The Bf 109 was, without a doubt, a legendary warplane of World War 2. Alongside the Fw 190, the famed Messer was one of the main single-engine fighters of the German Luftwaffe until the very end of the war in 1945, but some countries still used its modifications up until the 1950s and even '60s.
Over 30,000 aircraft were built in different variants, making it the most-produced fighter ever and the second most-produced military aircraft, only lagging behind the famous Soviet ground attacker of the same era — the IL-2.
The plane had many nicknames:
- Messer — shortening of Messerschmitt, but also ‘knife’ in German; it was widely used by people on both sides.
- Mersu — used by the Finns who operated 109s during the Continuation War, though originally this was — and still is — a nickname for Mercedes cars.
- Худой (Khudoi) — meaning ‘skinny’ in Russian, as opposed to the bulky and rugged Fw 190; it was sometimes used on the Eastern Front by Soviet pilots.
- The Bf 109 G-6 specifically was nicknamed Die Beule (‘The Bulge’) for its sizeable blisters on the engine cowling caused by the bigger 13 mm machine guns installed instead of the 7.92 mm ones. Later, a more aerodynamic cowling without them was developed and used on G-10 and K-4 models.
- Variants of the Bf 109 were also known by the name of their respective letter in the German spelling alphabet of the time: Bf 109 E — Emil, Bf 109 F — Friedrich, Bf 109 K — Kurfürst, etc.
Bf 109 or Me 109?
Confusion often arises regarding the designation of the aircraft. Both Bf 109 and Me 109 are used, and both can be considered correct. Originally, the plane was called Bf 109, based on its manufacturer company name — BFW AG (Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, or ‘Bavarian Aircraft Factory’). However, in 1938, Willy Messerschmitt, designer of the Bf 109, was appointed chairman of the company, and BFW AG was renamed to Messerschmitt AG in his honour. From this moment, all aircraft designs of the company were designated ‘Me’, e.g., Me 410 and Me 262, but the Bf 109 and Bf 110 — which were created before the renaming — kept their original designation. Nevertheless, the variant ‘Me 109’ (sometimes with a hyphen) became popular too, particularly among the Allies and after the war. The Germans frequently used both ‘Bf’ and ‘Me’, sometimes even on the same page.
History of variants
Prototypes
After the First World War, Germany was forbidden to own a military air force by the Treaty of Versailles. Nonetheless, not long after the Nazi takeover in 1933, the Reich Aviation Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, or RLM for short) was created and the first preparations for the coming war started.
Soon, the RLM published requirements for a new single-engine fighter:
- Top speed of 400 km/h at an altitude of 6,000 m, to be maintained for 20 minutes.
- Flight duration of 90 minutes.
- Reaching 6,000 m in less than 17 minutes.
- Operational ceiling of 10,000 m.
- Junkers Jumo 210 engine (700 hp).
- Wing loading below 100 kg/m².
With one of three weapon configurations:
- One 20 mm MG C/30 cannon.
- Two 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns.
- Two 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns + one 20 mm MG FF cannon.
BFW was one of the companies, alongside Arado and Heinkel, that received the development contract for the new plane; at the beginning of 1934, they got to work. The first prototype was completed by 1935, but due to the Jumo 210 engines not being ready yet, an imported Rolls-Royce Kestrel was used instead. The Bf 109 V1 first took to the skies on 28th May 1935, piloted by Hans-Dietrich Knötzsch.
After many test flights in the summer, Knötzsch piloted the prototype to Rechlin, a Luftwaffe test centre. During the landing, the chassis broke and the plane suffered minor damage.
In 1936, the Bf 109 V2 began trials; it finally had a Jumo 210A engine installed instead of a Rolls-Royce Kestrel. After fixing many problems with the new engine, V3 followed in six months, the first to carry armament — two MG 17 machine guns.
The main rival of the Bf 109 was the He 112, which followed a more ‘traditional’ scheme. It had an open canopy that offered a better view, gull wings, and a wider, more robust chassis. However, the Heinkel was less manoeuvrable on the vertical axis and, at first, was slower than the 109.
The final decision in favour of Messerschmitt was made in the summer of 1936 when test pilot Hermann Wurster successfully performed many aerobatic manoeuvres while flying the Bf 109, including spins, rolls, and turns. Later, Bf 109 V1 was demonstrated at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in August, and in the autumn preparations for serial production began, which started in 1937.
A & B
Only a dozen of Antons were built. The first real serial production variant was the Berta, with over 600 planes built overall. The B-1 had a Jumo 210Da engine and was supposed to have a third MG 17 firing through the engine, but due to problems with its cooling, Bf 109 B-1s were supplied without it. The B-2 followed in the summer, with a metal variable-pitch propeller instead of a wooden fixed-pitch one.
These first variants, including some prototypes, were immediately sent to their first battle missions — to support Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War that began in 1936. There, they began replacing German-supplied He 51 biplanes that were already outclassed by the opposing I-15s and I-16s supplied by the Soviets. Bf 109s played an important role in gaining air superiority in Spain.
C
After testing further prototypes, the C series began production in the spring of 1938. Armament of just two machine guns was proven inadequate in Spain, and because of continuing problems with the engine-mounted gun, two more machine guns were installed in the wings instead. Also, it had a more powerful Jumo 210Ga engine with direct fuel injection, and a radio station, which was a very important addition. As before, Bf 109 Cs were quickly sent to Spain.
D
Around the same time, the D series began production too. From the beginning of the Bf 109 development, plans were made to eventually install a Daimler-Benz engine that would provide much more power. Delays in engine development and its small numbers meant that the Doras were left with the old Jumo 210Da engine, even worse than the Jumo 210Ga installed on the Bf 109 C. Despite this, Bf 109 D became the most numerous Bf 109 in the Luftwaffe before the war, at least until the next variant came.
E
The first major redesign of the Messer came with the E series, which entered production at the end of 1938 — start of 1939. The Daimler-Benz DB 601A (1085 hp) was finally available but required much more cooling than the previous engine. To install it, the water radiators were moved under the wings and enlarged, while the oil radiator was moved to the nose. Among other changes, a three-blade propeller was installed and the wings were reinforced. The armament, consisting of four 7.92 mm machine guns, was kept the same on the E-1. The plane saw little combat in Spain, as the civil war was over by the spring of 1939.
After the intermediate E-2, which was produced in very small numbers, the E-3 began production by autumn. Besides structural improvements, the E-3 received two 20 mm MG FF cannons in the wings, replacing the machine guns. Small blisters under the wings were necessary to incorporate the cannons. E-3s were exported to Yugoslavia, where, ironically, they would end up fighting against the German Bf 109s in the Invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941. Among earlier modifications, Emils were also exported to neutral Switzerland. Although Germany didn’t invade Switzerland, many German planes that would accidentally or not enter Swiss airspace, including Bf 110s and He 111s, were intercepted and shot down by the exported Bf 109s.
On 1st September, German troops launched the invasion of Poland, starting World War 2. Bertas, Cäsars, Doras, and Emils were all deployed in Poland, bearing a significant advantage over Polish planes in performance and numbers. During the campaign, earlier variants were quickly being replaced with the new Emils in the Luftwaffe.
By the time of the Battle of France in May 1940, the vast majority of Bf 109s in the Luftwaffe were Emils. They spearheaded the Blitzkrieg in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, as well as earlier operations in Norway. Following the fall of France, which took only one month, the E-4 was developed with an improved canopy, armour, and MG FF/M cannons, which could fire Minengeschoß rounds with more HE filler.
As the Bf 109 was designed as an interceptor, the Emils had a relatively short range of 660 km. This started to become a problem during the Battle of France and at the beginning of the Battle of Britain. To counter this, a 300 L drop tank was developed, extending the range up to 1,325 km. The new Bf 109 E-7, which was otherwise the same as the E-4, could carry this drop tank or a bomb under the fuselage. Both E-4 and E-7 were sometimes equipped with improved DB 601N engines (1,159 hp), designated E-4/N and E-7/N. Additionally, E-1/B and E-4/B were fighter-bomber variants that could carry a 250 kg bomb under the fuselage. These were used extensively with hit-and-run tactics in the Battle for Britain.
Both variants of Emil entered production in the summer–autumn of 1940, sent from factories across the channel to Britain. Five E-7s were sent to Japan for evaluation; they received Japanese camouflage but weren’t used in combat, as the Japanese were only interested in the DB 601 engine. A licence-built copy of the engine was used on their Ki-61 fighter.
As the Luftwaffe began bombing the United Kingdom, Bf 109s became the bomber escort, a role they weren’t exactly designed for. In the English skies, RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes became major enemies of the Messerschmitts. British fighters were capable of out-turning the Bf 109, while the latter held an advantage in speed and climb rate. Another advantage of the Bf 109 was its engine’s direct fuel injection, as opposed to carburetted engines used in RAF aircraft. During negative G manoeuvres, British engines would cut out, while the Daimler-Benz ones wouldn’t; this gave Bf 109s an advantage when entering a dive.
Many pilots from occupied Poland and Czechoslovakia joined the RAF and played a big role in defending Britain. After months of fierce fighting, the Luftwaffe sustained heavy losses during the bombing campaign and was forced to cease air raids.
F
With the next series, the Messer was once again heavily redesigned. The plane’s aerodynamics were vastly improved: the whole engine section was reworked to become more streamlined and smooth, and the propeller spinner was enlarged to blend into the engine cowling; the supercharger air-intake became much more rounded; water radiators underneath the wings became wider; wing tips became rounded (semi-elliptical); wing cannons were scrapped in favour of a Motorkannone, and many more subtle changes. Because of all these improvements, early Friedrichs were faster, more manoeuvrable, and had greater range than the Bf 109 E-4/N even with an identical engine.
F-1 and F-2 differed only in armament: F-1 had a 20 mm MG FF/M in the nose, and F-2 had a 15 mm MG 151/15 instead. Both variants arrived in the autumn of 1940; a small number of Friedrichs took part in the Battle of Britain towards its end in October.
F-3, which had been produced since October 1940, was the same as the F-1 but received the new DB 601E engine as well as a propeller with an automatic pitch variation; it saw little combat as only 15 airframes were produced. F-4 became much more widely adopted, with almost 2,000 planes built starting in May 1941. Apart from the same engine upgrade, the F-4 introduced a 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon firing through the engine. This cannon became standard for the next variants of Bf 109.
In the beginning of 1942, F-4/Z was introduced, featuring GM-1: a system for injecting nitrous oxide into the engine, which improved performance at high altitudes. For fights in Africa, F-4/trop was developed with a dust filter in the supercharger air-intake. This increased drag but was necessary in the desert conditions and also proved useful in the steppes of the Soviet Union.
The F spearheaded Operation Barbarossa, the largest ground invasion in history, quickly replacing older variants. The Friedrich proved superior to the early Soviet fighters, such as the I-16, Yak-1, MiG-3, and LaGG-3. In the initial air raids, many planes were destroyed on the ground, combined with inexperienced Soviet pilots this led to an astounding kill count for the 109s: more than 7,000 were claimed in under a year.
G
In early 1942, the G-series began production; it became the most-produced series of Bf 109s. DB 605A, a further development of the DB 601E, was used on the first production of Gustavs. G-1 and G-2 were almost identical, but G-1 featured a pressurised cockpit for high-altitude missions. Underwing gondolas with an additional 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons were sometimes fitted on G-2 as well as late production of F-4.
G-4 appeared on production lines in September 1942; the only difference from G-2 was the much-improved radio set with greater quality and range. G-3 was produced in limited numbers in 1943, being essentially a G-1 with the same upgraded radio set.
The next major variant, G-6, introduced new 13 mm MG 131 machine guns instead of low-calibre MG 17. To accommodate the new guns, two blisters had to be installed on the engine cowling. Increased weight from various updates on the G models led to the installation of slightly larger wheels; aerodynamic fairings were installed on the wing surface to fit them. G-6 became the single most-produced variant of the 109, with over 10,000 built. G-5 was identical to G-6 but had a pressurised cockpit.
G-6s started arriving at the frontlines in early 1943. They were very versatile with lots of variants and modifications. Reconnaissance versions were fitted with cameras and additional fuel tanks under the wings; sometimes, a 30 mm MK 108 cannon was fitted in the nose instead of MG 151/20 as a Motorkannone; 20 or 30 mm cannons might have been installed in underwing gondolas; Werfer-Granate 21 rocket launchers were too fitted under the wings, they were used against Allied bomber formations that were becoming a major threat towards the end of the war.
Over the course of G-6 production, many new features were gradually being introduced: a new design of the canopy with a better view called Erla Haube, a taller wooden tail with a redesigned rudder, the MW 50 methanol-water injection system, which gave them a temporary boost to engine power at low to medium altitudes. The special variant G-6/AS had the DB 605AS (or ASM, the same but with MW 50) engine with a larger supercharger, which improved high-altitude performance. G-6/AS were built with Erla Haube, a wooden tail, and a new streamlined aerodynamic engine cowling without the bulges.
G-14, which appeared in the summer of 1944, aimed to standardise the many previous changes. It had Erla Haube, the tall tail, and MW 50 installed as standard. Like the G-6/AS, G-14/AS had the DB 605ASM engine for high-altitude missions and the aerodynamic cowling, while the regular G-14's still had the blisters.
G-10, despite its designation, entered service later than G-14 — in the autumn of 1944. It featured the streamlined engine cowling as standard, as well as enlarged main wheels. Large fairings were present on the wing surface to make space for the wheels. But the main difference was the engine: G-10 was fitted with a more powerful DB 605DM or 605DB engine; as the previous engines, it featured the MW 50 injection system as standard. The oil radiator air intake was enlarged because of the new engine.
K
The Kurfürst became the last series of the Bf 109 to see combat in World War 2. Only the K-4 was put into serial production around the same time as the G-10 — in the autumn of 1944. Other variants, such as K-6, K-10, and K-14, only remained on paper or as prototypes. The K-4 had the same thick wheels as the G-10 but featured additional doors that fully covered them while retracted. The tail wheel was also now fully retractable. The armament consisted of two 13 mm MG 131 machine guns and the 30 mm MK 108 Motorkannone, although some K-4s had the MG 151/20 like the earlier 109s. The plane was powered by the DB 605DB or 605DC engine, like the G-10.
‘Exotic’ variants
T
The Bf 109 T was to become a carrier-based fighter (from the German Träger for ‘carrier’). It was developed in 1940, at the time when Emils were the most modern 109s. The T-1 was similar to the E-4, but had a larger wingspan, control surfaces with increased area, a tail hook, and catapult fittings; it was powered by the DB 601N engine. The carrier project was, however, abandoned after production of the T-1s began. The remaining T-1s were produced without the now useless carrier equipment, designated T-2. They were sent to occupied Norway, where their ability to take off and land on shorter runways would be beneficial.
H
The Bf 109 H was an attempt to create a high-altitude fighter to combat Allied air raids. Pre-production H-0 was based on the F-4, and H-1 on the G-5. For H-1, the armament consisted of two MG 131 and one MG 151/20. It had an increased wingspan of almost 12 metres and a pressurised cockpit. The project was eventually scrapped in favour of the Ta 152 H.
Z
The Bf 109 Z ‘Zwilling’ (German for ‘twin’) was one of the more unique designs of the Messer family. Unlike other Bf 109s, the Zwilling was to be a heavy fighter-bomber. The (planned) serial production variant Z-1 was based on two Gustavs with joined wings and tails, powered by two DB 605A engines. The armament consisted of four 30 mm MK 108 cannons, two in the nose (Motorkannone) and two in the underwing gondolas; machine guns were removed. Additionally, two bombs could be fitted under the fuselages and one under the central wing section. The aircraft was scrapped in favour of the Do 335 because of Allied aerial bombardments of the Zwilling prototypes.
Notably, the last American piston-engined fighter, the F-82, was based on the same idea of joining two smaller fighters. It was far more successful than the Zwilling, being mass-produced after WW2 and participating in the Korean War, albeit in small numbers.
S-199/Sakeen
After the end of WW2 and the restoration of independent Czechoslovakia, local aircraft factories that produced planes for the Luftwaffe during the occupation continued to produce Bf 109 G, designated S-99. After the DB 605 engines ran out, it was decided to fit Jumo 211F (used on He 111 during the war) on the same Bf 109 airframes; the resulting aircraft was called S-199. The cannon firing through the engine was removed, with two additional small-calibre machine guns in the wings compensating for its loss. The new engine was heavier and less powerful, which resulted in a drastic reduction in flight performance. The wide propeller used with the Jumo 211F increased torque, making it more difficult to control on the ground. Moreover, the plane became unbalanced due to the additional weight on the nose. All of this resulted in the fighter being a major step back in the Messerschmitt development.
In 1948, the soon-to-be independent state of Israel bought twenty-five S-199s for its new air force from Czechoslovakia, despite the embargo on arms sales to Israel. Officially named Sakeen (Hebrew for ‘knife’), they became the first Israeli fighters. Sakeens participated in ground attacks against Egyptian forces and defence of Israeli airspace, shooting down C-47 transport planes and a Spitfire of the Royal Egyptian Air Force. This was the last war in which the Messerschmitt participated.
HA-1109 & HA-1112
Following the German-backed Nationalists' victory in Spain’s civil war, the Spanish Air Force required rearmament. Bf 109s, which had already served in Spain during the war, were chosen as the new fighters. In 1942, the government reached an agreement with Messerschmitt AG to build Bf 109 G-2 under licence, with many parts supplied from Germany. This proved impossible because the DB 605 engine and other Bf 109 parts were in short supply and needed for the Luftwaffe above all. Thus, it was decided to use Spanish engines. One Bf 109 airframe was fitted with the Hispano-Suiza 12Z-89 engine and made its maiden flight by 1945. The remaining 24 supplied airframes became airworthy in the following years, equipping propellers made by a Swiss company Escher Wyss & Cie. The planes were named HA-1109-J1L and used as experimental.
An improved version, HA-1112-K1L, took to the skies in 1951. Among the changes was a more powerful Hispano-Suiza 12Z-17 engine. Despite this, the aircraft was in no way a potent fighter for the time, as the world had moved into the jet era by 1950. It received the nickname Tripala, in reference to the three-bladed propeller used.
The next and final version of the Messer, HA-1112-M1L, first flew in 1954. It had a British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and a 4-bladed propeller. The air intake of the Merlin gave the plane the nickname Buchón, referring to a breed of pigeons with big inflatable crops. The armament consisted of two wing-mounted 20 mm HS-404 cannons and sixteen 80 mm rockets under the wings for ground attack. Buchóns were used to patrol Spanish colonial territories in Africa. Multiple war films, such as Battle of Britain, Dunkirk, Memphis Belle, Der Stern von Afrika, and The Tuskegee Airmen, featured HA-1112-M1L playing the role of German Bf 109s of the Second World War. Buchóns remained in service with Spain well into the sixties.
