Messerschmitt Bf 110 C, D, & E

The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was the Luftwaffe's prime multi-role heavy fighter. By the time Germany invaded Poland on September 1,1939, ten Luftwaffe Gruppen had been equipped with this heavy fighter. Owing to the limited aerial opposition the Bf 110C was largely employed in the ground-support role, an [...]
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The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was the Luftwaffe's prime multi-role heavy fighter. By the time Germany invaded Poland on September 1,1939, ten Luftwaffe Gruppen had been equipped with this heavy fighter. Owing to the limited aerial opposition the Bf 110C was largely employed in the ground-support role, and after the fall of Poland little was heard of this much-vaunted machine until, on December 14,1939, it was encountered by a formation of twelve Wellington's over the Heligoland Bight. But it was not until it was to come up against RAF fighters in 1940 that the Bf 110C was to receive its first real trial in combat and to be found wanting. As a long-range escort fighter the Bf 110C received a disastrous mauling at the hands of the more nimble Hurricane and Spitfire during the "Battle of Britain".Rather than protecting the bombers under escort, the Bf 110C formations usually found that they were hard put to defend themselves, and the farcical situation developed in which single-seat Bf 109E fighters were having to afford protection to the escort fighters.The complete failure of the Bf 110C in the role for which it had been conceived led to its eventual withdrawal from the Channel coast but did not result in any reduction in its production priority. Against Polish PZL fighters and other European countries the aircraft fared well, but when used during the Battle of Britain to escort German bombers, Royal Air Force fighters dealt heavily with the aircraft, forcing the Luftwaffe to switch to short-range Bf 109s for escort duties. Although the Bf 110s had failed in this primary task, production continued at a high rate; by 1945 no fewer than 6,150 had been built, ranging from Bf 110As to Gs.As later models became available, the early Bf 110Cs and Ds were transferred to the Middle East and Eastern Front. All the models had almost disappeared from the European theatre by the summer of 1941, although they were being used extensively on the Russian front and in the Middle East. Production during 1940 had risen to 1,083 machines, but with the impending introduction of the Me 210 only 784 machines were produced in the following year.Author John Vasco has researched a wealth of new material on the B, C, D and E variants of this aircraft, including many previously unpublished photographs and high quality artwork and colour profiles. This detailed examination of the aircraft will be in an invaluable work of reference to historians and modellers of the BF 110.The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was the Luftwaffe's prime multi-role heavy fighter. By the time Germany invaded Poland on September 1,1939, ten Luftwaffe Gruppen had been equipped with this heavy fighter. Owing to the limited aerial opposition the Bf 110C was largely employed in the ground-support role, and after the fall of Poland little was heard of this much-vaunted machine until, on December 14,1939, it was encountered by a formation of twelve Wellington's over the Heligoland Bight. But it was not until it was to come up against RAF fighters in 1940 that the Bf 110C was to receive its first real trial in combat and to be found wanting. As a long-range escort fighter the Bf 110C received a disastrous mauling at the hands of the more nimble Hurricane and Spitfire during the "Battle of Britain".Rather than protecting the bombers under escort, the Bf 110C formations usually found that they were hard put to defend themselves, and the farcical situation developed in which single-seat Bf 109E fighters were having to afford protection to the escort fighters.The complete failure of the Bf 110C in the role for which it had been conceived led to its eventual withdrawal from the Channel coast but did not result in any reduction in its production priority.