Part One
A British Air Ministry cockpit photograph taken of a Messerschmitt Bf109 captured intact. Pilots likened their position lying in the narrow cockpit of the Messerschmitt fighter to that of a racing car driver. From left to right, the elevator trim and flap trim wheels, tailwheel locking lever, throttle quadrant, ki-gas primer and then hood jettison lever. The instrument panel had its engine instruments on its right side and beneath it is another panel for the multi-channel radio and compass. The right of the cockpit housed electrical switches. Trainee pilots often received a surprising blow to the head as the unusually heavy side-hinged canopy was slammed closed. The Bf109 was the most famous German fighter of the Second World War having first flown in September 1935 powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine. In 1937 the fighter was first tested in combat during the Spanish Civil War with Germany’s Condor Legion and in November that year the type set a new landplane speed record of 610kph/379mph. (IWM MH6665)
This Focke-Wulf Fw190 A-3, powered by a 1,570 hp BMW 801D was the personal aircraft of III/JG 2 Gruppen Adjutant Oberleutnant Armin Faber who, on 24 June 1942, landed at Pembrey in Wales. The German pilot apparently mistook the RAF airfield for his home base claiming to have confused the Bristol Channel with the English Channel. This was the first intact Fw190 to fall into the hands of the Royal Air Force and its evaluation proved most useful in developing means of countering the troublesome German fighter. The cowling of the aircraft bears the III Gruppe cockerel’s head insignia and the vertical stripe on the fuselage just forward of the tail confirms the aircraft’s operating unit. The chevron on the fuselage side denotes that the aircraft is flown by the Gruppen Adjutant. (IWM MH4190)
The Focke-Wulf Fw190 A-4/U8 fighter-bomber version of the Fw190 was powered by a BMW 801D-2 engine featuring MW50 injection which could produce 2,100hp for a maximum of ten minutes if required. The version (the U suffix stood for Unrüst-Bausatz meaning factory conversion set) was fitted with a Junkers-developed 300 litre drop tank beneath each wing and could carry a single SC500 500kg bomb under its centreline on a ventral bomb-rack. By the end of 1942 these aircraft were carrying out daylight low-level bombing raids against ports and cities in the south of England causing the Royal Air Force to maintain heavy fighter defences in response to the threat. (IWM HU2911)
This still taken from a Luftwaffe film shows the Messerschmitt Me323 Gigant (giant), one of the largest combat aircraft to take to the air during the Second World War. It was a remarkable aircraft developed from an unpowered heavy strategic glider intended for use in a planned invasion of Britain. To save on weight and aluminium, much of the Gigant’s wing was made of plywood and fabric. The large and heavy glider had to be towed initially by a trio of Bf110 fighters and then by a dedicated five-engined Heinkel He111Z hybrid using two He111 fuselages joined by a common centre-wing section. The aircraft needed a great deal of power to lift off so to improve this, and increase the type’s flexibility, a powered version was devised. All cargo entered up a ramp through the enormous clam-shell cargo doors in the nose. (IWM MH4183)
An early air-to-air study of a Messerschmitt Bf109 taken in November 1936. Created by a team under the leadership of Willy Messerschmitt, the type was the first all-metal stressed skin single-seat monoplane fighter with a retractable undercarriage to enter service. The aircraft pictured, the fourth prototype Bf109 V4, D-IOQY, was equipped with three machine guns, the weapon that fired through the propeller boss was later replaced by a 20mm cannon. In December 1936 this aircraft was sent to Spain for evaluation with the Condor Legion. Total production of the Bf109, including post-war builds, exceeded 35,000 making the fighter one of the most produced aircraft of all time. (IWM HU67699)
A Messerschmitt Bf109 G-6, fitted with a Daimler-Benz DB. 605 engine. As Allied bombing raids inflicted more and more damage on Germany’s ability to wage war, a number of more effective weapons were developed to knock the enemy bombers from the sky and disrupt Allied bomber formations. The Bf109 G-6 was a dedicated bomber-destroyer fitted with the 21cm (8.27inch) rocket under each wing in place of the usual cannon. The rocket had a 90lb warhead and would destroy an aircraft on impact – fortunately for the Allied crews, the weapon was unguided and not very accurate. Nevertheless, the rocket would streak toward the Allied aircraft way beyond the reach of the 109’s guns. After the rockets were fired, the empty tubes were jettisoned to restore the carrier aircraft’s aerodynamics and increase top speed (IWM HU3245).
Designated Me323D and powered by six French-designed engines, deliveries of the powered version of the Gigant began in September 1942. The Me 323D could carry 9,750kg or 120 fully equipped troops over 1,000km. The type entered service in November 1942 flying across the Mediterranean to North Africa. In April 1943 a formation of 16 Gigants was attacked by RAF fighters and 14 were shot down. Improved armament and crew protection was introduced but nothing could hide the fact that the Gigant was a large, slow target. Losses caused the type to be withdrawn from service in the Mediterranean theatre but it continued to serve on the Eastern Front. The crew of five comprised two pilots, two flight engineers and a radio operator – two extra gunners could be carried as well. Total production, which ended in April 1944, amounted to 198. (IWM HU3033)
A Messerschmitt Bf109D pictured in 1939 with schwarzgrün (dark green) upper surfaces and fuselage sides and hellblau (light blue) under surfaces. This version of the famous fighter introduced the Daimler Benz 960hp DB 600 engine and saw action in Spain with the Condor Legion – some machines were also supplied to Switzerland and Hungary. Around 175 production models were made. The white shield insignia featuring a red ‘R’ denotes an aircraft of Jagdegeschwader 2, ‘Richthofen’. (IWM HU38409)
Junkers Ju88 flying over Sicily. The Junkers bomber, said by many to be the most important German bomber of the Second World War, was in front line service from the start to the end of the Second World War. The Ju88 is widely described as the ‘German Mosquito’ because, like the de Havilland aircraft, the Ju88 was an extremely versatile design and was developed from a bomber for use in the close support, reconnaissance, heavy fighter, dive-bomber, torpedo-bomber and night fighter roles. In January 1936 the ReichsLuftMinisterium (RLM, the German Air Ministry) released specifications for a new fast bomber to carry a bomb load in excess of 500kg/1,100lb. The Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke company responded with the Junkers Ju88 designed largely by two American nationals employed for their expertise in stressed skin construction. (IWM HU23910)
The cockpit of a Junkers Ju88. Construction of the Ju88 prototype began in May 1936 and the first flight of the Ju88-V1 took place on 21 December 1936. A total of five prototypes were built, and one, the Ju88-V5, made several record-breaking speed flights. In 1937, the specification was modified to include dive-bombing capabilities as well as an increased payload and range. The Ju 88-V6 was the first prototype built to meet the revised specification and it flew on 18 June 1938. In the autumn of 1938, the RLM chose the Ju88 to become the latest bomber to join the Luftwaffeand the Ju88A production version began to reach front line units in 1939. When war did eventually break out in September 1939, it was the Ju88A-1 that entered service although the first recorded mission was not flown until later in that month. The arrival of the Ju88 was a significant boost to Germany’s bomber forces and, although it was heavier than both the Dornier Do17 and the Heinkel He111, even when it carried a substantial bomb load, it was still the fastest of the three. Unlike other Luftwaffe bomber types such the Heinkel He111, the Ju88 was not battle-tested in the Spanish Civil War. (IWM HU23907)
It took the installation of 1,000 hp Daimler Benz DB 600A engines and the improved all-round performance they bestowed to make the Heinkel He111 a viable military aircraft. The first mass-produced bomber versions, the He111E and He111F were desperately effective in the testing-ground of the Spanish Civil War where, as part of the Condor Legion, they flew in support of the Fascists. The effectiveness of Blitzkrieg tactics was due in no small part to the Heinkel bomber – the bombing of Guernica sent a clear message about the military might of the Luftwaffe around the world. The speed of the He111 enabled it to outpace many of the fighter aircraft pitted against it in Spain but this led the Germans to incorrectly assume that their bombers would reign supreme in the European war that was to come. (IWM HU23733)
A low-flying Focke-Wulf Fw44 Stieglitz (goldfinch) primary training aircraft pictured in 1938. As the Second World War went on, so the time spent on Luftwaffe pilot training was shortened. At the start of the war, having completed elementary flying school, trainee Luftwaffe pilots would have perhaps 150 hours flying time on a succession of types including the Fw44. If they graduated they would be awarded a pilot’s licence as well as the coveted Flugzeugführerabzeichen – pilot’s qualification badge. The Fw44 first flew in 1932 and was extensively used by the Luftwaffewho were impressed by its aerobatic capabilities. The type was also widely exported to nations including Chile, China and Turkey while licenced production was carried out in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria and Sweden. (IWM HU22433)
A Junkers Ju88A-5 of III/KG 30 ‘Adler’. The A-5 was a long-winged version of the Ju88A-1 and was used extensively during the Battle of Britain. The strong and manoeuvrable Ju88 was a key Luftwaffe aircraft in the 1940 Battle of Britain but, in spite of its speed, it suffered at the guns of the faster British fighters. Although the Ju88 had an extensive battery of machine guns for defence, all forward machine guns except, that operated by the pilot had to be operated by the Flight Engineer who had had to leap from one gun to another as British fighters assaulted the aircraft. As a result of combat experiences the bomber was modified to carry extra defensive guns as well as more armour to protect the crew. The A-series was the standard bomber version of the Ju88. (IWM HU22420)
An historic September 1940 photograph of the start of a daylight Luftwaffe bomber raid. Junkers Ju88As of 2/KG77 fly from their French base towards England during the Battle of Britain. The aircraft with the code letter “D” was the bomber flown by Oberleutnant Werner Lode. The Royal Air Force had acquired their first intact Ju88 on 28 July 1940 when an aircraft of 3/KG51 landed near Bexhill. The official report produced after evaluation concluded, The Ju88 is obviously an extremely useful military machine, with good performance and load carrying qualities and excellent manoeuvrability for its size at high speeds. …it is however not an easy aeroplane to operate, mainly owing to its high loading…inexperienced pilots must in particular take some time to get used to the approach and landing, especially with one engine dead. (IWM HU22380)
Ju88As of KG 77 run up their engines at Gerbini, Sicily, 1942. Following the Italians inability to subdue the strategically important island of Malta, the Germans set about preparing to assault the island and stop the British Malta-launched attacks on enemy shipping in the region. The Germans insisted that their Italian ally allowed them use of their best airfields in Sicily – including Gerbini – from where they would launch their strikes. In March 1942 alone, 2,200 tons were dropped on targets on the island. The Luftwaffe also tried to starve the British out of Malta by attacking the convoys that supplied the beleaguered island. In August 1942, a well-escorted convoy of merchant ships bound for Malta was repeatedly attacked so that, of fourteen merchant ships, only five survived. (IWM HU22418)
A Dornier Do17Z of 2/KG77 lines up to receive fuel on Freux auxiliary airfield in Belgium, 1940. The first military examples of the Dornier design, the Do17E high-speed bomber and the Do17F long-range reconnaissance aircraft, entered service with the Luftwaffe and saw action during the Spanish Civil War. Both variants were powered by two BMW VI 12-cylinder V-type engines with the Do17 F having extra fuel tanks and two bomb bay cameras. Further development of the Do17 E&F types led to the Do17M medium bomber and the Do17P reconnaissance model powered by Bramo 323 radial engines. The definitive variant was the Do17Z with an extensively glazed cockpit, ‘beetle’ eye glazed nose and uprated Bramo 323 A-1 engines. Nicknamed the “Flying Pencil”, over 500 Do17Z models were built and although this aircraft could outpace most contemporary fighters when it entered service with the Luftwaffe in 1940, it was soon considered obsolete after suffering heavy losses during the Battle of Britain. Nevertheless, early in the war as the Nazis swept through Poland, Norway, the Low Countries and France, the Do17 medium bomber was a key weapon in the German inventory. (IWM HU22377)
An early Heinkel 111B after a landing accident on an airfield in Germany. The prototype of the Heinkel He111 first flew in February 1935 and owed many of its design features to the earlier single-engine He70 which set eight world speed records in 1933. Designed in 1934 as a twin-engine high-speed transport and in 1935 revealed to the world as a civil airliner, the He111 was in fact secretly developed as the world’s most advanced medium bomber. Six He111 C series airliners went into service with Lufthansa in 1936 but even the airliner versions served a military purpose as two He111s in Lufthansa markings flew secret photographic reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union, France and Britain. (IWM HU22358)
Belgium’s Blitzkrieg – Dornier Do17z of 2/KG77 pictured on Freux auxiliary airfield, 1940. In 1932 the German Ordnance Department development guidelines, issued to a number of leading German aircraft companies, called for the design and construction of a twin-engine medium bomber with a retractable undercarriage. Dornier designated the project Do17 and covered up the military aspects of the development by describing the aircraft as a fast mail-plane for Deutsche Lufthansa and also a freight carrier for the German State Railways. On 17 May 1933 the go ahead was given for the construction of two prototypes. One a high-speed commercial aircraft and the other for ‘freight’ with special equipment – in other words, a bomber. The Do.17 bomber prototype first flew in November 1934 and its superior performance caused much concern outside Germany. At the International Air Show at Dubendorf, Switzerland, in 1937, the Do17 MV1 proved to be the leader in its class. It even outpaced a number of European countries’ frontline day-fighters, including those of France and Czechoslovakia. (IWM HU22351)
Stukas in Bulgaria. Over 400 Luftwaffe aircraft gathered in Bulgaria in early 1941 to support the Italian invasion of Greece. When the pro-Nazi Yugoslav government was toppled, the Führer ordered another 600 combat aircraft flown to Bulgaria and Romania for an ambitious double strike. On 6 April 1941, having complete air superiority, the Luftwaffe was able to cover the simultaneous invasions of Greece and Yugoslavia. Both countries fell swiftly and the entire operation was over by the end of April 1941. The speed of these successful campaigns, and the earlier successes of the Blitzkrieg in the West, led the Führer and Göring to believe that the German Air Force could support any operation, regardless of complexity. (IWM HU24809)
The Sovereign of Bulgaria, Tsar Boris with senior German officers during an inspection at a Bulgaria-based Stuka Gruppe. Bulgaria had chosen to align itself with Nazi Germany in the spring of 1941 possibly to avert an all-out invasion. Although pro-German, Bulgaria did not take part in the Second World War with its armed forces and Boris refused to send his troops to fight alongside German troops on the Eastern front. Tsar Boris died suddenly after a meeting with Hitler and speculation abounds that he was poisoned for not being more cooperative. It would appear that Boris also resisted the Nazi call for Bulgarian Jews to be sent to Polish concentration camps. Bulgaria itself received 12 R-series Junkers Ju87s in 1942, followed in 1943 by 32 Ju87D-5s. They were used against partisans within Bulgaria and some may have seen action against German forces after the surrender of Bulgaria in September 1944. (IWM HU24810)
The German wartime caption for this photograph read, The brilliant German airplane designer, Professor Messerschmitt has created formidable war planes in the extremely successful fighter planes Me 109 and Me 110, which can operate with success over the North Sea. A formidable weapon against England. The aircraft pictured is in fact the little known Messerschmitt Bf162. This aircraft, developed from the Bf110 fighter but with few common parts, was created to meet a requirement for a Schnellbomber or fast bomber. The type first flew in early 1937. Unofficially named Jaguar, only three prototypes were built before the project was abandoned when the Junkers submission, the Ju88, won the contract. (IWM MH2626)
The Fw200 Condor maritime reconnaissance bomber had its origins in a Deutsche Lufthansa airliner. The aircraft grabbed headlines in 1937 and set numerous pre-war non-stop record flights from Germany to New York and Tokyo. Finland, Denmark and Brazil ordered the airliner but the military capabilities of the large aircraft were first spotted by the Japanese who were first to ask for a military long-range maritime-reconnaissance version. The first Luftwaffe unit (and its main operator for the war) to receive the Condor was Kampfgeschwader (KG) 40 in April 1940. By the end of September, the Condors had sunk 90,000 tons of Allied shipping and Churchill soon referred to these aircraft as “…the scourge of the Atlantic”. Not only could the Condor attack a ship on its own, it could also direct U-boats towards convoys. The wartime German caption for this photo read, …carries a heavy load of bombs over long distances and is strongly armed. It has proved itself, in a short time, a good weapon against England. The Condor’s reign ended in late 1944 as the Allies overran Luftwaffe bases in France. (IWM MH2627)
Ju88s in Sicily. These torpedo bombers were pitted against the British convoys that sailed for Malta. About 20 Ju88As had been sold to Finland in 1939 and mass production of the Ju88 started in 1940 with the A-4. By the end of the war, seventeen different subtypes of the Ju88A had been designed. One of the most bizarre came from a 1944 RLM request to Junkers to develop a composite aircraft consisting of a fighter aircraft mounted on top of an unmanned heavy bomber aircraft. This Mistel combination aircraft was then flown to the target, where the fighter’s pilot released the bomber, which was filled with explosives and plummeted to earth while the fighter returned to base. These Mistel weapons used old Ju88s coupled to Messerschmitt Bf109s or Focke Wulf Fw190s. About 85 Mistel combinations were built by the end of the war but only a few missions were flown. (IWM MH24406)
Luftwaffe ground crew tend a Messerschmitt Bf109 minus its engine cowling. The 109, derived in part from the four seat Bf108 Taifun, was the aircraft flown by most Luftwaffe aces and the type was responsible for more kills than any other German fighter aircraft. Bf109Bs were first delivered to the Luftwaffe’s ‘top guns’ Jagdgeschwader 2 ‘Richthofen’ in 1937 and before the year was out, the aircraft were in action in Spain. Also, in November that year, the type set a new world landplane speed record of 379.38mph. Meanwhile on the ground, the Bf109 had an outward-retracting narrow track undercarriage that proved unforgiving during ground handling. (IWM HU92188)
Men and machines of Kampfgeschwader 51 ‘Edelweiss’ pictured early in the Second World War. Notice the special winter shelters erected around the engines of the nearest Ju88 to give ground crew some shelter from the elements while working on the aircraft’s engines. The unit’s distinctive edelweiss flower badge can be seen on the starboard side of the nose of the Ju88A, half covered by the protective tarpaulin stretched over the cockpit. Established in May 1939, during the course of the war KG 51 also operated Dornier Do17s, Heinkel He111s and Me410s and took part in the campaigns against Poland, France, Britain, the Soviet Union and Greece. (IWM HU92189)
After an early war mission, ground crew prepare to get a Stuka ready for its next sortie. With air superiority achieved against obsolete fighters in Poland and the Low Countries, the Stuka was able to hold its own. However, when it came up against the Hurricanes and Spitfires of the RAF large numbers were destroyed on missions across the English Channel. The Ju87 had a slow top speed nor could it climb away quickly. Accordingly the Stuka was withdrawn from operations against the UK but the type continued to serve in Greece, Crete, North Africa, Malta and on the Eastern Front. On commencing a dive attack, the pilot adjusted the dive angle manually by referring to red indicator lines painted on the canopy showing 60, 75 and 80 degrees from horizontal. The pilot would visually aim the aircraft at his target until a signal light on the altimeter illuminated telling the pilot to press the bomb-release button on the top of the control column. The automatic pull-out would commence as the bombs left their cradles. The bombs would follow the same course to the target as the aircraft had during its dive, while the pilot would experience around 6g, frequently blacking out, as the aircraft automatically levelled out to begin its climb skywards. (IWM HU92190)
The commander (with the lifejacket) of a moored Bv138 flying boat reports to his squadron commander after returning from a flight. The aircraft commander is wearing a Flieger-Schutzanzug für Sommer lightweight one-piece dark tan coloured cotton Type K So/34 summer flying suit. The ground crew is already at work servicing the aircraft and making her ready for the next flight. A crewman can be seen standing on a fairing that replaced a deleted bow gun-turret which typically housed a 20mm cannon. Designed as a long-range maritime reconnaissance flying boat, the type, however, first saw action transporting troops during the Norway campaign of 1940. With a range of around 4,000 kilometres fully loaded, the Bv138 could range over large areas of ocean for up to sixteen hours in search of enemy convoys and shipping. Note the Blohm und Voss manufacturer’s logo on the starboard side of the aircraft’s nose. (IWM HU92191)
Stuka crews at play in Norway. The Stuka (short for Sturzkampfflugzeug or dive bomber) is one of the best-known wartime Luftwaffe-combat types and certainly the easiest to recognise with inverted gull wings and fixed undercarriage. Like many Luftwaffe aircraft, the Ju87 was designed to provide tactical support to the army in land actions. German strategists saw the potential of the dive bomber as an effective weapon when used in close support of ground forces, reducing the enemy’s resistance before ground forces advanced. The Ju87 prototype was powered, ironically as later events proved, by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine and had its maiden flight in May 1935. The Luftwaffe was very impressed by the potent new dive bomber and, with testing complete, the Stuka entered service in 1937. The early Stukas were sent to Spain for operational evaluation with the German Condor Legion. In the first production version, the Ju87A-1, a single fin replaced the two of the prototype, dive brakes were fitted to the outer wings and the British engine was replaced by a Junkers Jumo 210Ca 640hp engine. By early 1939, all the A series aircraft were relegated to training duties and all dive bomber units began equipping with the more powerful Ju87B series powered by the 1,200hp Jumo 211Da direct injection engine. The B-2 was improved further and could carry up to 1,000kg of bombs. The D series fitted with the 1,410hp Jumo 211J-1 engine introduced more armour to protect the crew. (IWM HU92192)
Heinkel He162 Salamander and personnel pictured at Leck in Northern Germany, May 1945. While the He162 was being developed at breakneck speed, Hitler Youth were being hurriedly trained in gliders as pilots for the new interceptor – ominously for them, their training was to be completed by flying the new aircraft in action. Experienced fighter pilots may have been able to handle the demanding He162, but poorly trained Hitler Youth would not have fared so well. The first aircraft were delivered for operational evaluation and trials in January 1945, only three to four weeks since the type’s first flight. In February 1945, I/JG1 became the first unit to relinquish, possibly reluctantly, their Fw190s to begin conversion to the Salamander. One Gruppe of three squadrons was formed on 4 May 1945 at Leck in Schleswig-Holstein but the airfield (pictured) was captured by the British only four days later. Fuel shortages and general chaos had prevented the fighter from ever firing its twin 20mm cannon in anger.
A Heinkel He177A-5. Between January and March 1944, the Luftwaffe’s KG40 and KG100 equipped with He177s carried out what were known as the Steinbock raids. These revenge raids against London were in response to the Allies escalating attacks against German cities. The planners knew the single most effective way that the bomber could attack and hope to evade interception by the Royal Air Force’s increasingly efficient night fighter force. The bomber climbed to around 9,000m over the coast of Europe and then, at full power began a shallow dive towards Britain. By the time the aircraft were over England they were at speeds of around 700kph/435mph which made the aircraft hard to catch but did little for bombing accuracy. The Steinbock raids were ineffective and although, of 35 aircraft that took part in the numerous raids, only four were destroyed by British defences, many had to turn back due to engine fires and other malfunctions. Following the D-Day landings, He177 anti-shipping missions from France ceased but the type was still in use as a missile launch platform against the Allies in early 1945. On the Eastern Front, KG4 and KG50 were first to use the He177 in the pure bomber role with some aircraft also being fitted with huge 50 or even 75mm anti-tank guns. (IWM HU4988)
Although around 200 Heinkel He 162 Volksjägers were completed by the end of the War, a further 800 were under production at underground factories like the one pictured near Vienna. The aircraft’s light metal alloy streamlined fuselage had a moulded plywood nose and its one-piece wooden wing was metal-tipped. The He162 cockpit was modern-looking with an upward hinged canopy and an ejection seat. Maintenance was not judged to be an issue as damaged or unserviceable aircraft would have simply been replaced by one of the many new ones in mass production. The engine was top mounted to save on the design and construction time required to create an aircraft around an engine. Fixed to the aircraft by three large bolts, the engine’s location did not cause aerodynamic problems but did affect stability making the aircraft difficult to fly and fight in. An onboard two-stroke piston engine was used as a starter motor. Production, fed by a network of sub-contractors including woodworkers and furniture makers, was expected to reach a peak of 4,000 per month. 140 main factories and hundreds of smaller factories were to take part in the mass production of aircraft. (IWM HU5010)
A casual observer would be forgiven for thinking the six-seat He177 had two engines but on closer inspection each Daimler Benz DB-610 engine is in fact a pair of coupled DB 605 engines driving a single propeller shaft. The designers decided that was a good way to reduce drag but any benefits were far outweighed by the many problems caused by these troublesome engines which regularly caught fire in the air. Six out of the eight prototypes crashed and out of the first 35 pre-production A-0 models built mainly by Arado, many were written off due to take-off accidents or fires in flight. A further 130 A-1 version was built by Arado while Heinkel were responsible for the production of the A-3 and A-5 versions of which 170 and 826 were constructed respectively. The aircraft itself was essentially a good design and the slim tubular fuselage and long wings gave a range of 5,500km/3,417miles, far beyond anything else in the Luftwaffe inventory. The engine was the design’s Achilles Heel and plagued its service record. The type, in A-1 form was first used in action by KG (Kampfgeschwader) 40 for maritime strike and reconnaissance missions. from bases in France. The aircraft pictured is a Heinkel He177A-03 preproduction example taxiing out for a test flight. (IWM HU5014)
The Sicilian local seems more interested in the camera than the bombed-up Junkers Ju88A-4 he is passing. The aircraft is there no doubt as part of the Luftwaffe bomber force that attempted to pound Malta into oblivion. The A-4 was one of the most numerous versions and the one from which many others derived. The four-seat bomber (note the four crew in the photo) had a long-span wing to carry heavier bomb loads of up to 2,500 or 3,000kg – despite this, the ‘88 continued to operate successfully from rough fields. Also worthy of note in this photo is the offset bomb-aimer’s gondola with its flat bombing window beneath the aircraft’s nose. (IWM HU92193)
A Luftwaffe Heinkel He115 B-1 being towed up a slipway. Export versions of the Luftwaffe’s He115 floatplane were supplied to Norway and Sweden in 1939. Norway’s fleet increased in 1940 when two German He115B-1s were captured during the German invasion and some were then used against the Germans. Some of the Norwegian machines fled to Scotland when Norway fell and served with the RAF on clandestine operations until 1943. By 1940, seventy-six aircraft had been built in several versions. The crew of three comprised a pilot, radio operator and navigator who was also responsible for aiming the bombs or torpedoes carried in the large internal bomb-bay. The type was finally retired from patrols in the Arctic in the summer of 1944. (IWM HU5006)
Mountain troops of the Gebirgsjäger about to emplane wave at a landing ‘Tante Ju’ as the rugged Junkers Ju52 was nicknamed. The Ju52/3m was one of the greatest aircraft ever built. Though simple by modern standards with a fixed undercarriage and corrugated construction, the tough Junkers was built in great numbers and served in a variety of roles from bomber to ski-equipped airliner. The ‘3m’ (for three engines or motoren) was developed from a single engine version of the same aircraft, the Ju52. The 3m version first flew in April 1932 and became the standard aircraft of Lufthansa. The military applications of this capable aircraft were clear to the German militarists who urged the development of a military bomber-transport version. The Ju52/3mg3e, powered by three BMW 525hp 132A-3 engines, could carry six 100kg/220lb bombs and had a faired gun position on top of the fuselage rear of the wing, and a primitive ‘dustbin’ turret, each mounting a 7.92mm/0.31in machine gun. As a transport it could carry eighteen troops or twelve stretchers. The Ju52 was used on all fronts on which the Third Reich fought and was a vital part of the Nazi war machine. (IWM HU92206)
A Heinkel He115B-1 twin-float seaplane pictured during trials in early 1940. Despite the fact that the type was, in many ways, obsolete at the start of the Second World War, the He115 continued in Luftwaffe service almost to the end of the conflict, with production restarting briefly in 1943. The He115 was developed as a torpedo-bomber, mine-laying and reconnaissance aircraft in the mid-thirties. The He115 V1 (civil serial D-AEHF) prototype made its first flight in 1936 and in March 1938 this aircraft set eight speed records over 1,000 km and 2,000 km courses carrying various payloads up to 2,000 kg. The type was used by coastal reconnaissance units of the Luftwaffe and when war broke out dropped parachute mines in British waters. Defensive armament consisted of one fixed forward-firing and one rear-firing 7.9mm machine guns. (IWM HU5004)
A Heinkel He111 B-0 being serviced. This version was a pre-production model powered by 1,000hp Daimler Benz DB 600As. The first production He 111B-1s appeared in late 1936 and thirty were sent to fight in Spain with the Condor Legion. The Spanish connection continued for by the end of 1944, over 7,300 He111s had been built for the Luftwaffe while a further 236 were licence-built by the Spanish manufacturer CASA. The Spanish machines (designated CASA 2.111), were identical to the He111 H-6 produced in Germany and half were powered by Junkers engines supplied from Germany. The rest of the Spanish aircraft, built post-war, had Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. Spain continued to operate the Heinkel bombers until 1965. (IWM HU4999)
Ground crew prepare to load a second LT F5b practice torpedo beneath the fuselage of a Heinkel He111H-6. In early 1941 the Luftwaffe resolved to step up its anti-shipping attacks against British targets but found that bombs were not effective. Following extensive trials, the Luftwaffe found that the He111 was an excellent torpedo bomber and the He111H-6 was introduced in late 1941. In addition to six machine guns and two cannon, the aircraft could also carry two 765kg torpedoes. I./KG 26 was the first unit to equip with the new He111 variant. Following training at an Italian base, by June 1942 the Gruppe, based in Norway, were ready for action against Allied Arctic convoys. Convoy PQ 17 was virtually wiped out by the torpedo-dropping Heinkels. (IWM HU4994)
A pair of He111H-11s in flight. The H series was the major production model of the German bomber and was a re-engined development of the earlier P-series but powered by Junkers Jumo 211 series engines. There were many variants within the H-series but the H-11 shown was a modified H-10 night bomber. It had a fully enclosed dorsal gun position with a 13mm MG 131 machine gun for increased top protection and more defensive armament. The gondola beneath the fuselage contained two 7.9mm machine guns and the aircraft carried extra armour plating. The bomber could carry up 1,250kg of bombs externally. The H-series served in all major Luftwaffe offensives in the early part of the Second World War in Poland, Scandinavia, the Low Countries, France and the Battle of Britain. (IWM HU4993)
A Heinkel He111H-11 with bomb bay open, the underside of its wings blackened by the engine exhausts. The Heinkels’ shortcomings were exposed when they came up against the more modern fighters of the Royal Air Force, the Spitfire and Hurricane. Although by sheer weight of numbers, the He111s did inflict much destruction on Britain during the early stages of the Second World War, losses mounted and the Heinkel was soon restricted to night operations and other specialised missions. Under cover of darkness during the Blitz of 1940-41, the He111 continued to perform as an effective bomber inflicting serious blows against its British enemies, including the devastating raids on Coventry. Due to a German decision to focus on mass production of existing weapons rather than investing in development of newer ones, the He111 laboured on long after it should have been retired. He111s were developed for use as torpedo bombers, glider tugs and troop transports and in the last year of the war served as air launch platforms for V1 flying bombs targeted against British cities. By the end of the Second World War, however, the He111 was used mainly as a transport aircraft. (IWM HU4992)
This fine air-to-air study shows a Heinkel He111H-16, one of a major production series. The H-16, a standard bomber version, was powered by two 1,350hp Jumo 211F-2 engines. It carried comprehensive defensive armament including twin MG 81Z machine guns, a 13mm MG 131 machine gun and an MG FF 20mm cannon. Sub-variants were the H-16/R1 with an electric dorsal turret, the H-16/R2 was a glider tug while the H-16/R3 was a pathfinder which could still carry a reduced bomb load. Features to note on the aircraft pictured are the large radiator bath air intakes beneath each engine, and the large glazed nose that offered excellent visibility but no protection. On bombing missions the bomb-aimer lay prone in the very front of the nose. The box-like protuberance beneath his position is the bombsight housing, offset to starboard. (IWM HU4991)
The Heinkel He177 V-7 prototype – this machine was delivered to KG 40 at Bordeaux in August 1941 for operational evaluation. If the Nazis had successfully produced an atomic bomb, as the Luftwaffe’s only heavy bomber, it would have been the He177 Greif (griffon) that would have carried it. At the end of the war a sole aircraft undergoing modification for the role was discovered in Czechoslovakia. Given the number of these aircraft that had to turn back from missions due to engine problems, the bomb may have posed more of a threat to Germany than anywhere else. Of all the aircraft in the Luftwaffe’s Second World War inventory, the He177 had the greatest military potential and caused the greatest amount of trouble to its crews. The aircraft was first proposed to meet a baffling 1938 requirement for a large, long range heavy bomber and anti-shipping aircraft that could deliver a sizeable 2,000kg bomb load in medium-angle dive bombing attacks. It has to be borne in mind that while the Allies embraced the concept of strategic air power as a means of waging war, the Luftwaffe was always a tactical air power provider to German land forces. That different philosophy explained the lack of large heavy bombers in the wartime Luftwaffe inventory. (IWM HU4990)
The Heinkel He60 was developed in 1932 as a reconnaissance aircraft to be catapult launched from large German warships. In reality, the type was used extensively by sea and coastal reconnaissance units well into the Second World War. Ruggedly constructed to cope with catapult launches and rough seas, the He60 first entered service in 1933. The unarmed He60A was the first version in Kriegsmarine (Navy) service, then the B model armed with a 7.9mm machine gun in the observer’s cockpit appeared but was soon succeeded by the improved He60C that entered service in 1934. The C model was operated from most German warships prior to the Second World War - the aircraft’s floats contained spraying equipment that could either lay down a smoke screen or spray mustard gas over enemy craft. The type was evaluated during the Spanish Civil War. The type was relegated to training duties early in the Second World War but it continued to serve in the maritime reconnaissance role with units in the Mediterranean, Crete and Greece. The aircraft pictured, was a Heinkel He60C but with armament removed became an He60D trainer. (IWM HU2962)
Powered by two paired Junkers Jumo diesel engines, the rare Dornier Do26 was first designed to fly transatlantic mail services. When war came, the type was soon militarised for Luftwaffe service and, armed with cannon and machine guns, flew troops and supplies into fjords during the 1940 Norway campaign. Only five machines entered military service and of them two were shot down on May 28 1940 by British Hurricanes. The other three continued to fly during the Norway campaign but were withdrawn when lack of spares made their continued operation impossible. With a wing span of over 98 feet the Do26 was among the largest aircraft in the Luftwaffe inventory early in the war. (IWM HU2707)
The aircraft pictured is the Henschel Hs123 V2, registration D-ILUA, the second prototype of a neat and powerful dive bomber design begun in 1933. The 123 was a sesquiplane, a biplane in which the lower wing has less than half the area of the upper wing. The first production machines appeared in 1936 – armed with two machine guns the aircraft could also carry a 250kg bomb under the fuselage and four 50kg bombs under the lower wing. During December 1936, five Hs123s were shipped to the Condor Legion in Spain for evaluation in action in the Civil War. The type first saw action there in early 1937 but was soon eclipsed by the Ju87 Stuka. Nevertheless, the Hs123 continued to serve as a schlachtflugzeug or close support aircraft in Poland, France, Belgium and the Soviet Union as late as 1943. (IWM HU92207)
A DFS230A-1 glider pictured during trials with a Messerschmitt Bf109E fighter fixed to its top in place of a tow aircraft. Glider transport allowed troops to be set down in concentrated numbers, ready for combat virtually immediately. The DFS glider, if released by a tow aircraft at 10,000ft, could glide for a remarkable 35 miles. With a landing speed of only 40mph, the glider was usually stationary after a run of only 20 yards. The DFS230 was the only glider used by German forces up to and during the invasion of Crete. The glider could carry nine troops, a field radio and 3,000 rounds of ammunition or 7 soldiers, a machine gun, a handcart as well as ammunition and grenades. On 10 May 1940, forty-one DFS230 gliders were used in the first operational use of glider-borne troops for the German capture of the Belgian fort of Eben-Emael. For the invasion of Crete, fifty-three DFS 230 gliders were used. On 12 September 1943, twelve DFS230s were used to land troops to aid the escape of Mussolini from imprisonment in the Abbruzzi. (IWM HU92208)
Armourers at work on a Messerschmitt Bf109G-6. The G model, or ‘Gustav’ as it was known, was the most numerous of all the Bf109 versions. It became the standard version in Luftwaffe use after 1942 and used the more powerful DB605 engine mated to an F-series airframe. More than 30,000 Gustavs were produced in all, some licence-built in Hungary and Romania. The G was well-armed but was considered to need great attention from the pilot on landing. It served on all fronts in interceptor, ground-attack and fighter-bomber roles. (IWM HU92209)
This early production Heinkel He111B-2 is shown during a demonstration flight to showcase its manoeuvrability. The aircraft parked in the background is a Heinkel He112 fighter. The bomber is carrying the splinter type camouflage scheme worn by Luftwaffe bombers from 1936-40. This paint scheme featured dark brown, green and light grey on upper surfaces while the undersides were painted light blue. The He111 was developed while the Luftwaffe was still a secret from the outside world. The design brief had called for a fast airliner capable of adaptation to the bombing role as quickly and easily as possible. Heinkel’s solution, proposed by twin designers Siegfried and Walter Günter was a scaled up version of their 1934 record-breaking single-engined He70 Blitz. The first prototype He111a powered by a pair of BMW VI OZ engines had its maiden flight on 24 February 1935. (IWM HU92210)
Known as the ‘snow plough’ to some but simply as a disappointment to others, this special version of the Heinkel He111 was developed to enable the Luftwaffe bombers literally to cut their way through the treacherous barrage balloon cables they encountered at lower altitudes over well defended British targets. The cutting rig extended from wingtip to wingtip and added considerable weight (250kg) to the Heinkel. These special conversions, thirty in all, of He111H-3 and H-5 aircraft were all designated He111H-8. The experiment was not considered a success after some operations over Britain with KG 54, although the modified aircraft were still able to carry a reduced bomb load. Some were subsequently turned into H-8R-2 glider tugs. (IWM HU92211)
This Heinkel He111H-5 was similar to the earlier H-4 but had greater range (due to fuel tanks replacing wing bomb cells) and could only carry its bomb load externally. This pictures shows the aircraft with a large 1000kg SC 1,000 bomb under its fuselage – it could carry two. This aircraft is operating on the Eastern Front in early 1943 and shows traces of a removable ‘whitewash’ layer of paint applied for winter operations over the standard camouflage scheme. The nose armament is probably a 13mm(0.51in) MG 131 heavy machine gun. It was this version of He111 that carried most of the heavy ordnance and parachute mines to Britain during the winter Blitz of 1940-41. (IWM HU92212)
The Heinkel He162 illustrates the desperate means to which the German military resorted in order to halt the Allied advance in 1944. One attempt was this small, cheap and easily built jet fighter designed to attack Allied bomber fleets as they pounded the Third Reich on a daily basis. The official requirement was issued in September 1944 and the whole programme, not just the aircraft, was given the name Salamander. Popularly known as the Volksjäger (people’s fighter), the type first flew on 6 December 1944, incredibly, only thirty-eight days after detailed plans were first passed to the factory. The total time from the start of design work to the first test flight was just over six months. The aircraft pictured was an He162A-2 that was operated by JG1. After the aircraft was seized by US forces it was shipped to the USA for testing. (IWM HU4985)
The wartime caption for this photo said, Spitfire pilots during their final training period were taken by the Intelligence Officer of the station to inspect a shot-down Junkers to enable them to obtain first hand information of a type of German aircraft which they will doubtless meet in combat.On 15 August 1940 this Junkers Ju88 of 7/KG 30 left Aalborg in Denmark as part of a large force tasked with attacking RAF Driffield in Yorkshire. The aircraft, piloted by Oberleutnant Bachmann, was attacked by Spitfires of No. 616 Squadron when it reached the British coast and after both engines had been damaged, it force-landed near Hornby at 1.25pm. Three of the four crew were taken prisoner but the fourth had been killed in the engagement. During the attack, eight Ju88s were shot down but the bomber force still managed to drop 169 bombs on RAF Driffield and destroy eleven RAF bombers on the ground. (IWM CH1757)
A reluctance to lose aircraft production by introducing new types of aircraft characterised the German Air Ministry (RLM) decisions in 1943. Modification and improvement of existing designs was considered to be more cost and time effective than risky new projects. The Junkers Ju388 pictured was a derivative of the Ju188 which itself came from the Ju88. Junkers had already speculatively developed fighter, bomber and reconnaissance versions of the I88 which became the Ju 388. As high altitude reconnaissance was the greatest priority the Ju388L PR version was first to enter production with forty-seven delivered to the Luftwaffe by December 1944. The aircraft pictured is a Ju388K-1, one of only five production bomber versions made. The large wooden fairing below the fuselage covered the bomb load carried beneath the fuselage. A tail mounted rear warning radar was also fitted. (IWM CH15677)
A blazing Junkers Ju52 about to crash on Crete as German paratroops land on the island in May 1941. Crete was considered to be vitally important by the Germans who saw it as a means of dominating routes in the eastern Mediterranean. During the invasion, the Luftwaffe bombing of Heraklion Aerodrome was followed by ground strafing by fighters while others patrolled the bombed area to provide top cover for the troop-carrying aircraft that followed. Many of the German paratroopers were killed or wounded before they reached the ground. The paratroopers were men of the Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1. The surviving paratroopers’ tenacity coupled with British errors enabled the German forces to take the airfields of Heraklion, Maleme and Canea. In the fighting for Crete the German paratroopers suffered over 5,000 casualties from a force of 13,000 and the Luftwaffe lost 220 aircraft including an incredible 119 Junkers Ju52s. The assault had been the first ever strategic use of airborne forces but one that Hitler was reluctant to use again due to the losses on Crete. (IWM A4155)
In the late summer of 1940, the Battle of Britain was at its height and London was adjusting itself to the shock of the Luftwaffe’s assault on the capital. This picture was taken on 7 September 1940, the day that Luftwaffe tactics in the Battle shifted. Having failed to destroy RAF Fighter Command by attacking its bases, the Luftwaffe began an all out onslaught against London. German thinking was that the British will to fight would break down as the population saw its capital being pounded day and night by the Luftwaffe. At around 4pm about 1,000 German bombers and fighters were detected on British radar screens, heading for London. This historic photo, taken on that day, shows two Dornier Do17z bombers over fires started by earlier attacking Luftwaffe bombers around London’s Royal Victoria Docks and West Ham. (IWM C5423)
Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters on patrol over the English Channel during the Battle of Britain. While the RAF had around 600 front line fighters, the Luftwaffe were able to field some 900 single-engined and 300 twin-engined fighters. A major disadvantage faced by the Luftwaffefighter aircraft was that they were operating at the limit of their flying range from bases across the English Channel. Also, Britain’s early warning radar, the most advanced system in the world at the time, gave the RAF warning of when and where to deploy their fighters, thereby avoiding standing aerial patrols in the wrong place. The aerial battles that took place over southern England during the historic summer of 1940 resulted in the Spitfires and Hurricanes of RAF Fighter Command becoming victors over their Luftwaffe adversaries. (IWM HU1215)
The problematic Messerschmitt Me210 appeared in response to a long-term requirement for a successor to the company’s Bf110. The Luftwaffe wanted to retain a Zerstörer twin-engine fighter capability beyond the Bf110 and the Me210 design was awarded the contract. Following the first test flight, however, the aircraft was effectively condemned by test pilot reports as being vicious and hard to handle. The aircraft had to excel at air combat, ground attack, reconnaissance and dive bombing but almost seemed doomed at the outset. Problems were tackled while production was underway but were never resolved, so after 200 had been produced, the Me210 production programme was terminated. This was so serious, that the great Willy Messerschmitt himself was forced to resign. With a revised rear fuselage and wing planform as well as more powerful engines the design was salvaged and reappeared as the Me410 Hornisse (hornet) which entered Luftwaffe service in January 1943. The aircraft pictured is an Me210A-1. (IWM HU2741)
Messerschmitt Bf109G-2, serial 412951. Following the intense aerial battles of the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe called for single seat fighters with greater power. Developed in late 1941, the ‘Gustav’, or G model, was developed to use the 1,475hp Daimler Benz DB605 and could reach speeds of over 400mph at 28,500ft. The version had its combat debut in the summer of 1942 with fighter groups based near the English Channel. Compared to earlier models, the G had a stronger landing gear, a larger oil tank, and rear armour for the pilot together with increased head protection. The G could also be equipped with a drop tank or a bomb-rack. The G-2 model pictured dispensed with the pressure cabin introduced with the G-1 which was otherwise identical, both variants being armed with one 20mm MG151 cannon and two 7.9mm machine guns. This aircraft is fitted with an auxiliary fuel tank. (IWM CH15662)
Messerschmitt Bf109G of the famed Jagdegeschwader 53, or Pik As, literally the Ace of Spades. This was among the oldest fighter units of the Second World War with its origins going back to 1937. In May 1942 when the major campaign against Malta ceased, the ‘Pik As’ Geschwader was split and its three Gruppen were deployed over three different theatres of operation. I JG 53 moved to the eastern front, where it took part in the offensive against Stalingrad. III JG53 saw service in North Africa in support of Rommel while II JG53, on Sicily, continued to try to stop British air and naval forces from interfering with the Axis shipping to and from North Africa. In late 1943, as German forces retreated north through Italy, JG 53 saw constant action over southern Italy and experienced heavy losses. The aircraft pictured is armed with two 20mm MG 151/20 guns under the wings in addition to normal armament. (IWM HU55218)
On Sunday, 21 July 1940 at 10:25am, this Messerschmitt Bf110 C-5. crash landed at Goodwood Home Farm following attacks by Hurricanes of No. 238 Squadron RAF based at Middle Wallop. The aircraft, based at Villacoublay in France, was an armed reconnaissance variant which had already shot down a training aircraft before it was itself attacked. Although the aircraft managed to evade its attackers, both of its Daimler Benz DB601 engines were damaged and eventually seized up. The crew, pilot Oberleutnant Karl Runde and Feldwebel Willi Baden, escaped from the aircraft unhurt following the landing and were captured. The aircraft, using parts from other Bf110s, was repaired by the RAF and was used for evaluation and training purposes. The photograph was taken on 6 September 1940. (IWM MH4194)
A Messerschmitt Bf109E in France late 1940. Despite the camouflage paint scheme, this aircraft’s nose and tail appear to be yellow. The chevron markings on the aircraft’s side tell us that this was the personal aircraft of the unknown unit’s Gruppen Kommandeur. The ‘E’ model or Emil, as it was often known, was the definitive version of the Bf109. It was in action throughout the first year of the Blitzkrieg and, excluding the Spitfire, outclassed all the fighters it encountered. Luftwaffe 109Es first saw action against the Royal Air Force on 18 December 1939 during an attack on RAF Wellington bombers over Wilhelmshaven. Numerous versions of the Emil were in service during the Battle of Britain in 1940. (IWM HU44150)
Derelict Luftwaffe aircraft abandoned in the wake of Rommel’s retreating Afrika Korps in 1942. The fuselages of Messerschmitt Bf109s and Junkers Ju88s, some of them bullet-ridden, line the road near Gambut. The second hulk with the RAF officer in the cockpit is a Bf109F-4/Trop in a Luftwaffe desert colour scheme of sand-yellow with olive green mottling. The aircraft’s number 12 in yellow and the distinctive shield motif just forward of the cockpit and the horizontal bar to the rear of the Balkenkreuz national insignia, denote that this was an aircraft of 6. Staffel II/JG 3. Note the fuselage fifth away from the camera which appears to have been painted over with Royal Air Force insignia on the aircraft’s side and tail. (IWM CM4038)
A wrecked Messerschmitt Bf109E-7/Trop, W Nr 6431, pictured near Sollum in Egypt late 1942. The aircraft crashed after being damaged in combat while covering the retreat of Rommel’s troops. The aircraft had been on the strength of 8/ZG1, a Zerstörergeschwader twin-engined fighter unit, probably as an armed reconnaissance machine. The E-7/Trop was similar to the E-4/N, powered by a 1,200hp Daimler Benz 601N, but with provision for a 300 litre (66 gallon) drop tank or a 250kg bomb. The Trop version was ‘tropicalised’ by the installation of an Italian-designed dust filter over the supercharger air intake. The aircraft pictured was painted sand-yellow on its upper surfaces and sides while the undersides were painted sky blue. (IWM E19640)
Bf109E-1 (W Nr6296F) flown by Oblerleutnant Bartels, Technical Officer of Stab III/JG26 Schlageter pictured shortly after force landing in a wheatfield at Northdown, Kent on Wednesday, 24 July 1940. Bartels was severely wounded after an attack by a Spitfire of No. 54 Squadron from Rochford and did well to land the aircraft, although it came to land only yards from high tension power lines. In the engagement with the other aircraft of Stab III that day, a Spitfire was written off and its pilot killed while another Spitfire was damaged. The aircraft, though an E-1, had an E-4 canopy fitted retrospectively. The F in the aircraft’s Werks number denotes that it has undergone a major overhaul. (IWM HU67707)
On 6 June 1938, the Heinkel He100 V2, registration D-IUOS and the second prototype of the design, with Ernst Udet at the controls, set a new 100km closed-circuit landplane world speed record. Heinkel were still smarting from the 1936 failure of their He112 in the competition against the Messerschmitt Bf109 in the Luftwaffe single seat fighter competition for which they proposed the He 100. The well publicised record-breaking flight did however cause some confusion in that the record-breaking He 100 was deliberately called the He112U in an attempt to generate interest in the genuine He112 being sold to Spain and Japan. On 30 March 1939, the He100V8 prototype set a new absolute world speed record of 463.92mph/746.6kph. Production fighter versions of the He100 did appear but the type did not enter Luftwaffe service. Service test pilots at Rechlin thought the aircraft, though wonderfully quick as a fighter aircraft, was hard to handle and had a high landing speed thus increasing the landing runs and the risks of accidents on the ground. Some He100s were sold to sympathetic nations (Japan and the USSR) together with permission for licence production. Twelve production machines were retained by Heinkel to defend one of their plants and were used for propaganda photos claiming to feature another high performance fighter in Luftwaffe service. In reality the He100 never fired its guns in anger. (IWM HU76169)
Excellently detailed photograph of the under-fuselage gondola of a Junkers Ju88R-1. The rear of the gondola is hinged down to allow crew access. The R-1 was a night fighter version of the Ju88 armed with seven machine guns. The chute on the top right of the photo was for dumping used cartridges from the nose armament out into the slipstream. Despite the presence of the swastikad Bf109 tail in the background, the author believes this is one of a number of detailed shots taken by the British at Farnborough of the R-1 whose crew defected in May 1943 with their aircraft. The aircraft, from Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 was flown from its base to RAF Dyce near Aberdeen, Scotland and was then flown on to Farnborough. (IWM HU23899)