Thursday 23 August 2018

Messerschmitt Bf.110E

The Messerschmitt Bf.110E was a variant of the previous Bf.110D. It featured upgraded armour and fuselage upgrades to support the extra weight. A total of 856 Bf.110E were manufactured between August 1940 and January 1942 and it wasn't popular among pilots as it was considered slow and unresponsive, with some former Bf.110 pilots commenting that the E version was "rigged and a total dog".
The Bf.110 was eventually withdrawn from daylight fighting and it enjoyed a late success as a night-fighter taking advantage from its range and firepower. The airframe allowed for a dedicated radar operator and the open nose could host radar antennae, unlike the single-engined fighters. As the war was going on, the extra-weight of the armament, the radar detection equipment and the third crew member, took an increasing toll on the aircraft performance.
It was used on the ground attack role too as the earlier C-4/B could carry a payload of bombs, and its heavy firepower proved to be very useful. Later there were dedicated ground-attack variants that were very successful. The Luftwaffe used the Bf.110 in a wide array of roles, though its original one wasn't used no more as it was too vulnerable. Another role the Bf.110 was used in was the bomber-destroyer one. Its powerful firepower (when armed with 20mm and 30mm cannons) could cripple or destroy any allied bomber in literally seconds and, if the bomber formation was unescorted, it could destroy any bomber formation. It could be fitted with four 21cm Werfer-Granate rocket-tubes but at the cost of being more encumbered. In fact, when flying with that configuration, it was very vulnerable to allied escort fighters, thanks in part to a major change in tactics in 1943. In fact, at the end of 1943 and early 1944 the Bf.110 formations suffered heavy casualties from allied fighters.










Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_110
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_110_operational_history
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

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