Did RAF Pilots Fly ME109s?
Did RAF Pilots Fly ME109s?
An Australian author emailed me today, via my website, with this very question.
Did any RAF pilots ever get to fly the Me109?
Now I know Douglas Bader sat in one at St Omer airfield in occupied France when a "guest for dinner" with Adolph Galland, but did the RAF ever fly them?
Did any RAF pilots ever get to fly the Me109?
Now I know Douglas Bader sat in one at St Omer airfield in occupied France when a "guest for dinner" with Adolph Galland, but did the RAF ever fly them?
The RAF extensively tested many types of German aircraft which crash-landed (or, in one case, landed) in England (and North Africa) during the war. Several Bf 109s were among them.
The Luftwaffe once 'gave' the RAF a mint-condition Fw 190 when the pilot calmly landed on an English airfield thinking he was in France. The RAF 'gave' the Luftwaffe a Spitfire the same way.
The Luftwaffe once 'gave' the RAF a mint-condition Fw 190 when the pilot calmly landed on an English airfield thinking he was in France. The RAF 'gave' the Luftwaffe a Spitfire the same way.
Actually they gave the RAF at least 2 Fw 190s, both of which mistakenly landed at Manston in Kent within a few weeks of each other in 1943. However, the best known of the 190s that landed in Britain by error was Faber's 190, which landed at RAF Pembrey (in Wales) in the summer of 1942, and gave the British their first good look at 190.The Luftwaffe once 'gave' the RAF a mint-condition Fw 190 when the pilot calmly landed on an English airfield thinking he was in France.
Something slightly different, a video of the Soviet Airforce test flying a captured FW 190
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qayREUJe65w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qayREUJe65w
Back on subject the first Me 109 (E3) was captured in France in 1940 and shipped to the UK
Go to http://www.xs4all.nl/~tozu/me109/foreign/109-UK.htm for a list of various Me 109's captured by the RAF and used.
Go to http://www.xs4all.nl/~tozu/me109/foreign/109-UK.htm for a list of various Me 109's captured by the RAF and used.
- Denim Demon
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Here is a link on some comparsion testiing betwwn Spitfires and captured German fighters.
The first example :- Spit VB/FW 190A shows why comparsion testing was done. THE FW 190 was superior in every test except tight turns. So the British rushed out the Spit 1X to counter the FW 190A.
http://www.odyssey.dircon.co.uk/VBv190.htm
The Spit VB was markedly inferior to the FW 190A
The Spit 1X was equal to the FW 190A
The Spit X1V was markedly superior to the Me 190 G
The Me 109E that went to Britian in 1940 was well travelled, it ended up at Wrights Field in the US in 1942.
The first example :- Spit VB/FW 190A shows why comparsion testing was done. THE FW 190 was superior in every test except tight turns. So the British rushed out the Spit 1X to counter the FW 190A.
http://www.odyssey.dircon.co.uk/VBv190.htm
The Spit VB was markedly inferior to the FW 190A
The Spit 1X was equal to the FW 190A
The Spit X1V was markedly superior to the Me 190 G
The Me 109E that went to Britian in 1940 was well travelled, it ended up at Wrights Field in the US in 1942.
- alexGERMAN
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- Joined: 03 Nov 2006, 20:18
- Location: Kanada
I read a story a while back...
during a certain daytime raid over britian a british squadron knocked down 3 german planes flew around for a while then landed at the nearby airstrip. While having a few drinks and something to eat in the canteen they heard some yelling and ran out to see what was happening. They got out in time to see the german pilots they shot down jump into there planes and take off.
Im sure events like this happened more than once during the war to both sides. Very funny
during a certain daytime raid over britian a british squadron knocked down 3 german planes flew around for a while then landed at the nearby airstrip. While having a few drinks and something to eat in the canteen they heard some yelling and ran out to see what was happening. They got out in time to see the german pilots they shot down jump into there planes and take off.
Im sure events like this happened more than once during the war to both sides. Very funny
It was WkNr 1304 who had made an emergency landing after meeting with MS.406s from GC I/3 in November 1939. Before being sent to England, It was test-flown in France, alone then in mockup combat with the MB.152, MB.174, Potez 63.11 as well as a pre-production D.520.alf wrote:Back on subject the first Me 109 (E3) was captured in France in 1940 and shipped to the UK
First Fortress captured by Germans was B-17F-27-BO "Wulf Hound" (41-24585) from 360BS 303BG "Hell's Angels". Damaged by German fighters during bombing run 12th of December 1942 and heavily damaged during return flight by Bf 110 from NJG 1. Pilot of B-17 Lieutenant Flickinger was forced to landing on Leeuwarden airfield in Netherland. Plane was repaired and two days later (after adding German national insignia) with cover of two Bf 110 flew to Rechlin. Aircraft was tested and later had tournee in Germany and France in different fighter units. Pilots could recognize strong and weak points of Flying Fortress and could better fought with them. Plane was exhibited at Lärz airfield in 12th of June 1943 during exhibition of captured Allied planes. Together with B-17F other planes such as B-24, P-47D, P-51, P-38, Avro Lancaster, DH Mosquito, Typhoon and Spitfire were shown. "Wulf Hound" come back to Rechlin in July 1943 and was used in trials with DFS 230 glider. German engineers still examined technical data and engineering. Plane was transferred to KG 200 in September 1943 and coded A3+AE.
http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LR ... tress.html
http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LR ... tress.html
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