Messerschmitt Me 210
High-Speed Bomber

Messerschmitt Me 210

Messerschnmitt Me 210
Type: High-speed bomber, attack and reconnaissance aircraft.
History: The Me 210 was intended to be a successor to the Zerstorer Bf 110; instead, it proved to be an abysmal failure. RLM approval of the design in mid-1938 was accompanied by an option for 1,000 production aircraft, but right from the first flight on 5 September 1939 by the twin-finned Me 210 V1 its troubles began. This aircraft showed marked instability in flight, and attempts to remedy this resulted in a large-area single fin and rudder being substituted on the V1 and sub-sequent prototypes. Two initial production models were ordered: the Me 210A-1 Zerstorer and A-2 high-speed bomber, both with DB 601F engines. The A-1 was armed with two 20mm MG 151 cannon and two 7.92-mm MG 17 machine-guns grouped in the nose, plus a 13-mm MG 131 rearward-firing gun in a remotely-controlled, electrically-operated barbette on each side of the mid-fuselage. The A-2, in addition, had an internal bay for up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of bombs.

With its neatly cowled engines and purposeful nose contours, the Messerschmitt Me 210 certainly looked the part, but it was plagued by vicious and unpredictable handling problems during its development. To rectify the matter the fuselage was considerably lengthened, as demonstrated by this aircraft.

However, despite the use through 1940-41 for development and service trials of no fewer than 16 prototypes, eight of the 94 pre-production Me 210A-0s, and 13 production A-1s, by no means all of the Me 210's undesirable handling qualities had been eradicated before, in early 1942, all production was stopped and that of the Bf 110 was increased.

It was later resumed for a brief period, but the final total completed in Germany was only 352, but the C-series aircraft were also built under licence in Hungary.
In Hungarian service the Me 210 C did well and were very popular. The Duna works delivered 267 aircraft before switching to the Bf 109 G in March 1944, and the Hungarians used the speedy twin intensively on the Eastern Front.
Designated Me 210 C-1 these were generally similar to the A series but with DB 605B engines and improved handling characteristics resulting from the introduction of a redesigned, deeper rear fuselage and automatic leadingedge slots on the outer wings. These modifications were then applied retrospectively to some existing Me 210A-1s, which in August 1942 became operational with 16./KG 6 in Holland and later with III./ZG I in Sicily and other units in the Mediterranean area.

The lengthening of the fuselage and fitment of automatic wing slots mostly cured the instability problem, allowing the Me 210As to see action with the Luftwaffe. These aircraft are of III/ZG 1, seen operating in Tunisia during March/April 1943.

In the search for an Me 210 replacement, the RLM by-passed the extended-span, pressurised Me 310 in favour of the more straightforward Me 410 Hornisse. This embodied the important wing and fuselage improvements of the later Me 210C and, with a change to DB 603A engines, the Me 410 V1 flew for the first time in the autumn of 1942. In the following January the Luftwaffe accepted its first Me 410 A-1s; units of KG 2 were operational with the Hornisse as high-speed bomber by spring 1943. The two-seater Me 410 had a maximum speed of 615 km/h. The flying weight was 11,204 kg which included a 1,000 kg bomb load carried in the bomb bay. Up to the end of 1943, 457 Me 410 As had been produced by the Augsburg factory, and the type partly replaced the Do 217 E bombers in the Kampfgeschwader.

The internal bomb bay of the Me 410 high-speed bomber could carry up to eight SC 50 (kg) bombs, two SC 250s, or two SC 500s.

Users: Germany, Hungary (license-production).

3d model of Messerschmitt Me 210.

This 3d model is a current element of the WW2 game WW2 Total. The data for production, movement and combat of the Axis and Allies units are here !