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  #1  
Old 16th February 2005, 16:05
Franek Grabowski Franek Grabowski is offline
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Me 109F development

Just struck me that I cannot find in my books a reliable date of start of Me 109F development. Appearance of similar Me 209 and Me 210 in 1938 suggest that modification programme started somewhere at the time, possibly later when some engineers were released from their duties with the above aircraft. Any clue on this?
Also, is it known when the first claims were filled on F and how many F-0 aircraft were sent to combat units? I know of Galland and Moelders' ones.
Thanks
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Old 16th February 2005, 20:05
Tom D Tom D is offline
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Bf 109 F Development

Franek,

In Monogram's Close-Up 9, "Bf 109 F," by Thomas H. Hitchcock,it is stated on page 1 "Development of the Bf 109 F began some four years earlier, in 1938...., and on page 2 "By January 1939 design of the Bf 109 F had been establlished and plans were made to test as many of the features on existing airframes," and on page 4 "....the Messerschmitt works at Regensburg began tooling up for production of the Bf 109 F series," page 6 ".By late summer 1940 .... plans were finalized to commence production of the first series of of the Friedrich, the Bf 109 F-1, by October 1940, ....began leaving Messerschmitt's Regensburg factory late in November 1940."

I could not find much on the F-0, other than "... a preproduction batch of some twenty-five Bf 109 F-0 aircraft (W.Nr. 5601 to 5625) were completed over the next several months.... (page 4). "....Messerschmitt did not intend that the preproduction Bf 109 F-0s would be handed over to the Luftwaffe for operations....."

Tom
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Old 16th February 2005, 22:01
Gielle Gielle is offline
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According to E. Mombeek's Jagdwaffe, The Battle of Britain, p. 295, the F-0 was first flown in action by Maj. Molders on Oct 22, 1940. On that day he claimed three kills (Hurricanes) NW of Maidstone, from 49th to 51st, which so could be the first victims of the Friederick.

According to different sources (Prien & Rodeike, Bf 109 F-K, an illustrated study), Maj. Molders (Stab/JG 51) first flown the F-0 on Oct 6th (no claims) or on 25th (52nd and 53rd claims, two Spitfires, NW of Dover and on Margate).
In Mombeek's book there's a picture of Molders' F-1 with 54 kill marks on its tail.

I don't know how accurate are the infos, but that's all I could gather

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Old 16th February 2005, 23:02
Franek Grabowski Franek Grabowski is offline
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Thanks to both of you!
Information concerning development of Me 109F confirms my beliefs and fits to my very approximate calculations.
Concerning combat use of F-0, it is a little bit mysterious to me. I understand both Galland and Moelders got them in apporximatelly same time and flew them at least until December. Log books of both pilots survived, so if anybody on this board has seen them, please confirm the dates.
More surprising for me is lack of any info concerning other German pilots receiving it. My guess would be that either top scorers or Geschwaderkommodoren got them and in any case at least Wick should fly this variant as well.
Any clues?
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Old 17th February 2005, 11:23
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Franek: I have a copy of the Moelders logbook and the dates are confirmed. However, I have never seen anything to confirm that Wick flew one-Galland certainly did at the end of the Battle. He had certainly handed his 109 E over, hence Hptm Asmus (I believe) was flying it when he was shot down
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Old 17th February 2005, 14:18
Franek Grabowski Franek Grabowski is offline
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Thanks Chris but what dates? There is a clear conflict between Prien/Rodeike and Mombeek. Also, are you able to determine from the log book when Moelders exchanged his F-0 to F-2? Had he any interrim Me 109E?
Also, you state that the Galland's old aircraft was lost, so what was the one shown on a photo in JG26 photo book on page 63? It is attributed there to von Holtey of Erg.Gr. JG 26?
Anybody can confirm that the first claim for 109F was filled on 13.02.1941 by 91 Sqn and the first destroyed was claimed by the same unit on 11.04.1941?
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Old 18th June 2007, 09:05
dora9forever
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Smile Re: Me 109F development

Quote:
Originally Posted by Franek Grabowski View Post
Thanks Chris but what dates? There is a clear conflict between Prien/Rodeike and Mombeek. Also, are you able to determine from the log book when Moelders exchanged his F-0 to F-2? Had he any interrim Me 109E?
Also, you state that the Galland's old aircraft was lost, so what was the one shown on a photo in JG26 photo book on page 63? It is attributed there to von Holtey of Erg.Gr. JG 26?
Anybody can confirm that the first claim for 109F was filled on 13.02.1941 by 91 Sqn and the first destroyed was claimed by the same unit on 11.04.1941?
i thought georg claus of the jg 51 was shot down in a f model,on 11 11 40 in thames..
gary
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Old 18th June 2007, 19:44
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George Hopp George Hopp is offline
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Re: Me 109F development

Quote:
I could not find much on the F-0, other than "... a preproduction batch of some twenty-five Bf 109 F-0 aircraft (W.Nr. 5601 to 5625) were completed over the next several months.... (page 4). "....Messerschmitt did not intend that the preproduction Bf 109 F-0s would be handed over to the Luftwaffe for operations....."
In his book on Regensburg, Peter Schmoll notes the following about the early 109Fs. 5601: CE+BM; 5602: CE+BN, V21; 5603: CE+BP, V23; 5604: VK+AB, V-24. Then he cites the numbers 5605: VK+AC, F-0, and 5622: PI+IK, F-0 and states that between 1939 and 1941, 16 109 F-0s were manufactured.

Then he goes on to note that the first batch of F-1s, 5626-5631: SG+GU-SG+GZ,and 5632-5657: SG+EA-SG+EZ, were manufactured during Oct-Nov 1940. Altogether, Regensburg manufactured 8 batches (2 of them single a/c) during the period Oct 1940 through March 1941. Then in March 1941 they also produced about 26 F-2s, producing them through September 1941, before switching to the G-1 in November 1941.

Hope this helps,
George
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Old 17th February 2005, 14:49
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Chris Goss Chris Goss is offline
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Franek-I will have to look when I get home tonight. It was not Galland's ac that was lost but Moelders
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Old 17th February 2005, 15:10
Jim P. Jim P. is offline
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Molders

If I recall correctly from his FB, Moelders continued to fly his first 'F-0' (F-1?) well into the summer of 41. There were occasional flights in other machines during the spring, including Es, but WNr. 5628 was his primary machine.
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