Luftwaffe's Battle Aircraft of WWII

1. Image courtesy of M. Williams Press ‘Esc’ at any time to end the presentation. German Aircraft Attacking Nations

2. Click on the aircraft that you would like to study. Messerschmitt Bf 109 Messerschmitt Bf 110 Junkers JU 87 (Stuka) Dornier Do 17 Z Heinkel He 111 Links to Key Word definitions are in green Images provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

3. Sources: Battle of Britain – Richard Townshend Bickers, Battle of Britain – Alfred Price, Battle of Britain – Len Deighton Messerschmitt Bf 109 E The Bf 109 E was the only single-engined fighter used by the Luftwaffe during The Battle of Britain. It had a maximum speed of 345 m.p.h. and had two cannon and two machine-guns. It could also carry a small amount of bombs if necessary. By the time that this Messerschmitt fighter appeared over Britain, it had become extremely well known amongst RAF pilots, partly because the Germans had said that it was invincible. Learn more about the Bf 109 E Image and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

4. In some respects, the Bf 109 E pilots became over confident because they started to believe that they actually may be invincible. Until the Battle of Britain they had beaten off other enemies – like those in Poland and France - with relative ease. The Luftwaffe pilots soon changed their minds when they met Hurricanes and Spitfires in force over Britain. By 1939 the Lufftwaffe had 850 Bf 109 Es and by August 1940, 23 different Gruppen (Fighter Groups) were operating along the Channel front. By the end of 1945 the Bf 109 E had become the most widely produced combat aircraft of the war. Images and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

5. Sources: Battle of Britain – Richard Townshend Bickers, Battle of Britain – Len Deighton Junkers Ju87 “Stuka" No warplane spread greater fear in the opening months of World War Two than the Junkers Ju 87 two-seat dive bomber. Indeed it had shown time and again in Poland and France that it was an outstandingly effective precision bomber and ground strafer. Learn more about the Ju 87 Key Word - Precision Key Word - Strafe Image and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

6. The Ju 87 (Stuka) emitted a high pitched wail as it hurtled vertically earthwards. This had a devastating psychological effect on the people that it was attacking. The shape of the aircraft alone, with its swept back wings was enough to spread panic on the ground below. The Stuka seemed perfect as a tool to support advancing German ground forces, yet it was a relatively slow aeroplane with a maximum speed of only 232 m.p.h. It also had a short range and could only carry a small bombload. When confronted with strong ground defences or quicker and more manoeuvrable aircraft, such as during the Battle of Britain, it proved vulnerable and rather inadequate. The Ju 87 was, after the first few weeks of the Battle of Britain, kept in reserve against ‘lighter’ opposition. Key Word - psychological Key Word - Emitted Images and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

7. Sources: Battle of Britain – Richard Townshend Bickers, Battle of Britain – Len Deighton Messerschmitt Bf 110 During the Battle of Britain, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 had an awe-inspiring reputation. It was referred to as the ‘destroyer’. It was a a high-performance, twin-engined, multi-seat aircraft. Its job was to clear a path through the enemy’s fighters so that bombers could follow behind it. It also provided close escort for bomber formations and could act on its own, attacking targets as it found them. Learn more about the Bf 110 Image and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

8. Hermann Goering (Reichsmarschall in charge of the German Air Force) saw Bf 110’s as the elite of the Luftwaffe. Yet, no aircraft designer had by 1940 come up with a way of helping such a heavy fighter to compete with a short range, single-seater fighter – such as the Hurricane or Spitfire. Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering Bf 110’s were first seen over Britain on 20th July, 1940. Two hundred 110’s tried to tempt RAF fighters into combat. The German bomber squadrons following at a suitable distance would then arrive when the defending fighters had exhausted their fuel and were powerless to stop them. It was thought that the RAF fighters, while rearming and refuelling at their bases, would be ideal targets for the bombers and the Bf 110s escorting them. Key Word - Elite Key Word - Exhausted Images and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

9. The acceleration of the Bf 110 was not good enough to allow pilots to avoid combat when attacked by enemy fighters. Therefore, as soon as the R.A.F. had worked out how best to attack the Bf 110’s (from the rear), many 110’s began to be destroyed. During August 1940 the Luftwaffe lost a total of 120 Bf 110s. Despite a reduction in missions and changes in tactics, a further 83 aircraft were lost by the end of September 1940. Throughout the final weeks of the Battle of Britain the Bf 110’s were switched to fighter-bomber and reconnaissance tasks. Goering's ‘elite’ planes had not performed as well as he had hoped. Key Word - Reconnaissance Images and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

10. Sources: Battle of Britain – Len Deighton Dornier Do 17 Z The Dornier Do 17 Z was known as the ‘Flying Pencil’ probably because of its shape, but also because it was originally designed to be an air mail carrier. The Do 17 Z had a wingspan of 59 feet and was 52 foot long. It could have up to eight machine-guns attached and could carry 2,200 lbs (pounds in weight) of bombs. It could also fly for 745 miles without refuelling. Learn more about the Do 17 Z Image provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

11. About one quarter of the bombers used during the Battle of Britain were Dornier Do 17s. The number of bombs carried compared with other German bombers was relatively small and it could only travel at a maximum speed of 245 m.p.h. It was therefore vulnerable to attacks from Spitfires and Hurricanes. Many Luftwaffe pilots liked the Do 17 for all of its faults as it was seen as being reliable and could often withstand a number of attacks from British fighters despite the fact that it had no armour plating. Key Word - Relatively Key Word - Vulnerable

12. Sources: Battle of Britain – Richard Townshend Bickers, Battle of Britain – Alfred Price, Battle of Britain – Len Deighton Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel was a twin-engined bomber that had a crew of four. Crew members often had more than one job. The navigator not only helped the pilot plot a course by telling him which way to turn and when, but he was also responsible for aiming the bombs and firing the forward facing guns. The radio operator was also the rear gunner and the flight engineer the ventral gunner (firing the guns underneath the plane). Learn more about the He 111 Image and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

13. The HE 111 carried roughly double the Dornier Do 17 Zs bombload, but was still relatively slow and found it hard to accelerate away from attacking fighters. It did however have heavy protective armour and three free-mounted machine-guns. The HE 111 suffered heavy losses when carrying out daylight raids during the Battle of Britain and was, from September 1940, used as a night time bomber only. From 1941 onwards the HE 111 was mainly used in an anti-shipping and transport role. Images provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

14. Key words and their definitions Elite – The best of something. To be the best. Emitted– To give out - e.g. to emit a sound. Exhausted – To be tired or worn out. When energy has been used up. Precision – To be exact or accurate. Psychological – A persons mental state. Affecting the mind. Reconnaissance – Examining an area or possible target. Scouting, usually for a military purpose. Relatively – In relation to something else – compared to something else. Strafe – To attack something from the air (usually using bullets). Vulnerable – Exposed to, or open to, attack. Capable of being hurt. Back to Bf 109 Es Bf 110s Ju 87 Dornier 17 Z He 111