Bf 109 G-6/U4

[Jochen Prien]

Gentlemen,

I wonder whether someone from the community can enlighten me with respect to the following question:

The Bf 109 G-6/U4 was a sub-series of the G-6 that was fitted with a 3 cm MK 108 as centrally mounted weapon instead of the regular 2 cm MG 151/20. It was built by WNF, the planned production figure for 1943 being 800 - or 810 according to another official source -, beginning in May 1943 with the delivery of the first two a/c. The actual production figure was considerably lower, in fact only 181 Bf 109 G-6/U4 being delivered until the end of 1943.

E-Stelle Tarnewitz was given the task to instal and assess the MK 108 in the Bf 109 G-6, beginning in June 1943. They handled two pre-series, the first of 27 a/c, the second of almost the same number of a/c. The first deliveries began in the second half of July, the 27 a/c of the first pre-sereis being delivered to front line units until August 22nd, 1943 with the second pre-series being completely delivered until October 23rd, 1943.

My question is: Were those pre-series a/c in fact the first Bf 109 G-6/U4 coming off the production line at WNF from May through to end of August that were originally delivered without their MK 108 to be completed at Tarnewitz, or were the a/c converted at Tarnewitz completely different a/c that had nothing to do with the series production of WNF ?

This also raises another question: The sharp drop in deliveries in November and December 1943 was at least in part due to the aerial bombing that the production plants of WNF were succumbed to in the fall of 1943 - has anbody got details as to how many Bf 109 G-6/U4 were lost to aerial attacks on WNF Wiener Neustadt prior to acceptance by the Luftwaffe ?

Any founded opinion - or preferably source - would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance and

Regards

Jochen Prien