Messerschmitt Bf 109

The Early Years–Poland, the Fall of France and the Battle of Britain

Chris Goss

• Publisher: Frontline Books
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781848324794
• eBook ISBN: 9781848324817
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

The most iconic German aircraft of the Second World War, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the Luftwaffes principal fighter from 1939 until 1942 when the superior Focke-Wulf Fw 190 came into greater prominence. The Bf 109 served in every theater of the war, particularly in the invasion of France and the Low Countries, the Battle of Britain and the invasion of the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean and with Rommel in North Africa. In the later years of the war, the Bf 109 fought with success in the defense of Germany against the Allied bombers. The Bf 109 was the most produced fighter aircraft in history and more aerial kills were made with this fighter than any other aircraft. In this selection of unrivaled images collected over many years, and now part of Frontline's new War in the Air series, the operations of this famous aircraft in the early part of the Second World War are portrayed and brought to life.

A Bf 109E-7, coded White 12, of 1/LG 2 clearly showing the 1 Staffel badge. The date and location of this mishap are not known.

Bf 109Es of 9/JG 26 photographed in protective sandbag pens and underneath camouflage netting at Caffiers in the Pas de Calais in early summer 1940.

Loading fifty-kilogram bombs to a Bf 109E-4/B during 1940.

An air-to-air shot of a group of unidentified 1 Staffel Bf 109s, coded white 1, 4 and 10, on patrol in the summer of 1940.

A Schwarm of Bf 109s of 6/JG 27 led by Oberleutnant Julius Neumann. Note the camouflage demarcation and the positioning of the tail swastika. Yellow 10+- was normally flown by Unteroffizier Fritz Gromotka, who would survive the war with twenty-nine victories, having been awarded the Ritterkreuz. The other two aircraft would be Yellow 2+-, normally flown by Unteroffizier Heinz Uebe, who would be wounded in action on 8 August 1940 having shot down two aircraft, and Yellow 4+-. The latter was flown by Feldwebel Erich Krenzke, who would be taken prisoner of war on 31 May 1942 with his victory score standing at eleven.

Feldwebel Walter Meudtner of 3/JG 51 in the cramped cockpit of his Bf 109E-1/E-3 in the early summer of 1940.

A pair of Bf 109Es of I/JG 3 at Grandvillers, France, in July 1940. The machine to the left, an E-4, has a chevron on the fuselage showing it to be a Stab I/JG 3 aircraft. The marking following this could be a circle, which would indicate this aircraft to be flown by the Gruppe’s Technischer Offizier.

Groundcrew at work on a Bf 109E-4 of Stab I/JG 3 on the airfield at Grandvillers, again in July 1940. The tail appears to have two kill markings on it. The only Stab I pilot who had two kills by the start of the Battle of Britain was Oberleutnant Walter Fiel, who was posted to command 8/JG 53 on 8 September 1940. Fiel was shot down and taken prisoner on 2 October 1940.

Executive officers of I/JG 3 at the Gefechtstand (command post) at Grandvillers, July 1940. The identity of the two officers is not known.

Another view of Bf 109Es of I/JG 3 beneath camouflage netting at Grandvillers, July 1940. The aircraft to the left, an E-4, has a chevron on the fuselage showing it to be a Stab I/JG 3 aircraft.

The battle-axe identifies the unit of this Bf 109 as being III/JG 3, the picture probably being taken at Desvres, France. It is believed that this is a Gruppenstab aircraft and, if so, the numeral, believed to be 3, would be green. The spinner is black and white, cowling and upper surfaces yellow to canopy and heavily mottled fuselage.

A line-up of Bf 109E-4s of an unidentified unit. The cowlings on these aircraft were yellow and they appear to be carrying letters as opposed to numerals on the fuselage.

A Bf 109E-4 of 3/JG 2 being flown by Leutnant Franz Fiby. Clearly visible are the 3 Staffel emblem on the cowling, the Richthofen badge and angular yellow 14. Note that there is no demarcation line between the upper fuselage and lower fuselage camouflage.

An unidentified pilot from what is believed to be JG 2, probably celebrating his return after a successful mission. He is wearing the bulky 10-76B kapok filled life preserver and what appears to be a pair of first pattern Nitsche und Günther Splitterschutzbrille (anti-splinter) glasses.

Bf 109Es of 3/Erprobungsgruppe 210 at Denain in the summer 1940. During the Battle of Britain, 3 Staffel lost just three aircraft in combat. The last of these was its Staffel Kapitän, Oberleutnant Otto Hintze, in Bf 109E-4/B Wk Nr 2024, Yellow, 6 on 29 October 1940. Hintze would be captured, albeit wounded. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz in absentia.

There are at least six kill bars visible on the forward part of the tail of this Bf 109E-4 of III/JG 3, Wk Nr 1559 and coded White 1+, which was pictured at Desvres in France in the autumn of 1940. This aircraft was flown by Hauptmann Wilhelm Balthasar who by the end of the Battle of Britain had thirty-six kills to his name. Balthasar brought this aircraft with him from 1/JG 1, retaining the White 1 but adding the III Gruppe vertical bar after the fuselage cross.

Leutnant Horst Marx in front of his Bf 109E-1/B at Denain, Belgium, in July or August 1940. Marx would be shot down and taken prisoner on 15 August 1940 whilst flying a Bf 109E-4/B coded Yellow 3.

This busy scene of an open air workshop for the Bf 109Es of III/JG 26 was taken at Caffiers during July or August 1940.

Oberleutnant Gerhard Schöpfel, the Staffel Kapitän of 9/JG 26, in his Bf 109E-4. Note the manufacturer’s plate below the badge. Schöpfel would take command of III/JG 26 on 22 August 1940 when Major Adolf Galland took command of JG 26. He remained with JG 26, having become Kommodore in December 1941, until January 1943. A series of short staff appointments followed before he returned to operational flying in May 1944. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz in September 1940 and survived the war with forty-five kills to his name.

A mixture of Bf 109Es of I and II/JG 77, probably photographed at Aalborg in August 1940. The nearest aircraft shows it to be that of the Gruppen Adjutant, Leutnant Herbert Kunze, and, if so, is probably an E-4 with the Wk Nr 5102. Kunze was shot down and killed on 15 September 1940 when his Bf 109E-4, this time with the Wk Nr 3759 but carrying the same fuselage markings, crashed at Lympne, in Kent. I./JG 77 moved to Marquise-West in the Pas de Calais on 25 August 1940 and became subordinate to JG 51. It was re-designated IV./JG 51 in November 1940.

Bf 109Es of 6/JG 27 photographed at either St Trond, Belgium, in May 1940 or Crépon, France, in August 1940. Note the II Gruppe Bear badge on the cowlings of both fighters.

The scene at Caffiers, France, in Au...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Glossary and Abbreviations
• The Pre-War Period
• The ‘Sitzkrieg’ or Phoney War
• The Battle for France
• The Battle of Britain
• After the Battle