Bf 109H-1

[sirbob]

Everywhere I look I find vaigue and conflicting information about these aircraft.

Can anyone please point me in the direction of something correct, concrete and comprehensive?

If not, are there any snippets of confirmed information, such as the identity of the service evaluation unit near Guyncourt which is reported to have used them?
Or any photographs?

[CJE]

If you can wait a few weeks and can read French, Aerojournal will publish an article on the Bf 109 H written by J-C. Mermet.

www.aerojournal.com

[Graham Boak]

The link does not work - I would like to obtain a copy of that issue.

Dave Wadham has a photo of the 109H that is to be published in his revised Aufklarer book, which is already long overdue.

[Peter D Evans]

Try this link Graham... for the Aerojournal homepage anyway...

Cheers

Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

[sirbob]

Thank you for those replies. I look forward to reading the Aerojournal article, and I shall also watch for Dave Wadham’s book.

I have seen one photo of an aircraft whose pilot, Oblt Fritz Krause, is quoted as calling Bf 109H “white 3” of 1./NJGr10, but to me it looks like a G-5AS and 1./NJGr10 was a nightfighter stafel, not a fighter-recce unit. Of course, what the pilots of the time knew as a 109H may be entirely different to what their contemporary boffins and our recent historians refer to as a 109H, and I’m beginning to wonder if I’m chasing information about the wrong aircraft

[George Hopp]

There's a good thread on the Bf 109 H aircraft at http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...showtopic=1957

I hope it helps you,
George

[Nick Beale]

The Staffel in question was 5.(F)/123 and they took the machine over from the Guyancourt workshops in May 1944.

Guyancourt seems to have been a central repair/maintenance depot for the reconnaissance units in France.

[ArtieBob]

"Of course, what the pilots of the time knew as a 109H may be entirely different to what their contemporary boffins and our recent historians refer to as a 109H". IMHO you are about 99% incorrect. The pilots of the time had very specific manuals, nameplates, etc. to identify the type and subtype of aircraft they were flying. So, if the information is taken from a logbook or other documentation, it is probably correct, less typographical errors (of which there are many). In the case of the Bf 109 H there is some primary documentation for this sub-type and good "recent historians" such as Dave Wadman use this type of material in a best effort to accurately identify and write history, which often corrects the myths, heresay, and undocumented first person accounts (very often written years after the fact) that has characterized much popular material available concerning the Luftwaffe.

Best Regards,

Artie Bob

[CJE]

At the end of the day, the Bf 109 H-1 was NEVER built and consequently NEVER flew with any unit.
Photograph(s ?) that showed up only show high-altitude versions of the Bf 109 G that were mistaken (wishful thinking) for Hs.

Sorry for the wrong link. I should have known there was a hyphen somewhere...

[Rasmussen]

Originally Posted by CJE

At the end of the day, the Bf 109 H-1 was NEVER built and consequently NEVER flew with any unit.

This is confirmed by an letter from Hauptausschuss Flugzeugbau I to Sonderausschuss F2 Mtt. from 13.10.1944.

Best wishes
Rasmussen