Re: Odd Bf 109 G-10 found.
 

I am not that involved in Bf 109 issues, but would like to make a comment that applies across the board for Luftwaffe research. Some of the most important research documents are the RAF crash and capture reports. My opinion is that if one of these reports identified a specific sub-type, it has a very high probability of being correct, as the it appears the standard procedure was to record the W.Nr. and type from the Typenschild, then remove the plate and send it back along with the written report. The field people generally might have had very little knowledge of what a particular sub-type an example might be, they reported what was on the plate, and if they could not locate the plate, generally did not report that information. My opinion is use of Bf 109 G-10/AS designation possibly began with an RAF intelligence report, and if that is the case probably was correct in that sense.

At a more basic level, having paper documentation of a particular issue does not necessarily represent physical reality. Having been a member of a military organization and also a participant at many levels of engineering, manufacturing and production, the drawings , manuals, and most other paper documentation precede the device and what is recorded in the nature of performance, timing, location, etc. etc. often does not reflect what was actually there or what happened. Personally, I tend to believe hardware and photographs, but even these can misleading. To be a good historian, my opinion is one must have a strong sense of doubt and understand that taking a position that something is absolutely true or false can put one on a very slippery slope.

Best Regards,

ArtieBob

Re: Odd Bf 109 G-10 found.
 

Very interesting posts regarding the insertation of DB 605 AS's into standard G-10s. It almost proves the saying that "if you can wait long enough, anything is possible."

Reading Charles Bavarois and Artie Bob once again, I am reminded of a curious plan the Air Ministry advanced in December 1944, whereby some 540 Bf 109 G-14/AS's were to receive DB 605 D's between December 1944 and January 1945. Of these, it seems only 203 were delivered during December. Unfortunately, the Flugzeugweiterentwicklung Terminplan gave no further details. Thus, we do not know where these 203 hybrid G-14s were assembled or their distribution. Of course, this also begs the question as to what we should call these hybrids...perhaps "Bf 109 G-14/D" ?

Hal