Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

I have been looking all over for some 1940s era photographs of the Messerschmitt factories in Augsburg or Regensburg. I'd even settle for a history book of Messerschmitt that had some illustrations. I've googled, checked out Amazon.com and Amazon.de (Germany), and the Wikipedia. Found Nada. (About a gazillion books on the aircraft themselves, it was and is a popular modeling subject!)

I model WWII Luftwaffe aircraft (1/72nd scale) and European Model Railways (HO scale). I have all of these wagon sets - from Liliput, Marklin, and Trix - of transported and disassembled Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters (plus the new 2009 Marklin releases on order) and have nowhere for these train consists to originate. I could simply freelance a building, but I would like to be somewhat realistic and have a structure (or series of structures) that would be reminiscent of the original.

Unfortunately, Google Earth is useless as these buildings are long gone. Even the EADS website - the successor company to Messerschmitt - only covers their history from 1999.

Do any of our European members know of a website or have some photos of these factories?

David Martin, Ph.D.

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

USAF did so called USBBS bombing survey reports after war when they were analyzing their war effort in this area. This serie contains large report on Mtt with plenty of pictures (including aerial pictures etc.) and other information.

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

David did you find these aerial photos?
http://glewis.us/v7th_Recon/

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

Great aerial shots. Quite helpful in seeing the overall layout of the buildings. What I also need is some ground level shots of the buildings themselves. Need to see architectural details.

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

I believe that USBBS contains exactly the material you looking for. There is a copy at least in the PRO.

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

Thanks Harri. I found a good online version of the USSBS. However, unless they are hiding them very effectively, there are no photographs of the structures prior to the bombing of either the Junkers plant in Dessau or Messerschmitt in Augsburg or Regensburg.

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

What did you actually find? AFAIK there are only small parts of the USBBS reports available online and report on Mtt contain plenty of pictures before and after bombing.

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

I hope you guys realize that the "recon photos" at my v7th Recon website are graphic images from a game. These are not actual photographs as I state on the home page of my site.

Doc

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

An aerial photograph taken from several thousand feet is of little use in creating a scale model of a structure that has to withstand inspection from ground level. It serves a useful purpose in giving the layout of the building with respect to one another, and their overall size and possibly dimensions (if their is a measurable refernce in the photo), but little else.

Nearly all of the ground level photos of the factories were taken post-occupation, and of course, show post-bombing effect. (I'm pretty sure that the Wehrmacht or the Sicherheitsdienst wasn't too keen on allowing Allied photographers to take pictures of aircraft factories in preparation for bombing...)

Re: Messerschmitt Factory Information - Epoche II
 

The USBBS report on Mtt was created after war using all available material, including original pictures from german sources taken before bombing. And it's a huge report containing four parts and AFAIK not available on line, in the PRO it is AIR 48/11 (other parts being consecutive numbers up to /14).