 109G airframes were fitted with a Royce Kestrel and the last one also
air force markings is currently on craft production to manufacture Hispano-Suiza 12Z-17 engine as had a British engine: the Rolls
display in the Air Force museum at the Bf 109G as the Avia S-199. the HA-1109-J1L. A small series Royce Merlin!

66 67
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

A Bf 109 G-14 fuselage being A Bf 109G-14AS captured by the Polish RAF 318 Squadron in Italy.
trucked away by U.S. soldiers. Photo was taken in 1946! Before capture it was “Schwarze 4” of 15.
(Ron Dupas collection) (Kroat.)/JG 52

Messserschmitt built Bf 109 G-14AS,

A Bf 109G-14/U4 (or G-6/MW/U4), WNr 413598 at Farnborough
WNr 786316 ‘Weisse 4’.
with R.A.F. serial VD358. The photo was taken in November 1945.
(Jim Crow collection)
Text on propeller blade is 'Do not turn'. VD364 was also a cap-
tured Bf 109G

68 69
 LET LET LET WARPLANES Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Bf 109G-14/U4 (or G-6/MW/U4), WNr 413598 as found at

Gilze-Rijen airbase in the Netherlands in February 1945. It
has already been fitted with R.A.F. roundels, but carries a
white 'P' on the fuselage instead of the later R.A.F. serial. To
prevent confusion, it also carried the black-and white inva- CJ # MG was a Bf 109G-12 two-seater. We see it here
sion strips below the wings. before it was assigned to an operational training group

Avia S-199 of the Israeli air force as

exhibited at Beersheba-Hatzerim
The same Bf 109G-14/U4 (or G-6/MW/U4), WNr 413598 as
found at Gilze-Rijen airbase in the Netherlands in February A Ha-1112 M1L Buchon still flying!
1945. It has already been fitted with R.A.F. roundels, but still Photo was taken on 3 September
carries the earlier white 'P' on the fuselage 2011 at Duxford.
(Photo Nico Braas)

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