Bf109E-5

[pvanroy]

The E-5 was based on the E-1. Arado built 29 E-5 airframes in parallel with E-1 production between April and June 1940 in the W.Nr. 3854 - 3919 range. Not much is known about their use, but it seems most went to fighter units where they were used as regular fighters. There are two nice color photographs of W.Nr. 3891 in service with 9./JG 26 during the BoB period, with the pilot posing next to bullet strikes on the aft fuselage of the aircraft. Another b/w image shows an apparently unarmed E-5 with Stkz. ?? + GE, but I have no idea when that picture was taken or to what unit the aircraft belonged. This machine has the head armor removed and may have been a hack. Since both aircraft in the photographs are equipped with aerials, it seems likely they had their cameras removed and replaced with the regular radio equipment.