Gun Camera evidence in a Bf 109E

[Larry]

Can anyone say whether gun cameras were fitted to Bf 109E's? If they were can anyone say the approximate date this was introduced by the Luftwaffe and also whether gun cameras were fitted as standard to all aircraft in a unit or just some of them such as the wing leaders for example.

My interest in this is to know whether older Bf 109E's of 1.Erg/JG2 in July 1941 would have had cameras fitted and also whether any victory claims made had to be from 'proper' gun camera evidence, or whether they could be awarded just from eye witness accounts, say from a wingman?

Say for example a Luftwaffe pilot saw an RAF aircraft in trouble perhaps from a mechanical fault, unrelated to any aerial combat, that ditched in the sea, could he have got away with claiming it as his victory if he had never actually fired a shot at it?

Thanks in advance

[Jan Bobek]

Hi,

just from my memory. Adolf Galland had wing mounted cameras in his 5819.
There were at least 2, maybe 3 Emils with gun cameras serving with 7./JG 26 in MTO in early 1941.

[Larry]

Thanks for the info, which leads me to believe that Luftwaffe victories in 1941 could have been claimed if the pilot could get away with it perhaps with the friendly co-operation of a wingman!

[ouidjat]

Something like that maybe?
Cheers, Franck.

[Pilot]

I have seen some time before camera mounted on top of the canopy but I can not remember is this E or later model.

[Larry]

Ouidjat,

Thanks for posting the photos.

So am I right in thinking that the holes in the front of each wing are the cameras

[ouidjat]

Hello,

We can even see the lens on one of them. I've got four more pictures showing them in my doc. for the moment and for those it's obvious; and more where it's not that obvious...
The lens positionning is always the same; can't be a coincidence.

Cheers.