I've played around with AI and get the following reply from my little sandbox. It was an interesting question to see what the AI would produce. Hope it is of interest. BR/Mikael
Discussions on the Use of the Me 210 as Nightfighter
The question of whether the Me 210 could serve as a nightfighter was a recurring topic in Luftwaffe planning discussions throughout 1942, reflecting the broader struggle to find a suitable role for this deeply troubled aircraft. The discussions reveal a mixture of cautious hope, pragmatic assessment, and the constant shadow of the Me 210's fundamental problems.
1. First Mention: Major Storp's Assessment (May 1942)
The earliest substantive discussion of the Me 210 as a nightfighter appears in the meeting of 21 May 1942. Generalfeldmarschall Milch reported that the aircraft's future was still unclear:
„Die Maschine selbst ist noch so unklar, daß keine klare Entscheidung über ihre Verwendung getroffen werden kann. Major Storp hat die Maschine für die Nachtjagd als geeignet bezeichnet, wenn erhebliche technische Vorbedingungen gelöst werden. Wieweit und wann dieses durchgeführt werden kann, ist noch nicht zu beantworten." [RL 3/60, Page 129]
Reichsmarschall Göring responded with notable enthusiasm about this possibility:
„Wenn die Me 210 für die Nachtjagd sich eignen würde, so wäre es ideal. Es ist ganz klar, daß der Verwendungszweck der Maschine noch nicht endgültig entschieden werden kann." [RL 3/60, Page 129]
This discussion took place in the context of 50 aircraft being completed, with a further 6 per month — a decision made jointly with Generaloberst Jeschonnek. The nightfighter role was thus one of several possibilities being explored for an aircraft that had already been struck from the main production programme on 13 April 1942 [RL 3/60, Page 73].
An April 1942 meeting note confirms that the Me 210 was already being discussed alongside the Me 410 for nightfighter use, though both types were reported as not ready in the expected form: „Es wird ferner besprochen die Me 210 Nachtjäger und Me 410 Schnellbomber und es wird bemerkt, daß beide Typen zu Zeit leicht nicht in der Form bereit stehen, wie erwartet worden war." [RL 3/13, Page 497]
2. The Detailed Comparison: August 1942 Development Discussions
The most extensive and technically detailed discussion occurred on 18 August 1942, when Friebel (from the technical staff) presented a comprehensive comparison of potential nightfighter and destroyer aircraft types — the Me 110, Me 210, Arado 240, He 219, and FW 187 [RL 3/34, Pages 437–465].
Performance Assessment
Friebel noted that the He 219 had been:
„ganz bewußt von allen beteiligten Dienststellen auf den Verwendungszweck 'Nachtjagd' eingetrimmt worden" [RL 3/34, Page 437]
However, in raw performance terms, the He 219 was only marginally better than the Me 210 in the upper altitude range — about 10–15 km/h faster above 3,000m. Milch observed that the speed differences were largely theoretical:
„Mit Ausnahme der alten Me 110 sind ja die Geschwindigkeiten bei allen 4 Maschinen rein rechnerisch auseinander. In Wirklichkeit sind sie aber gleich schnell; sie liegen bei 630/640 km." [RL 3/34, Page 439]
Milch's Advocacy for the Me 210 as Nightfighter
Milch repeatedly pushed the idea that the Me 210 could fulfill both the nightfighter and destroyer roles, making a separate aircraft unnecessary:
„Wäre die Me 210 wirklich in Ordnung, dann hätte sie die beiden Wünsche voll gedeckt, also sowohl als Zerstörer wie als Nachtjäger." [RL 3/34, Page 441]
He asked directly:
„Warum wollen wir die Me 210 nicht als Nachtjäger machen? Geht das nicht? Sie hat immerhin 2000 km Reichweite, und das würde ausreichend sein." [RL 3/34, Page 445]
And later, expressing frustration at what he saw as Heinkel's less-than-optimal design:
„Ich sehe in der He 219 nicht das höchste an Leistung, was man im Verhältnis zum Gewicht herausbekommen könnte. Das stört mich bei der He 219 gegenüber der Me 210." [RL 3/34, Page 451]
Technical Objections
Friebel raised significant practical objections to adapting the Me 210 for nightfighter use:
„Was bei der Me 210 neu gemacht werden müßte, wäre die ganze Inneneinrichtung, die für den Nachtjäger erforderlich ist, da die Me 210 heute bereits für gewisse Aufgaben als Bomber bezw. Kampfzerstörer fertig entwickelt ist und ein in seiner Raumgestaltung abgeschlossenes Flugzeug ist. Man würde eine ganz neue Kanzel bauen müssen." [RL 3/34, Page 445]
Oberst Vorwald confirmed that this had already been investigated:
„Es war ja bereits untersucht worden, ob man nicht die augenblicklich laufende Serie als Nachtjäger umbauen könnte. Das ergab aber einen ungeheuren Aufwand, der seinerzeit vom Feldmarschall abgelehnt wurde." [RL 3/34, Page 445]
Friebel also warned that converting the Me 210 for nightfighter use would involve „einen ziemlichen Kampf und auf der anderen Seite einen ziemlichen Leistungsverlust" [RL 3/34, Page 457].
The Me 210 with DB 603 — A Better Prospect
Oberstleutnant Petersen noted that an Me 210 fitted with the DB 603 engine could reach 670–680 km/h with bombs, making it about 80 km/h faster than the Ju 188 [RL 3/34, Page 445]. This variant appeared more promising for dual-role use.
Friebel acknowledged: „Es wäre zweckmäßig, wenn es gelänge, beide in einem Flugzeug zu haben. Dann wäre die Frage für die Me 210 positiv zu beantworten." [RL 3/34, Page 455]
Milch's Conclusion
Milch ultimately took a cautious position, calling for continued work on the He 219 as a pure nightfighter while keeping the Me 210 as a potential alternative:
„Wir wollen unbeirrt mit der He 219 auf den Nachtjägerbereich zumarschieren... Die Frage ist, ob die Maschine fliegerisch so hinkommt, wie man es heute theoretisch erhofft." [RL 3/34, Page 457]
He also expressed a philosophical lesson learned from the Me 210 debacle:
„Wir haben mit der Me 210 unerhörtes Lehrgeld nach jeder Richtung gezahlt. Wenn wir das praktisch noch einmal verwerten können, dann wäre das ein Glück. Es wäre falsch, wenn wir sagten: weil wir sie haben und Geld hineingesteckt haben, wollen wir das schlechte Geld herausholen, indem wir gutes Geld nachwerfen." [RL 3/34, Page 459]
3. Formal Study Commissioned (August 1942)
Following this discussion, a formal comparative study was ordered. The preparatory document for the 28 August 1942 meeting explicitly listed among the required studies:
„3.) Me 210 als Zerstörer und Nachtjäger" [RL 3/42, Page 517]
This was to be examined alongside the He 219 as nightfighter/destroyer, the Me 210 as pure destroyer, and the Ju 188 as nightfighter, with comparisons covering performance, schedule, and production capacity [RL 3/42, Pages 517 and 520].
4. September 1942: Nightfighter Role Becomes Secondary
By 4 September 1942, the discussion had evolved. The conclusion was to continue developing the Me 210 primarily as a Kampfflugzeug (combat aircraft) and Tagzerstörer (day destroyer), while allowing parallel nightfighter testing:
„Wir lassen die Me 210 auch für diesen Zweck nebenbei mit erproben, sehen aber in ihr hauptsächlich ein Kampfflugzeug und Tagzerstörer." [RL 3/34, Page 843]
5. Nightfighter Testing Programme (May 1942)
The meeting record from 28 May 1942 indicates that although the broader Me 210 testing programme was being curtailed, a nightfighter evaluation was specifically retained:
„Das Erprobungsprogramm wird mit Ausnahme der Nachtjagderprobung abgebrochen." [RL 3/45, Page 763]
This suggests that despite all its problems, the nightfighter application was considered sufficiently promising to warrant continued investigation even when other testing was halted.
6. Later References and the Transition to Me 410
By late 1942 and into 1943, the nightfighter discussions increasingly shifted to the Me 410 (the improved successor) and other types. The meeting of 22 March 1943 discussed the Me 210/410 primarily in the destroyer role, with 4× MG 151 demanded for Mediterranean operations [RL 3/42, Page 368]. The June 1943 meeting noted the Me 210 had proved itself as a
Nachtzerstörer (night destroyer) — a related but distinct role from pure nightfighter: „Voll bewährt haben sich... Me 210 als Nachtzerstörer" [RL 3/42, Page 291].
The Bf 110 continued to carry the nightfighter burden well into 1943, with the He 219 coming online in small numbers and the Ta 154 under development. The Me 210's nightfighter potential was ultimately overtaken by events — its production winding down in favour of the Me 410, which was itself increasingly absorbed into the Reichsverteidigung (home defence) as a day Zerstörer [RL 3/42, Page 260].
Summary Assessment
The discussions reveal several key dynamics:
- Milch was the primary advocate for exploring the Me 210 as nightfighter, driven partly by the desire to salvage something from the catastrophic Me 210 programme and partly by genuine recognition that its range (2,000 km) and performance were adequate.
- Technical staff were sceptical about the conversion effort required, particularly regarding the cockpit redesign and internal reconfiguration needed for nightfighter equipment.
- The He 219 was always the preferred nightfighter solution, having been purpose-designed for the role, though Milch harboured reservations about its weight and questioned whether it represented optimal engineering.
- The nightfighter testing was specifically preserved even when other Me 210 testing was cancelled, indicating genuine institutional interest in the concept.
- The concept was never fully realized — the Me 210 found limited operational use as a Nachtzerstörer rather than a dedicated nightfighter, and by 1943 the focus had shifted to the Me 410, He 219, and other types.