Clark Gable Actor

 

A film legend who went AWOL from Hollywood in favor of the USAF

Hollywood has plenty of actors and actresses who have served their 
country in the United States military over the years. Jimmy Stewart, 
Humphrey Bogart, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda... 
the list is lengthy.

Elvis Pressley probably had the highest-profile stint in the Army. 
The King of Rock and Roll got plenty of attention from the international 
press when he did an 18-month hitch in Germany in the 1950s.

But it’s doubtful any Hollywood actor — A-lister or otherwise — 
could quite match the unique military legacy of leading man Clark 
Gable. Gable had already soared to the peak of the acting world, 
starring in “Gone with the Wind” and winning an Academy Award for 
“It Happened One Night” by the time the United States was forced 
to jump into the World War II fray.

Gable was 41 years old and had recently lost his third wife, Carole 
Lombard, in a plane crash when he made the startling decision to halt 
his film career and join the Air Force. He was past the draft age at 
the time, but enlisted as a private in August of 1942 in Los Angeles. 
It was shocking news in Hollywood — can you picture Tom Cruise or Brad 
Pitt pulling the plug today and saying they wanted to give up their 
day jobs and head  to Basic Training?. Why would a Hollywood

Gable was sent to Officer Candidate School at Miami Beach, Fla., 
graduating as a second lieutenant. From there he went to aerial 
gunnery school and was eventually assigned to the 351st Bomb 
Group at Polebrook, England. Though he could have opted out of 
flying on any combat missions, Gable flew in at least five such
missions in B-17s, at least some of which he used to get footage 
for a film he was making for the military.

             |

His overseas stint ended in October of 1943 and he was relieved 
from active duty in June of 1944 after reaching the rank of major. 
By that point he was over the maximum age for combat. When he 
resumed his movie career, he was no longer able to fulfill all his 
AAF Reserve time commitments and resigned his commission in September 
1947.

One thing is certain about Gable, he knew how to pose for a photo!
He no doubt was the subject of many more portrait photo shoots 
than the average Air Force crewman, and the Hollywood alpha male 
knew how to look great in front of a camera. In addition to his 
posed studio shots, there are many fabulous photos of him hanging 
out of plane windows, saluting and doing other cool stuff that 
collectors and enthusiasts can enjoy. Nice photos of Gable in 
his uniform can be found for as cheap as $9.99, all the way up 
to $200-plus for vintage originals. Clark Gable, Hollywood stud, 
and military man. No matter how you treated Scarlett O'Hara, we salute you! *

Actor Jimmy Stewart USAAF

 

 

 

Colonel James Maitland Stewart - 8th USAAF
Jimmy Stewart, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars,
served with distinction as a bomber pilot in the U.S.
Army Air Forces during World War ll. Enlisting in 1941
Stewart was initially assigned to stateside training
roles but pushed for combat duty. He eventually
joined the 8th Air Force in England, commanding a
squadron of B-24 Liberators within the 445th Bomb
Group.

Stewart flew 20 combat missions over occupied
Europe, including dangerous bombing raids over key

targets such as Berlin and other industrial facilities in
Germany. Known for his leadership and humility, he
earned several commendations, including the
Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with
oak leaf clusters. He later served as the chief of staff
for the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing.

B17 Bomber

 

 

 Months before the USA started its
participation in WW2, the B-17 four-engine bomber had
seen combat and had been shot down.
RAF’s Bomber Command acquired 20 B-17C ‘Fortress
I’ (photo) from the US in late 1940, flying their first
combat mission on 8th July 1941, (6 months before Pearl
Harbor), when three B-17C departed RAF Watton to
bomb the German naval base at Wilhelm
shaven from
high altitude (30,000 ft) in broad daylight.

The Germans fighters failed to intercept the high-flying
bombers, but the engine of one of them failed and it
diverted to a secondary target. The other two bombers
proceeded to the German port but at the high altitude
they were flying the low temperature congealed the
machine guns’ lubricant rendering them non-operational
Bombing is reported as ‘ineffective’.

By September, eight B-17Cs had been lost in operations
(combat and accidents). Bomber Command retired the
bomber due to numerous mechanical breakdowns and
its vulnerability to fighters caused by light defensive
armament and light armor. Relatively small bomb loads
and low aiming accuracy are sometimes reported -it
seems the B-17C did not employ the Norden bombsight-
The remaining bombers were handed out to Coastal
Command for anti-submarine patrols.

The Luftwaffe claimed to have shot down nine RAF
B-17s but three of the claims precede the Fortress
debut, so they are probably misidentified.
The first B-17 shot down can probably be attributed to
Uffz. Karl Pfeiffer, flying a Bf 109E-7 or F (1 or 2) from
3./JG 2 over La Pallice in France on 23rd July 1941 at
sunset

The B-17C (see picture) lacked the machine gun turrets
later installed in the B-17E. It had one MG in the dorsal,
nose, and ventral (bathtub) positions and one each in
the port and starboard side blisters. Its empty weight of
30,900 pounds was 1351 pounds lighter than the B-17E,
the model initially used by the USAAF in Europe.
 

Aircraft, Gliders

A glider is an aircraft without an engine that is most often
released into flight by an aerial tow aircraft. During World
War II, both the Axis and Allied Militaries developed gliders
to transport troops, supplies, and equipment into battle. This
technique had been discussed prior to the war but never
implemented. These motorless aircraft would crash-land
behind enemy lines, often at night, and the men aboard them
would then become infantrymen on the ground.

The Germans were first to recognize the potential of gliders
 in the war, in large part because of extensive pre World
War II scientific research and sport use of them. The Germans
embraced gliding because it did not violate military prohibi-
tions in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Soaring clubs, which
developed in other countries as well, increased interest in glid-
ing worldwide. Sport gliders used air currents to climb and
soar for extended periods, while military gliders descended on
release from aerial tows.

By the late 1930s, Germany had developed a military
glider, the DFS-230. Built of plywood, steel, and fabric, it had
a wingspan of 68 ft 5.5 inches, length 0f 36 ft 10.5 inches, and
height of8 ft 11.75 inches. It weighed 1,896 lb empty and had
a maximum weight loaded with troops and cargo of 4,630 lb.
A total of 1,022 were produced. This glider was designed to
mount a machine gun, which the crew could use for defense.
DPS-230 gliders were employed in the invasion of Belgium
and the Netherlands in May 1940, especially in securing Fort
Eben Emael, which was the key to securing Belgium. The Ger-
mans also used gliders in the invasion of Crete and during
fighting in the Soviet Union at Stalingrad.



The Gotha 242 glider was larger than the DPS-230 and
could carry more troops. It had a wingspan of80 ft 4.5 inches,
length of 51 ft 10 inches, and height of 14 ft 4.5 inches. It
weighed 7,056 lb empty and 13,665 lb fully loaded. A total of
1,528 were built. Some were launched by rockets, but most
were simply towed by aircraft. Approximately 1,500 Go-242s
were produced, of which 133 which adapted into Go-244s,
which had twin engines. The huge Messerschmitt Me-321
glider had a wingspan of 180 ft 5.5 inches, length of 92 ft 4.25
inches, and height of 33 ft 3.4 inches. It weighed 27,432 lb
empty and 75,852 lb fully loaded. lt could perform level flight
after rocket-assisted takeoff. A total of 200 were built. The Me-
321 could transport 200 troops but was difficult to launch, and
most were transformed into the six»engine Me»323.

Great Britain was the first Allied nation to deploy gliders.
The Air Ministry’s Glider Committee encouraged the use of
the Hotspur to transport soldiers in late 1940. The Hotspur
had a wingspan of 61 ft 11 inches, length of 39 ft 4 inches, and
height of 10 ft 10 inches.It weighed 1,661 lb empty and 3,598
lb fully loaded. The Hotspur was designed to transport 2
crewmen and 6 soldiers. A total of 1,015 were built.

In 1941, the British developed the Horsa. It had a wing-
span of 88 ft, length of68 ft, and height of 20 ft 3 inches. It
weighed 8,370 lb empty and 15,750 lb fully loaded. It was
capable of carrying 2 crewmen and 25-28 passengers or 2
trucks. In all, Britain manufactured some 5,000 Horsas. They
were employed in Operations Overlord and Market-Garden.

The largest Allied glider was the British Hamilcar. With a
wingspan of 110 ft, length of 68 ft 6 inches, and height of 20
ft 3 inches, it weighed 18,000 lb empty and 36,000 lb fully
loaded. It could transport 40 troops, a light tank, or artillery
pieces. A total of 412 were built. It was employed during
Operation Overlord.

The Soviet Union introduced the A-7 glider in 1939. It had
a wingspan of 62 ft 2 inches and length of 37 ft 7 inches. It
weighed 2,000 lb empty and carried a pilot and eight passengers
A total of 400 were manufactured. The Soviets, however,
had few aircraft available for glider tows, and following the
German invasion of the Soviet Union, their priority was with
other weaponry. They used the A-7 chiefly to transport sup-
plies to partisans working behind German lines.

The U.S. Navy explored the possibility of military applications
 for gliders as early as the 1930s. In February 1941, Chief
of the Army Air Corps Major General Henry H. Arnold
ordered that specifications be drawn up for military gliders.
The Waco Aircraft Company in Troy, Ohio, received the first
U.S. government contract to build training gliders, and the
army began organizing a glider training program. Constructed
 of plywood and canvas with a skeleton of steel tubing
 the Waco CG-4A had a wingspan of83 ft 6 inches, length
of 48 ft 4 inches, and height of I2 ft 7 inches. Its empty weight
was 3,300 lb, and its loaded weight was 7,500 lb. It could carry
15 troops or 3,800 lb of cargo, including artillery pieces, a
bulldozer, or a jeep. The Ford Motor Company plant at Kings-
ford, Michigan, manufactured most of the U.S. gliders,
although 15 other companies also produced the Waco. In all
13,908 Wacos were built, making it the most heavily produced
 glider of the entire war by any power.

Because the gliders were so fragile, soldiers dubbed them
“canvas coffins.” Men and cargo were loaded through the
wide, hinged nose section, which could be quickly opened.

Moving at an airspeed of 110-150 mph at an altitude of several
thousand feet, C-47s towed the gliders with a 300 ft rope
toward a designated landing zone and then descended to
release the glider several hundred feet above ground. En route
to the release point, the glidermen and plane crew commu-
nicated with each other either by a telephone wire secured
around the towline or via two-way radios. This glider duty
was hazardous indeed; sometimes gliders were released pre-
maturely and did not reach the landing zones, and on occasions
 gliders collided as they approached their destination.
The U.S. 11th, 13th, 17th, 82nd, and 101st Airborne Divisions
were equipped with two glider infantry regiments, a
glider artillery battalion, and glider support units. U.S. gliders
ers were sent to North Africa in 1942 and participated in the

July 1943 Sicily invasion, accompanied by British gliders.
High casualties sustained in that operation led General
Dwight D. Eisenhower to question the organization of air-
borne divisions and to threaten to disband glider units. A
review board of officers convinced the military authorities to
retain them, however. Improvements were made in structural
reinforcement of the glider and personnel training.

By mid-1944, gliders had become essential elements of
Allied invasion forces. Occasionally they were used to trans-
port wounded to hospitals. During Operation NEPTUNE, U.S.
glider men with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions flew
across the English Channel in 2,100 gliders to participate in
the D day attack. Many gliders and crews were lost during that
mission. New gliders were manufactured for Operation
MARKET GARDEN, the assault on the Germans in the Netherlands,
three months later.

Initially, the military did not distribute hazardous-duty
pay to glider men. These soldiers also did not qualify for wing
insignia worn by parachutists. Some of the men created
posters; one read: “loin the Glider Troops! No Jump Pay. No
Flight Pay. But Never A Dull Moment.” By July 1944, glider
wings were authorized for glider soldiers, and they received
hazardous-duty pay. Also in 1944, the modified Waco CG-
15A appeared, offering improved crash absorption. The
Waco CG-18A could carry 30 soldiers and was deployed during
the 1945 Rhine campaign.

Gliders were also used in the Pacific and China-Burma-
India Theaters. The final U.S. glider mission of the war
occurred on Luzon Island, the Philippines, in June 1945. 

In July, IX Troop Carrier Command Commander Brigadier General
Paul L. Williams issued an order to grant an Air Medal to
Normandy glider pilot veterans. Gliders were gradually
phased out of military inventories after the war, although the
Soviets retained them through the 1950s.

 

Italian Piaggio P.108 Heavy Bomber

 

 

 The Piaggio P.108 was the only heavy four-engine bomber to see service with the Regia Aeronautica during World War Two. Too few were built to play a significant role in the war. The bomber version was identified as the Piaggio P108B and Piaggio built just 24 units. The P.108 was an all-metal, low-wing monoplane with a retractable undercarriage. The Piaggio P.108 powerplant consisted of four 1,350 hp Piaggio P.XII radial engines. The Piaggio P.108 was an expensive aircraft to build and cost 3x as much as the .


The Piaggio P108 was an impressive Italian Heavy Bomber with many technological innovations.

The first prototype was completed in October 1939 and contained very advanced defensive armament for its day. The aircraft armament included two 7.7 mm machine waist guns, a 12.7 mm machine gun in the lower turret and a similar weapon in the nose turret. The P108 also had some innovative technology such as two remotely-controlled twin gun turrets in the outer engine nacelles. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the first Allied bomber with a similar armament but developed four years later. The  of the Piaggio comprised of 7,700 lbs housed internally in the bomb bay.

An impressive image of the Piaggio P.108 and 274th Long-Range Bombardment Group.

The P.108B in Action

The only unit of the Regia Aeronautica ever to fly the P.108B was the 274th Long-Range Bombardment Group (274a Squadriglia). This unit formed in May 1941 after the first aircraft that came off the assembly lines. The crew training lasted far longer than anticipated and in June 1942 the 274th became operational. The P.108B conducted bombing sorties in Gibraltar, Bône, Algiers, Blinda, Philippeville, Maison Blanche, Oran and Sicily.

The Piaggio P108B in the air.

Piaggio        P108 Variants
The Piaggio P108 had four variants produced.

The Italian invasion of Egypt in 19...


 

Piaggio P.108 cutaway. Image: Delta Editrice s.n.c.
Piaggio P.108A (Artiglieri):  The P108A had an anti-shipping mission.  Armament included a 102 mm cannon in the nose and up to three torpedos. Piaggio built one P108A.
Piaggio P.108B (Bombardiere): Piaggio manufactured 24 of these Heavy Bombers. See the specifications below.
Piaggio P.108C (Civile): Piaggio manufactured six of these aircraft. This variant had a wider fuselage and designed to carry 32 passengers.
Piaggio P.108T (Transporto): This variant could transport two dismantled s,  60 soldiers, eight torpedoes or 13 tons of cargo. A little over 12 were manufactured.
The latter two versions were capable of transporting passengers or freight. The Regia Aeronautica rarely used the P108C and P108T aircraft. The main would become the German Luftwaffe.

A color photograph of the P108 Heavy Bomber.

After the Italian armistice in September 1943, the Luftwaffe captured all fifteen P.108Cs and P.108Ts built. The aircraft joined the Luftlotte 2 and used at the Russian front. They were very reliable and also performed well in the evacuation of the Crimea in 1944.

The Piaggio P108 was a complex design and difficult to build in high numbers.

Bruno Mussolini
On , Commander in the 274a Squadriglia, Bruno Mussolini, son of , died when his Piaggio P.108B crashed in Pisa, Italy. The aircraft was flying too low and hit a dwelling.  Two other crew members perished with him.

Specifications
Model             Piaggio P.108B
Crew               6 or 7
Powerplant      4 Piaggio P.IIX RC 35 at 1350 hp each.
Max Speed      267 mph at 3,900 m (430 km/h)
Max Ceiling    27,187 ft (8,500 m)
Max Range      2,187 miles (3,520 km)
Weight Empty: 38,195 lb (17,325 Kg)
Max:                 65,885 lb (29,885 Kg)
Length              75.19 ft (22.92 m)
Height               20 ft (6.00 m)
Wingspan          105 ft (32 m)
Payload             7,716 lbs (3,500 kg)
Armament         5 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns
                          2 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun

The Messerschmitt Bf 109

  

 

   The Messerschmitt Bf 109, like the North American P-51,1 might have been the plane that never was. The Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft Company or BFW) was initially blocked from being sent contracts due to a long running feud between Willy Messerschmitt and the Secretary of State for Aviation, Erhard Milch.2 In order to save BFW from liquidation,3 Messerschmitt and his joint manager Herr Kokothanki, obtained a contract from a Romanian cartel, to develop the M-37 light transport. Protests were made against Messerschmitt's acceptance of a foreign contract, but Willy Messerschmitt argued that due to a lack of home support, he was forced to seek contracts outside of Germany. Consequently, BFW was awarded a contract for fighter development.4
    In 1934, the German Ministry of Aviation (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, or RLM) issued specifications for a new fighter monoplane to replace the Heinkel He 51 and Arado 68 biplanes.5 It was to be equipped with at least two MG-17 7.9 millimeter machine guns, and to have the capability of utilizing the new 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled, vee-engines under development by Junkers and Daimler-Benz. The request was sent to Focke-Wulf, Arado, Heinkel and BFW. Focke-Wulf submitted the Fw 159V1, Arado the Ar 80V1 and Heinkel the He 112. The Bf 109 was the winner in the trials, exceeding its nearest rival, the Heinkel He 112, by 17 mph.6 Only the He 112 provided any other serious competition besides the Bf 109 in the trials and ten preproduction prototypes were ordered for the Heinkel He 112 and Bf 109.
     Despite the earlier odds of being issued a contract for a production fighter aircraft, Willy Messerschmitt had been developing the Bf 109A alongside the Bf 108A.7 The first Bf 109 prototype, the Bf-109V1 had a British Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine when it made its debut in September 1935, and had a higher wing loading (24 lbs/sq ft.) than that of any other aircraft submitted for the competition. (The closet rival had 20.3 lbs/sq ft.)8 The "Bf-109V2" used a 455 kW (610 hp) Junkers Jumo 210A and was not fitted with armament. The Bf-109V3, was fitted with a pair of MG-17 7.9 mm machine guns. This armament arrangement was envisioned for the Bf 109A, but this production model was never flown, due to a new international requirement based on the view of the four-gun Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane. Since no wing armament was required at the onset, the Bf 109 had a thin wing with the main spar at mid-chord, requiring a major wing redesign with later versions. On the opposing side, the Spitfire and Hurricane were designed with wing armament in mind, from the very beginning. 9     
    Bearing in mind that the Bf 109 was to become one of the Royal Air Force's major opponents in the Second World War, it is ironic that the prototype had a 695 hp British Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine, when it made its debut in September 1935, as development of light weight aircraft military-type engines was prohibited under the Traety Of Versailles. In any case, Rolls-Royce was using a German built Heinkel He 70 to flight test some of its latest engines at about the same time. 10


    The Bf-109V4, first flown in November 1936, powered by a Jumo 210A engine was the first version to carry three machine guns in the nose. The third gun fired through the propeller spinner, but this gun was later replaced with a 20 mm, MG FF/M cannon. The Bf 109V5, Bf 109V6 and Bf 109V7 production prototypes flew early in 1937 powered by the Jumo 210B, paralleled the development of the Bf 109B. The Jumo 210B had the same power rating as the 210A for takeoff, but allowed greater power at high altitude, and increased the service ceiling.

    When first 'blooded' in the Spanish Civil War, it became clear to the German Condor Legion that their Heinkel He 51 biplanes were inferior to Italian built fighters, and the Soviet Union Polikarpov I-16s. Although not used in continuous service since they were prototypes, Bf-109V4, V5 and V6 were sent to Spain,11 and valuable front-line experience was gained to enhance further development. Meanwhile, Willy Messerschmitt was already preparing the first production Bf 109s for dispatch to Spain. The Bf 109B-1 was supplied to two Gruppen (groups), the JG 132, the "Richthofen" Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing) and the 2nd Staffel (squadron) of Jagdgruppe (fighter group) 88. Bf 109B-1s arrived in April 1937, and B-2s were supplied to the 1st Staffel of J/88 in August. The B-1 featured a 680 hp Jumo 210Da engine, a Reflexvisier gunsight, and a short-range FuG 7 radio.12 Approximately 30 B-1s were produced before they were replaced with B-2s. The main difference was the change from a fixed wooden prop to a VDM two blade variable-pitch prop.13 The 3rd Staffel was supplied with Bf 109Cs and Ds in April 1938. It wasn't long before the Republican forces found out their Polikarpov I-15s and I-16s were no match for the Bf 109. A total of 136 Bf 109s had been sent to Spain, including the latest E model. Approximately 50 C-series, and 650 D-series were built.
     The Bf 109E was the first true mass production model and was able to outfight or outrun virtually all opposition. Like the Spitfire, the Bf 109 saw action throughout the war. This version was often referred to as the Me 109, but official German documentation referred to as the Bf 109, referring to the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, although the company was reorganized as Messerschmitt A.G. in July, 1938.14

    Bf 109V14 and V15, using the 1,050 hp (783 kW) DB 601 engine, served as development aircraft for the Bf 109E. The additional heat generated by the DB 601 engine, required a major redesign, so additional radiators were installed in the wings, and an oil cooler was installed beneath the engine. Some E models were equipped with four MG 17s, and the remainder were equipped with two MG 17s in the fuselage and two MG FF cannons in the wing roots. Also produced was a bomber version, the Bf 109E-1/B, fitted with racks for four 50 kg (110 lb) or one 250 kg (550 lb) bombs. Additional equipment included a VDM three blade variable-pitch prop, Revi reflector gun sight, heavier armor for pilot protection,15 and a FuG 7 radio set. Like the Bf 109V7, fitted with a Jumo 210G fuel injected engine, the DB 601 installed on the E model was also fuel injected. This provided a greater advantage which maintained positive fuel flow during negative-g maneuvers, as opposed to float-carbureted type engines, which often sputtered or cut-out.16 The Bf 109E-3 had a provision for a 20-mm MG FF cannon firing through the prop spinner, however the cannon had proved unreliable, due to overheating, and was seldom used operationally.
     The fact that the Bf 109 had too limited a range to be fully effective as a bomber escort, persuaded the German authorities to consider the type most useful as a defensive fighter in Europe. This was reflected in the more refined, but relatively lightly-armed version of the fighter, the Bf 109F. Bf 109V21 and V24, using the 1,050 hp (783 kW) DB 601N engine, served as development aircraft for the Bf 109F. Gone were the wing root guns, prompting many pilot complaints. After Helmut Wick was killed on November 28, 1940, Major Walter Oesau refused to fly a Bf 109F as long as spare parts were available to keep his E-4 flying. Another German veteran who disliked the reduction in armament was Major Adolph Galland, who became a General at the age of thirty, and rose to be the Inspector-General of the Fighter arm.17 Slightly more than 2,000 Bf 109Fs were built before being replaced by the more heavily armed Bf 109G.18

    Not until the arrival of the Bf 109G was faith in the type fully restored, and this version was built in huge numbers for a variety of roles. It was in a Bf 109G-14 that Major Erich Hartmann of the Luftwaffe reached his unrivaled total of 352 confirmed victories, although these were gained on the Eastern Front where German fighters easily outclassed the early Soviet fighters. From the summer of 1942 the Bf 109G powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 605D producing 1,800 hp with water-methanol injection and giving a speed of 685 km/h (428 mph), entered service in Russia and North Africa before being deployed in every other theater. With its standard armament of a cannon and two machine guns the Bf 109G, remained the major version right up to the end of hostilities in May 1945. The G model served with all forces Axis on the Eastern and Italian fronts, and was exported to Switzerland and Spain.

    Approximately 35,000 Bf 109s of all versions were produced, (nearly as many as the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik) but the true number can not be determined, as parts from damaged airplanes, of bombed-out factories, were used to build other airplanes.19 Others were built in Czechoslovakia, and many went into Czech Air Force service after the war. Another post-war operator was Israel, and Bf 109s built by Hispano in Spain, as HA-1109s and HA-1112s, were still active into the seventies. With the last of them, the wheel turned full circle. Like the original prototype, they were powered by a Rolls-Royce engine - this time the Merlin .

    On April 26,1939,20 a specially prepared version, the Me 209 was fitted with greatly boosted engines, gained a series of world speed records, some of which were to remain unbeaten for 30 years. Its purpose was solely to break speed records and bore no resemblance to the Bf 109, other than the use of the Daimler Benz DB 601 engine. It flew to a new speed record of 470 mph (756 km/h) on April 26,1939. This record was not broken until August 16,1969, with a specially modified Grumman F8F Bearcat.21

     The fact that the Bf 109 had too limited a range to be fully effective as a bomber escort, persuaded the German authorities to consider the type most useful as a defensive fighter in Europe. This was reflected in the more refined, but relatively lightly-armed version of the fighter, the Bf 109F. Bf 109V21 and V24, using the 1,050 hp (783 kW) DB 601N engine, served as development aircraft for the Bf 109F. Gone were the wing root guns, prompting many pilot complaints. After Helmut Wick was killed on November 28, 1940, Major Walter Oesau refused to fly a Bf 109F as long as spare parts were available to keep his E-4 flying. Another German veteran who disliked the reduction in armament was Major Adolph Galland, who became a General at the age of thirty, and rose to be the Inspector-General of the Fighter arm.17 Slightly more than 2,000 Bf 109Fs were built before being replaced by the more heavily armed Bf 109G.18

    Not until the arrival of the Bf 109G was faith in the type fully restored, and this version was built in huge numbers for a variety of roles. It was in a Bf 109G-14 that Major Erich Hartmann of the Luftwaffe reached his unrivaled total of 352 confirmed victories, although these were gained on the Eastern Front where German fighters easily outclassed the early Soviet fighters. From the summer of 1942 the Bf 109G powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 605D producing 1,800 hp with water-methanol injection and giving a speed of 685 km/h (428 mph), entered service in Russia and North Africa before being deployed in every other theater. With its standard armament of a cannon and two machine guns the Bf 109G, remained the major version right up to the end of hostilities in May 1945. The G model served with all forces Axis on the Eastern and Italian fronts, and was exported to Switzerland and Spain.

    Approximately 35,000 Bf 109s of all versions were produced, (nearly as many as the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik) but the true number can not be determined, as parts from damaged airplanes, of bombed-out factories, were used to build other airplanes.19 Others were built in Czechoslovakia, and many went into Czech Air Force service after the war. Another post-war operator was Israel, and Bf 109s built by Hispano in Spain, as HA-1109s and HA-1112s, were still active into the seventies. With the last of them, the wheel turned full circle. Like the original prototype, they were powered by a Rolls-Royce engine - this time the Merlin .


    On April 26,1939,20 a specially prepared version, the Me 209 was fitted with greatly boosted engines, gained a series of world speed records, some of which were to remain unbeaten for 30 years. Its purpose was solely to break speed records and bore no resemblance to the Bf 109, other than the use of the Daimler Benz DB 601 engine. It flew to a new speed record of 470 mph (756 km/h) on April 26,1939. This record was not broken until August 16,1969, with a specially modified Grumman F8F Bearcat.21

Endnotes:
1. Dutch Kindelberger of North American refused to give "kick-backs," to USAAF procurement officers in order to secure a
   contract for the P-51 Mustang.
   Enzo Angelucci and Peter M Bowers. The American Fighter. (Mila, Italy; Haynes Publishing Group., 1987.) 330.
2. In 1928, the M 20 prototype, designed by Willy Messerschmitt, was involved in a crash during testing. This crash and others,
   caused Lufthansa to cancel future orders for the type, which led to the bankruptcy of BFW in 1931. Killed in the crash was Hans
   Hackman, a close friend of then Lufthansa President, Erhard Milch
3. Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) was reorganized in 1933.
   Uwe Feist, Norman E. Harms, & Mike Dario. The Fighting 109. (Garden City, New York; Doubleday & Company, 1987.) 3.
4. Martin C. Windrow. Aircraft In Profile. The Messerschmitt Bf 109E. (Surrey, England; Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.) 1.
5. William Green. Famous Fighters of the Second World War. (Garden City, New York; Doubleday & Company, 1987.) 9-10.
6. Uwe Feist, Norman E. Harms, & Mike Dario. 7.
7. The Bf-108A was a four-seat, low-wing, monoplane with dual controls; a flush-riveted fuselage; retractable landing main gear
   and had an enclosed cockpit. The engine was a Hirth HM-8V inverted-vee engine with 186 kW (250 HP), driving a three-blade
   propeller. It could fly at 200 mph (320 kph) and was extremely agile.
8. Uwe Feist, Norman E. Harms, & Mike Dario. 5.
9. Ibid. 6.
10. Michael J. Taylor & John W.R. Taylor. Encyclopedia of Aircraft. (New York, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1978. 156.)
11. Uwe Feist, Norman E. Harms, & Mike Dario. 10.
12. Ibid.
13. The VDM variable-pitch propeller was license-built from American Hamilton Standard.
14. William Green. 16.
15. John R. Beaman, Jr. & Jerry L. Campbell. Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Action. (Carrollton Texas, Squadron Signal Publications Inc.,
   1980.) 33. (Armor protection was actually introduced on later Bf 109E-3s, and retrofitted on earlier E-3s and E-1s.)
16. David Mondey. The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. (New York, Smithmark Publishers, 1984.) 166.
17. Joachim Dressel and Manfred Griehl. 45.
18. Martin C. Windrow. 9.
19. Bf 109 Production numbers vary widely from different sources. Numbers listed are 30,500, 33,000 and 35,000 aircraft produced.
20. Wikopedia. Messerschmitt Me 209.
21. Ibid. .

Addition Sources:

Joachim Dressel and Manfred Griehl. The Luftwaffe Album. (London, The Cassell Group, 1994.) 37-38.
William Green & Gordon SwanBorough. The Complete Book of Fighters. (New York, Smithmark Publishers Inc., 1994.) 376-378.