The 110, good or bad? Was it used widely by the Luftwaffe to any great success? I know the Stuka, and Ju-88 and He-111, though of course two heavier bombers, carry most of the reputation for German bombing success, but what about the 110? What primary bombing role did it serve? One last thing, do any survive today? I know that they were used widely in North Africa, but I don't recall any pictures of any in other theatres.
I think Göring meant it to be a long-range fighter plane, giving cover to bombers as well, but it was too slow for the job and soon was put to other duties. I think it worked best in the night fighter role, but Erich can tell more of this. So it was bad and good.
Despite being considered an 'old dog' and obsolete, the Bf110 ( in 110G-4 guise ) was a remarkably effective nightfighter. Despite being outclassed by later Ju88s, the Bf110G-4 was used by many of the highest-scoring Nachtjagd aces ( eg Schnaufr, Drewes, Becker etc ). The world's only surviving example of a 110G-4 is at the RAF Museum in London.
It owed its longevity to the fact its successor, the Me-210, was a total failure. It was also used in the day interceptor role, in recon, and on the eastern front in ground attack role.
Excerpt from "The Military Airplane" by A. Whitehouse "Eventually, Goring decided that the Bf 110 should be returned to its original concept-a long range escort fighter-and this was listed as the Bf 110D model. Two of the air cannon were removed and a large, fixed fuel tank was slung unnder the fusealage which gave the aircraft a distinct pot-bellied apperance. This container added to the range, but also added to the take-off run, and in air this paticular model was decidedly ungainly to handle. A revised model dispensed with the belly tank, but carried shackles for drop tanks, and all the cannon armament was replaced, including extra guns for the flexible mounting. In this fashion, the Bf 110 was switched from one war front to another, and from mission to mission. In mid-1940, a General Kammhuber headed a new night -fighter group that consisted of two Staffeln, one equipped with Bf 110C's and the other with Dornier Do 17Z 10s. General Kammhuber hoped to develop a new program of night -fighting tactics and close range interception with the aid of a searchlight pattern. This was to be known as "illuminated night flying," in which the guiding principle was ground control. The German High Command resisted every move to have the Bf 110s equipped as specialized night fighters, but General Kammhuber's efforts finally resulted in a new electronic technique in which ground radar stations first guided the aircraft into a vital area, and from there their own radar was used to vector them on thier targets. When the RAF increased its night operations against German cities new priority was given to the production of the Bf 110 as a night fighter, and practically all were built to fill that role."
I would say the nightfighter versions were quite good up to 1944 and appreciated by those units who used them.
the Bf 110G-4 was the final to a long line of twin engine 110's. did the job well enough for IV./NJG 1 the highest scoring NJGruppe in the war, though the 110 was showing it's age and outdated in all respects by 1944's end. it made a very good gun platform for bomber killing during the day in the Bf 110G-2 with the scary Br 210mm rocket launcher and a host of different cannon options. Much too slow when followed by the US P-51 escort counter turning the 110G into dog-meat every time, the replacement Me 410A and B was no better
Now I read in Len Deighton's 'Fighter' that at the time of the battle of Britain, the 110 was the fastest fighter available, it was just not maneuvarble due to its size. I will look up the info but I am pretty sure he said that the cruising speed (not max) was above that of the max speed of the Hurricane. I will look.
Reportably, in 1935 the plane recorded speeds of 310-320 mph, but apparently this speed decreased considerably as the war demands and ordinance weighed upon it....
There is a restored 1942 unit at the Deutsches Technik-museum in Berlin: On September 16, 2000, a Bf 110 was handed over to the Technikmuseum Berlin. The roll out was celebrated at Friedrichshafen Airport just?opposite the Zeppelin hangar. The aircraft was rebuilt by BST within 18 months. The Bf 110 F-2 was built in late 1942 and shot down by Flak on January 11, 1943. It was raised from a lake in Russia in 1991. Over Great Britain and New Zealand the warbird came back to its homeland. http://www.deutsches-technikmuseum-berlin.de/medieninfo/Mi_051004_Messerschmitt_Bf_110_en.pdf Hangar News No.2: Roll-out of Me-110 at Friedrichshafen Airport I came across some info on Messerschmitt 110 in Italy, as of February 2000: At Venegono, northern Italy, the Associazione Restauri Aeronautici is preparing to begin restoration on a Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstorer for North American owner Jeet Mahal. The craft is Bf 110C-4 WrNr 3577 which forced landed in the Schewetino area of Russia on 1 July 1942. The aircraft had been operating with the fourth staffel of Aufklorungsgruppe 55, a recon unit. The crew of three -- comprising pilot Josef Pink, observer Johannes Ardndt, and gunner Gerard Peterlein -- walked away from the aircraft which sat undisturbed until it was recovered by the Russians during the mid- 1990s. Messerschmitt 110 in Italy Air Classics - Find Articles The BAHAAT Team recorded two recoveries: Crashed at Akrenbos on August 10, 1943, recovered on March 2, 2002. It operated from Florennes air base and was lost on August 10, 1943. Both airmen, belonging to Nachtjagdgeschwader 4, were able to bale out safely. We did not find any German sources in which their names are mentioned. During the recovery the cockpit armour plating and parts of the instrument panel, radio and armament were found. Crashed at Kampenhout (near Brussels) on 30 Juli 1942. Pilot : Oberleutnant Reinhold Eckardt, KIA Bordfunker : Feldwebel Frank, baled out. Both engines, landing gear, and cockpit parts and equipment recovered on 23 Augustus 1997. Contents of Navigationstasche (including flare gun, cap and gloves of Fw Frank), armour plate cockpit and prop blade on display in BAHA Collection Erembodegem. See details about the mission at: Messerschmitt Bf 110 WNr.4492 'D5+AR'
I got more or less the same figure, for the C version, about 520 kph being the top speed (at about 8.000m), at military power, it was faster than the Hurricane at all altitudes (except maybe above 10.000m).
