German Fighter Aircraft

To escort and protect its bombers, the Luftwaffe had two fighters, the single-engined single-seat Messerschmitt 109 and the twin-engined two-seater Messerschmitt 110.

The Messerschmitt 109 was an excellent aircraft, felt by its pilots to be the best fighter in the world. Remarkably similar in overall concept to the Spitfire, its performance and armament were formidable. It had very good handling characteristics and when climbing and diving was second to none. At the outset of the Battle, when the Me109's primary task was to engage the opposing British fighters in open combat, its pilots were able to take full advantage of these superior capabilities. But, when the deficiencies of the Me110 became apparent, the 109 had to provide close escort for the bombers and thus could no longer use its speed to its maximum potential and its attrition rate steadily escalated. The most telling factor against the 109, however, was the fact that its limited range only gave it sufficient endurance for a mere twenty minutes' actual combat time over Britain which meant that London was the extent of its tactical radius.

Although a highly effective aircraft once its operational limitations were realised, the Me110, a long-range heavy fighter, fared very badly during the Battle of Britain where combat conditions were very unfavourable. For the Me110 really needed to be deployed in a situation where its own side enjoyed a degree of air superiority, a luxury rarely enjoyed by the Luftwaffe over Britain. Its inferior performance meant that when it encountered Hurricanes and Spitfires, it was no match for its more nimble opponents. The Me110 quickly proved itself incapable of defending the bombers whose task it was to escort. Indeed it was hard put to defend itself and a farcical situation was soon to arise for the Luftwaffe whereby the escort fighters had themselves to be escorted by 109s.