"BoB" Me-109 ???

[PanzerWulff]

Does anyone know if the F variant Me-109 was in use during the Battle of Britan or was the "Emil" the only ones available???
"Panzer"

[Radish]

"E" only....but lots of colours available! Some terrific schemes, including repaints, identification markings.
You could always do an "F" in an "E" scheme to confuse a few

[B777LR]

Last time i watched the movie, they used the RR Merlin powered Hispano HA-1112

[lancer]

Last time i watched the movie, they used the RR Merlin powered Hispano HA-1112

1) He's talking about the REAL battle
2) There were precious few Daimler Benz powered 109's around at the time of the film

[B777LR]

Last time i watched the movie, they used the RR Merlin powered Hispano HA-1112

1) He's talking about the REAL battle
2) There were precious few Daimler Benz powered 109's around at the time of the film

Ah, i was a bit confused. Had just watched the movie yesterday...

There is only 1 flying DB powered -109 flying today?

[PanzerWulff]

thanks guys I was mostly wondering if the Bf 109F was available during the Battle of Britan in 1940
Thanks again
"Panzer"

[PR19_Kit]

As I recall some early production 109-F1s did see service in the BoB, with JG51.

The F1 had a rectangular supercharger intake, unlike all the later ones which were circular. I built a model of an F1, from the old Frog kit, for a cinema foyer display for the 'BoB' film debut in the 70s.

There must have been very few though as the F1 only started production in August '41.

[NARSES2]

A quick look at my William Green's (it's on the shelf by my pc and I'm lazy) says that pre-production F-0 were evealuated by the Luftwaffe in the latter months of 1940. Service entry Jan 1941

[Tojo633]

Hi

Most people acknowledge the "Battle of Britain" as being over the summer months and into the start of Autumn 1940, BOB day being September the 15th I think it is, considering that the airshow at RAF Leuchars in Fife Scotland is the only remaining BOB airshow I believe and tends to fall on the Saturday nearest to the date. Although if you believe Wikepedia

"British historians date the battle from 10 July to 31 October 1940, which represented the most intense period of daylight bombing. German historians usually place the beginning of the battle in mid-August 1940 and end it in May 1941, on the withdrawal of the bomber units in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the Campaign against the USSR on 22 June 1941." The starting date reflected by a speech made about the fall of France whic goes on "The Battle of Britain is about to begin" as per the intro of the 1960's film.
I was not aware of the different date options, as I generally considered only the summer of 1940 being correct so depending where you are from ie UK or Germany for one, it could be said that Me109F's were operational in the BoB but it can only be from the German perspective.

Cheers
Sandy

[sequoiaranger]

There is a similar "argument" that the American Eagle Squadrons fought in the Battle of Britain, too. Though the first American Eagle Squadron was formed in September 1940 (easily within the BoB definition), it was not operational until February of 1941. As much as I would LIKE to think that the Eagle Squadrons helped out in the Battle of Britain, my gut tells me that they became operational too late. Not that aerial attacks on Britain stopped, or that the Eagle Squadrons were not fighting Germans, etc., but just that they MISSED the Battle of Britain by a couple of months.

Obviously the RAF fought the Luftwaffe over Britain throughout the war, so by SOME definition the Battle of Britain went on for the whole war. I think the main measure of the "Battle of Britain" was the most intense period--that of the Summer and very early Fall of 1940--when the massive DAYLIGHT raids took place, and that the Bf-109F did NOT participate. The Battle of Britain then evolved into the night Blitz, which I believe should be treated as a distinctly different phase.