Messerschmitt Bf 109
The hot-rod fighter that fought from the first day to the last.
The Bf 109 was a revelation in 1937 and somehow, remarkably, was still in front-line combat in May 1945 — a testament to the strength of its basic design and to the talents of its pilots. More Bf 109s were built than any other fighter ever, and it claimed more air-to-air victories than any other type in history.
01Gained its reputation in the Spanish Civil War, then dominated early-war skies over Poland, France, and the Low Countries. The Bf 109E ("Emil") met its match in the Spitfire during the Battle of Britain, where its limited range over south-east England proved a critical handicap.
02The Bf 109F ("Friedrich") of 1941 was arguably the most elegant of the line; later G-models ("Gustav") sacrificed handling for engine power and heavier armament to counter USAAF heavy bombers. The final K-4 was superb at altitude but flown by pilots with little training.
03Erich Hartmann, the highest-scoring fighter pilot in history with 352 victories, flew the Bf 109 exclusively. Post-war, licensed versions continued in Czech, Spanish, and Israeli service into the mid-1960s.
Theatres of operation
- ·Every theatre of the European war
Principal operators
- ·Luftwaffe
- ·Regia Aeronautica
- ·Romanian Air Force
- ·Hungarian Air Force
- ·Finnish Air Force
Others in the same fight.
Supermarine Spitfire
Mk.I — Mk.24
Hawker Hurricane
Mk.I — Mk.IV
North American P-51 Mustang
P-51B / C / D / K
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47C / D / M / N