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Heinz Radlauer | Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer Heinz Radlauer learnt to fly gliders in 1940, aged 17, and joined the Luftwaffe in August 1941. After Fighter School, in June 1944 he was posted to join JG51 Molders then fighting on the Eastern Front near Minsk, scoring his first victory in October of that year. Heinz Radlauer fleew the Bf109G, the Fw190A, and at the end of the war the Fw190D, by which time he had notched up over 100 combat missions, flying his last combat mission on 30th April 1945. Credited with 15 air victories, all on the Eastern Front, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class. |
Items Signed by Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer |
| Focke-Wulf Fw190A-5/U8 by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £250.00 | Focke-Wulf FW.190A-5/U8 of 1 Gruppe, Schnellkampfgeschwader 10 in 1943. All national markings were painted out, except for the call sign C on the fuselage and repeated, crudely sprayed, on the engine cowling. ...... | |
| Focke-Wulf Fw190A-5/U8 by Ivan Berryman. (C) Price : £45.00 | Focke-Wulf FW.190A-5/U8 of 1 Gruppe, Schnellkampfgeschwader 10 in 1943. All national markings were painted out, except for the call sign C on the fuselage and repeated, crudely sprayed, on the engine cowling. ...... | |
| Clipped Signature - Heinz Radlauer. Price : £35.00 | First flew Me109s with JG51 on the Eastern Front in June 1944. By the end of the war, he had also flown the Fw190 and scored 15 victories in over 100 missions. ...... | |
| Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. (D) Price : £105.00 | Major Rudolf Rudi Sinner of STAB.III/JG7 attacking B-17s of 91st Bomb Group during March 1945. Attacking in a Kette of three aircraft from behind and below targeting the tailenders and rising over the B-17s. Avoiding any debris and evading the inc...... | |
| Scheherazade by Tim Fisher. (C) Price : £110.00 | This aircraft is credited with flying 126 missions without an abort for the 447th Bomb Group and was one of only three original aircraft to survive the war and return to the US. To the left can be seen the famous A Bit O Lace. All these aircraft w...... |
| Looking for Business by Ivan Berryman. (F) Price : £70.00 | A pair of Focke Wulf 190A4s of 9./JG2 Richthofen based at Vannes, France during February 1943. The nearest aircraft is that of Staffelkapitan Siegfried Schnell. The badge on the nose is the rooster emblem of III./JG2 and the decoration on Schnells r...... | |
| High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman. (J) Price : £100.00 | Squadron Leader H C Sawyer is depicted here flying his 65 Sqn Spitfire Mk.1a R6799 (YT-D) in the skies above Kent on 31st July 1940 at the height of the Battle of Britain. Chasing him is Major Hans Trubenbach of 1 Gruppe, Lehrgeschwader 2 in his Mes...... | |
| Anton Hafner by Ivan Berryman. (APB) Price : £110.00 | The top scoring ace of JG.51, Anton Hafner is credited with 204 confirmed victories. A prolific scorer, on 8th August 1944, he shot down no fewer than seven Russian Sturmoviks and, by October of that year, his overall tally had exceeded 200. He di...... | |
| Anton Hafner by Ivan Berryman. (B) Price : £100.00 | The top scoring ace of JG.51, Anton Hafner is credited with 204 confirmed victories. A prolific scorer, on 8th August 1944, he shot down no fewer than seven Russian Sturmoviks and, by October of that year, his overall tally had exceeded 200. He di...... | |
| Anton Hafner by Ivan Berryman. (C) Price : £470.00 | The top scoring ace of JG.51, Anton Hafner is credited with 204 confirmed victories. A prolific scorer, on 8th August 1944, he shot down no fewer than seven Russian Sturmoviks and, by October of that year, his overall tally had exceeded 200. He di...... |
| Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. Price : £150.00 | The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with hu...... | |
| Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) Price : £290.00 | The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with hu...... | |
| Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) SOLD OUT | The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with hu...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. (C) SOLD OUT | The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with h...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. (D) SOLD OUT | The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with h...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. (XX) Price : £115.00 | The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with h...... | |
| Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. (Y) Price : £120.00 | The Germans launched their attack on the Kursk salient on 5th July 1943, and for both sides this was maximum effort. The Soviets, however, informed by intelligence of the impending German attack, had ample time to prepare huge defensive works with h...... | |
| The Long Short Days by Robert Taylor. Price : £215.00 | It was known as the Jagdverbande, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world's greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe. But as...... | |
| The Long Short Days by Robert Taylor. (AP) Price : £425.00 | It was known as the Jagdverbande, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world's greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe. But as...... | |
| The Long Short Days by Robert Taylor. (B) Price : £250.00 | It was known as the Jagdverbande, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world's greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe. But as...... |
| The Long Short Days by Robert Taylor. (C) SOLD OUT | It was known as the Jagdverbande, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world's greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe. But as...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| The Long Short Days by Robert Taylor. (RM) SOLD OUT | It was known as the Jagdverbande, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world's greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe. But as...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| The Long Short Days by Robert Taylor. (RMB) SOLD OUT | It was known as the Jagdverbande, the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe, and by June 1940 it boasted some of the world's greatest fighter pilots. With tactics honed to perfection, these battle-seasoned veterans dominated the skies of Europe. But as...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| The Frozen North, Petsamo, Finland, January 1943 by David Pentland. Price : £60.00 | Walter Schuck and fellow pilot of JG5 Eismeer in front of a Me109F covered in tarpaulins as some protection against the weather in this most isolated and inhospitable theatre of the war. Schuck served with this unit from December 1942 to April 1945,...... | |
| The Frozen North, Petsamo, Finland, January 1943 by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £60.00 | Walter Schuck and fellow pilot of JG5 Eismeer in front of a Me109F covered in tarpaulins as some protection against the weather in this most isolated and inhospitable theatre of the war. Schuck served with this unit from December 1942 to April 1945,...... |
| The Frozen North, Petsamo, Finland, January 1943 by David Pentland. (B) Price : £400.00 | Walter Schuck and fellow pilot of JG5 Eismeer in front of a Me109F covered in tarpaulins as some protection against the weather in this most isolated and inhospitable theatre of the war. Schuck served with this unit from December 1942 to April 1945,...... | |
| Head on Pass by David Pentland. Price : £50.00 | St Nazaire, France, 1st January 1943. Leading the Focke Wulf 190s of III Gruppe, Jagdgeswader 2, Gruppenkommandeur Egon Mayer, cut a swathe through the attacking waves of US Eigth Airforce B17s. The recently developed tactic of the head on pass wa...... | |
| Head on Pass by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £80.00 | St Nazaire, France, 1st January 1943. Leading the Focke Wulf 190s of III Gruppe, Jagdgeswader 2, Gruppenkommandeur Egon Mayer, cut a swathe through the attacking waves of US Eigth Airforce B17s. The recently developed tactic of the head on pass wa...... | |
| Head on Pass by David Pentland. (B) Price : £420.00 | St Nazaire, France, 1st January 1943. Leading the Focke Wulf 190s of III Gruppe, Jagdgeswader 2, Gruppenkommandeur Egon Mayer, cut a swathe through the attacking waves of US Eigth Airforce B17s. The recently developed tactic of the head on pass wa...... | |
| Taran over the Kuban by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Crimea, 7th August 1943. While flying a late afternoon combat patrol with Otto Fonnekolds schwarm, from 5 staffel, JG52, Willi Batz witnessed a taran or ramming attack by a soviet fighter on a Luftwaffe Fw189 artillery spotter. Then a second Spitf...... |
| Taran over the Kuban by David Pentland. (B) Price : £480.00 | Crimea, 7th August 1943. While flying a late afternoon combat patrol with Otto Fonnekolds schwarm, from 5 staffel, JG52, Willi Batz witnessed a taran or ramming attack by a soviet fighter on a Luftwaffe Fw189 artillery spotter. Then a second Spitf...... | |
| Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. Price : £56.00 | B78 Eindhoven, Holland, 1st January 1945. Major Heinz Bar, Kommodore of Jagdgeswader 3, bounces a flight of 438 Squadron RCAF Typhoons attempting to take off from Eindhoven airfield. His attack was merely the start of a massed attack by the entire ...... | |
| Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £75.00 | B78 Eindhoven, Holland, 1st January 1945. Major Heinz Bar, Kommodore of Jagdgeswader 3, bounces a flight of 438 Squadron RCAF Typhoons attempting to take off from Eindhoven airfield. His attack was merely the start of a massed attack by the entire...... | |
| Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. (B) Price : £460.00 | B78 Eindhoven, Holland, 1st January 1945. Major Heinz Bar, Kommodore of Jagdgeswader 3, bounces a flight of 438 Squadron RCAF Typhoons attempting to take off from Eindhoven airfield. His attack was merely the start of a massed attack by the entire...... | |
| Early Risers by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Gramatikovo, Russia, 19th March 1944. Oberleutnant Walter Wolfrum (Black 15) and wingman of 5 Staffel JG52 take off on a dawn patrol. By the end of the day Oberleutnant Wolfrum would have accounted for 5 Soviet aircraft. ...... |
| Early Risers by David Pentland. (B) Price : £480.00 | Gramatikovo, Russia, 19th March 1944. Oberleutnant Walter Wolfrum (Black 15) and wingman of 5 Staffel JG52 take off on a dawn patrol. By the end of the day Oberleutnant Wolfrum would have accounted for 5 Soviet aircraft. ...... | |
| Kannonenboot by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Adriatic coast, Greece, 20th Dece,ber 1943. 20mm cannon armed Messerschmitt 109G-6/R6 trop, flown by Oberleutnant Josef-Emil Clade, Staffelkapitan 7/JG27 White 9 and his wingman White 7. ...... | |
| Kannonenboot by David Pentland. (B) Price : £400.00 | Adriatic coast, Greece, 20th Dece,ber 1943. 20mm cannon armed Messerschmitt 109G-6/R6 trop, flown by Oberleutnant Josef-Emil Clade, Staffelkapitan 7/JG27 White 9 and his wingman White 7. ...... | |
| Last Days by David Pentland. Price : £65.00 | Berlin, Germany, 24th April 1945. Following an escort mission near the capital, the Ta152H of Stabsschwarm JG301 encountered a group of Soviet Yak 9s. In the ensuing dogfight, Hauptmann Hermann Stahl was shot sown while Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke...... | |
| Last Days by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £90.00 | Berlin, Germany, 24th April 1945. Following an escort mission near the capital, the Ta152H of Stabsschwarm JG301 encountered a group of Soviet Yak 9s. In the ensuing dogfight, Hauptmann Hermann Stahl was shot sown while Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke...... |
| Last Days by David Pentland. (B) Price : £400.00 | Berlin, Germany, 24th April 1945. Following an escort mission near the capital, the Ta152H of Stabsschwarm JG301 encountered a group of Soviet Yak 9s. In the ensuing dogfight, Hauptmann Hermann Stahl was shot sown while Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke...... | |
| Messerschmitt versus Messerschmitt by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 6th April 1941. While escorting Stukas at the start of the German Balkan campaign, the Me109Es of JG54 were engaged by Me109Es of the Yugoslav air force. During the ensuing melee, ObLt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his 20th victo...... | |
| Messerschmitt versus Messerschmitt by David Pentland. (B) Price : £480.00 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 6th April 1941. While escorting Stukas at the start of the German Balkan campaign, the Me109Es of JG54 were engaged by Me109Es of the Yugoslav air force. During the ensuing melee, ObLt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his 20th victo...... | |
| Ikarus Downed by David Pentland. (B) Price : £400.00 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 9th April 1941. An afternoon raid by III/Jg54 developed into a massive dogfight between the Greenhearts Me109Es and a squadron of Hurricanes and Ik3s. At the conclusion of the dogfight the Lufftwaffe had downed 3 aircr...... | |
| New Enemy by David Pentland. (AP) Price : £85.00 | Kedainiai, Lithuania, 23rd June 1941. Taking part in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa, Hans-Ekkehard Bob recorded his first victory in Russian airspace - a Tupolev SB-2 twin-engined bomber. During this combat action his Me 109F2 was hit by ...... |
| New Enemy by David Pentland. (B) Price : £400.00 | Kedainiai, Lithuania, 23rd June 1941. Taking part in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa, Hans-Ekkehard Bob recorded his first victory in Russian airspace - a Tupolev SB-2 twin-engined bomber. During this combat action his Me 109F2 was hit by ...... | |
| Bomber's Bane by David Pentland. (B) Price : £250.00 | Ostrov, Latvia, 6th July 1941. Tasked with supporting the advancing German ground forces through Latvia, the fighters of 9th Staffel JG54 were kept busy keeping the Red Airforce at bay. On this occasion Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob, downed 3 Tupolev SB...... | |
| Bomber's Bane by David Pentland. (C) Price : £400.00 | Ostrov, Latvia, 6th July 1941. Tasked with supporting the advancing German ground forces through Latvia, the fighters of 9th Staffel JG54 were kept busy keeping the Red Airforce at bay. On this occasion Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob, downed 3 Tupolev SB-2...... | |
| Breaking the Ring by David Pentland. (B) Price : £400.00 | Cape Malyj-Korabelnye, Russia, 18th August 1943. While escorting Fw190s to attack Soviet shipping, ObLt. Schuck's flight of Me109G2s from 8./JG5 attacked the four Soviet Hurricanes of 78 IAP/VVS which were on patrol over the boats. The Soviet f...... | |
| Tip of the Spear by David Pentland. (B) Price : £460.00 | Isle of Wight, England, 28th November 1940. Late in the afternoon, the Me109s of JG2 took off on a Frei Jagd or fighter sweep over southern England. At its head, and leading the Stabschwarm was the Geschwaderkommodore Helmut Wick, along with his w...... |
| Hand of Fate by David Pentland. (B) Price : £380.00 | South of Alexandria, Egypt, 7th August 1942. When a pair of Me109Fs from JG27 unexpectedly encountered a lumbering Bristol Bombay and downed it, they were unaware of the full significance of their action. It was only on their return to base that E...... |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer |
| JG1 Luftwaffe Aviation Art Print Pack. Pack Price : £300.00 Saving : £181 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Looking for Business by Ivan Berryman. (F) First Combat by David Pentland. Stormclouds Gather by Nicolas Trudgian Tip of the Spear by David Pentland. | |
| JG3 Aviation Art Print Pack. Pack Price : £390.00 Saving : £306 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. Morning Chorus by Gerald Coulson. Combat Over Normandy by Graeme Lothian. | |
| Ultimate JG3 Luftwaffe Aviation Art Print Pack. Pack Price : £780.00 Saving : £541 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Ramraiders by Robert Tomlin. (B) Ramraiders by Richard Taylor. The Battle for Britain by Robert Taylor. Dragons of Colombert by Nicolas Trudgian Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. Morning Chorus by Gerald Coulson. Combat Over Normandy by Graeme Lothian. | |
| Me109 Aviation Art Prints Trade Discount Pack. Pack Price : £445.00 Saving : £390 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : The Long Short Days by Robert Taylor. Defiant but Doomed by Stan Stokes. High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman. (D) Adolf Galland / Messerschmitt Bf109 E-4 by Ivan Berryman. (H) Ltn. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of JG21 Becomes an Ace by Ivan Berryman. | |
| JG3 Operation Bodenplatte Aviation Art Prints. Pack Price : £220.00 Saving : £96 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. Focke-Wulf Fw190A-5/U8 by Ivan Berryman. |
| Tiger Tank Military Art Prints. Pack Price : £320.00 Saving : £210 | Military Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. Tiger! Tiger! by Nicolas Trudgian. Zwieroboj - Animal Hunters - Ponyri Station, Kursk, 7th July 1943 by David Pentland. | |
| Eastern Front Tiger Tank Prints. Pack Price : £265.00 Saving : £225 | Military Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. Clash of Steel, Prokhorovka, Kursk, 12th July 1943 by David Pentland. (H) Zwieroboj - Animal Hunters - Ponyri Station, Kursk, 7th July 1943 by David Pentland. | |
| Russian Front WW2 Military Print Pack. Pack Price : £240.00 Saving : £210 | Military Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Kursk - Clash of Steel by Nicolas Trudgian. Zwieroboj - Animal Hunters - Ponyri Station, Kursk, 7th July 1943 by David Pentland. Motherland, The Battle of Stalingrad, September 1942 by David Pentland. | |
Royal Air Force Spitfire Pilot Signed Battle of Britain Prints by Ivan Berryman. Pack Price : £200.00 Saving : £75 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : The Fledgling by Ivan Berryman. (F) High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman. (J) | ||
Pilot Signed Aviation Art Prints by Ivan Berryman. Pack Price : £205.00 Saving : £145 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Spitfire Alley by Ivan Berryman. (F) High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman. (J) |
JG5 Aviation Art Prints by Richard Taylor and David Pentland. Pack Price : £125.00 Saving : £65 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Arctic Hunters by Richard Taylor. The Frozen North, Petsamo, Finland, January 1943 by David Pentland. |
Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer Squadron details |
Feldwebel Heinz Radlauer Aircraft details |
Fw190 Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf | Fw190 The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the war many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the war dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended. |
Me109 Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Built : 33984 | Me109 Willy Messerschmitt designed the BF109 during the early 1930s. The Bf109 was one of the first all metal monocoque construction fighters with a closed canopy and retractable undercarriage. The engine of the Me109 was a V12 aero engine which was liquid-cooled. The Bf109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and flew to the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter squadrons. During the Battle of Britian the Bf109 was used in the role of an escort fighter, a role for which it was not designed for, and it was also used as a fighter bomber. During the last days of May 1940 Robert Stanford-Tuck, the RAF ace, got the chance to fly an Me109 which they had rebuilt after it had crash landed. Stanford-Tuck found out that the Me109 was a wonderful little plane, it was slightly faster than the Spitfire, but lacked the Spitfire manoeuvrability. By testing the Me109, Tuck could put himself inside the Me109 when fighting them, knowing its weak and strong points. With the introduction of the improved Bf109F in the spring of 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the invasion of Yugoslavia and during the Battle of Crete and the invasion of Russia and it was used during the Siege of the Mediteranean island of Malta. The Bf109 was the main fighter for the Luftwaffe until 1942 when the Fw190 entered service and shared this position, and was partially replaced in Western Europe, but the Me109 continued to serve on the Eastern Front and during the defence of the Reich against the allied bombers. It was also used to good effect in the Mediterranean and North Africa in support of The Africa Korps. The Me109 was also supplied to several German allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. The Bf109 scored more kills than any other fighter of any country during the war and was built in greater numbers with a total of over 31,000 aircraft being built. The Bf109 was flown by the three top German aces of the war war. Erich Hartmann with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories and Gunther Rall with 275 kills. Bf109 pilots were credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen Luftwaffe Aces scored more than 200 kills. Altogether this group of pilots were credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills, of which the Messerschmitt Bf109 was credited with over 10,000 of these victories. The Bf109 was the most produced warplane during World War II, with 30,573 examples built during the war, and the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945. Bf109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf109s until 1955. The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s. |
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