The Messerschmitt Bf 110 - a History;

Even after 60 years, the Messerschmitt Bf-110 is still a subject of controversy. The crown jewel of Goring's new Luftwaffe, the Bf 110 z??estorer was a heavy, long range fighter, expected to sweep ahead and destroy all enemy fioghter oppostion, its long range allowing it to operate far ahead of the front. Goring had very quickly fallen in love witht he Zestorer concept, and planned the zestorer force as a fighter elite, recruiting the best of the Luftwaffe to pilot his zestorers to glory.

Such was Goring's faith in the zestorer concept that he used his influence to move the ne destroyer into the ?? of the invasion of Poland. Sweeping over the border early on the morning of September 3, 1939, the Me-110 seemed to prove itself worthy of its reputation, sweepoing aside Polsih air oppostion wherever it was met.

As soon as Poland was secured, the zestorers were quickly moved to the West Front. Early actions against the British continued to prove the power o the zestorer, notably when the RAF mounte an armed reconaissance with 24 Wellingtons of Wilhelmshaven. This action, known as the "battle of Heligoland Bight" resulted in the loss of 12 Wellingtons and marked the end of large-scale daylight bombing raids, the RAF turn, 1940, ing their focus to night raids.

When Denamrk and Norway were invaded in April, 1940, the Me-110 zestorer wa again in the vanguard of the German army, sweeping ahead of the advancing forces and clearing the way for the German Army. In Norway, the me-110 was in the vaguard of the attack, securing airfields for the army to land and secure. /Etc.

By May 10, 1940 the zestorer was once again in the thick of the action, sweeping ahead of the Army into Holland and the Netherlands, f very the lightning advance across France. In all of these actions, the Me-110 managed to acquit itself very well, scoring impressive successes with a minimum of losses.

When the Wehrmacht surrounded a large pocket of British and French forces at Dunkirk, the Me-110 was in the thick of the fighting, flying over the city. It was here that the Zestorer first encountered the Supermarine Spitfire in any numbers. The Zestorer pilots knew right aay that they were in trouble. While losses where not prohiitive, (how many were lost in all of france, versus over Dunkirk.) This was a portend of things to come, and there were those in the zestorergruppen who early on saw the handwriting on the wall. But Goring saw ony the successes over the BEgians and French, his faith in their abilities only re-enforced by their continuef sucess. Thus, when the Battle of Britain was engaged, the zestorer was again at the orfront of the attack. Indeed, the Bf 110 would not fare well over England at all. Of some 315 Bf 110's (242 serviceable) on strength at the beginning of August, 1940, some 120 would be lost to all causes by the end of the month, roughly half of all serviceable machines.