Monday 1 January 2018

Messerschmitt Bf.109E, German users, part five

First of all, we would like to wish all our readers a very happy new year!. That said, let's get it on with the first post of this year.
The Bf.109E played a secondary role in the Eastern Front, as of the 619 fighters assigned to the Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941, most of them were Bf.109F.
However, due to the vast length of the frontline, in the Northern part, in Finland, the presence of the German fighter force was provided by Jagdstaffel Kirkenes, which employed Bf.109E-7s, some of them originally destined for the North African Theatre, complete with their dust filters.
Technically, most of German fighters were superior to the Soviet ones, as it was made clear during the first days of Barbarossa, and so was the Bf.109E, which arrived to frontlines mostly on the Bf.109E-7 type. As the Emil was already being replaced by the F type, or Franz, it was assigned mainly as an interim fighter, mostly to foreign volunteer units, like the Spanish Escuadrilla Azul (Blue Squadron), which, fought in the Eastern Front. It was formed in September 1941 and, initially it was equipped with Bf.109E-7.
The Bf.109E performed well in the Eastern Front, however as the Franz, or even the Focke-Wulf Fw.190 was becoming available, most of the Staffels decided to replace them by either one of those and so, by early 1942 there was barely any Luftwaffe frontline unit flying the Bf.109E, except in the Far North, in Finland, where, due to the isolated nature of the area, the Bf.109Es took more time to be replaced.










Sources:
1. Osprey - Aircraft of the Aces 37 - Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109_operational_history#Combat_service_with_Francoist_Spain
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

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