World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
22 Oct 2010 02:23:11 PM

The position of the aircraft, and what I can
see of the marking looks like this could be the aircraft of a Geschwaderkommodore
(Commander of a Wing)

2.  Bill says:
26 Oct 2015 06:07:43 PM

WILLY BUILDS THE Bf 109G-6 GUSTAV

In 1942 the Luftwaffe needed a fighter with more punch Messerschmitt 109 series fighter was cleaned up. The Bf 109F and G models were cleaned up fuselage streamlined, with larger prop boss, lack of any tail bracing, and rounded wing tips.

BIGGER GUNS:

Armed w/2 x 13mm cowl mounted machine guns, that replaced the lighter MG 17, 7.92mm guns. The 13mm guns (60 caliber) w/350 rounds per gun, the weapons breech blocks were enclosed with bulges on each side of the engine cowling.
Powered by a DB 605A liquid-cooled in-line engine. Armed w/one MG151/20 20mm engine mounted cannon w/150 rounds firing through the propeller boss, for added range one 300 liter drop tank could be carried. The Bf 109G series would become the Luftwaffe's backbone of its fighter groups till the end of the war.

3. R.T. says:
19 May 2016 06:04:39 PM

I've seen photos of this aircraft credited as that of Gerhard Barkhorn the worlds second highest scoring ace with 301 victories . It is a G-5 note the tall antenna and lack of loop antenna it was the first G series with bumps . Adolf Galland was quite annoyed with the lack of progress in fighter development in Germany and condemned this type of random progression . I've heard many German pilots thought the F model was the pinnical of BF109 development but was lacking in fire power hence the bumps for larger guns in the G-5 model . The progression went even farther in reducing the 109s performance with underwing cannon gondolas and rocket tubes . These aircraft were flown in units known as Gefechtsverband and were less and less a match for Mustangs and Thunderbolts having to be protected by fighter escort wings as they tried to intercept the bombers . All this armament did improve the chances against B17s but at a terrible cost to Luftwaffe pilots .