German aircraft industry in the interwar period: long-range fighter-bomber Messerschmitt Bf. 110
First World War war (or the Great War) was a period of unusually rapid technological development. In the decades leading up to the Great War, army Technology had changed dramatically, but even the most insightful pre-war thinkers of 1914 were unable to predict the pace of technological development during the war.
Military personnel during the First World War had to adapt to the advent of airplanes, automobiles, tanks and poisonous gases as new types weapons. Commanders, general staffs and military ministries had to try to master the variety of new equipment and adapt it to the conditions of combat operations. The period between the world wars was a time of extraordinary breakthrough development of the world's armed forces. The First World War proved to be a technological catalyst for this progress.
Weapons such as the tank, which appeared during the war, saw rapid development in the 1920s and 1930s. The war accelerated the development of automobile technology, while each army experimented with motorization. As Britain and Germany developed radar, radio and electronics began to develop. The most impressive development was the transformation of the aircraft from a useful support weapon into a powerful and decisive military asset.
Throughout the 1930s, the air forces of the major military powers were busy transitioning from biplane to monoplane designs. Most attention was paid to the single-engine fighter, but the problem of flight range arose. In this regard, the ministry aviation (German: Reichsluftfahrtministerium or RLM) under the leadership of Hermann Goering made a request for a new multi-role fighter with a long flight range. This is how the Messerschmitt Bf fighter-bomber appeared. 110, also known as Me-110.
Development of a new air warfare doctrine
Hans von Seeckt with German officers during maneuvers in Thuringia, 1925
Immediately after the First World War, the German army, led by Chief of the General Staff Hans von Seeckt, began a large-scale study of its lessons and the development of a new operational doctrine for the ground forces and air force. During the period 1919–1921 Five hundred German officers were assigned to serve on committees that analyzed every aspect of the war, from mountain operations to tank battles, bombing and air defense.
In the 1920s, a secret air force was created within the German Army to serve as an air force general staff in anticipation of eventual rearmament and the creation of an independent air force. Between 1919 and 1921, the Air Staff conducted a comprehensive study of the First World War and established a set of principles for air warfare that formed the basis of German air doctrine during the interwar period. German air doctrine in the 1920s was outlined in the Directives for Operational Air Warfare, written in 1926.
The Air Force Staff's conclusion from studying World War I was that air power is inherently most effective offensively, not defensively. Although German pilots fought a defensive air war during World War I, they discovered that strong air defense was not the deciding factor in the war.
Thus, the Germans came to the conclusion that bombers were the main weapon of the Air Force. In an air campaign, the air force's first priority would be to gain air superiority.
As with the Army, Air Force doctrine essentially called for two air forces: one that would support the Army, fly short-range reconnaissance missions, reconnaissance missions, provide fighter protection to the Army, and conduct ground attack missions. The latter were to become independent air forces operating under the strategic, but not operational, leadership of the high command.
The independent air force had a strategic mission that was not just to bomb industrial plants or other targets deep in enemy territory. An independent air force, consisting primarily of bombers and long-range aircraft, would focus on those targets that would have the most significant impact. This may include bombing enemy weapons factories, but also direct attacks on the enemy army or its transport.
In 1935, the reconstituted Luftwaffe issued a new Charter 16, "Management of Air Warfare", which became the main reflection of the doctrine of Luftwaffe air warfare in World War II. Here the basic principles of air warfare developed in 1926 were outlined in more detail. However, the basic directions of the evolution of the doctrine remained unchanged. This stability was very useful in the development of weapons and equipment.
It should be noted that not only was strategic bombing not a top priority among the Luftwaffe's missions, but also Charter 16 included a ban on terrorist attacks on cities (it was stated that the Luftwaffe reserved the right to carry out retaliatory airstrikes "for the purpose of retaliation" "). That is, strategic bombing, while not completely ruled out, clearly had a lower priority than tactical air support.
German doctrine provided for fighter escort for bombers, so the Messerschmitt Bf long-range fighter was developed for this purpose. 110.
Messerschmitt Bf. 110 and its use at the beginning of World War II
In the late 1930s, many major air powers attempted to create a long-range, twin-engine fighter with the performance of a single-engine interceptor. Germany's main achievement in this area was the Messerschmitt Bf. 110. Despite the fact that Bf. The 110 proved unable to match single-engine interceptors; it became the Luftwaffe's most valuable night fighter, remaining in service until the end of the war in Europe.
Bf. 110 was developed in 1934 in accordance with the Luftwaffe's technical specifications for the creation of a long-range strategic fighter. The machine was a cantilever monoplane with a low wing, made of metal with duralumin sheathing. The fuselage is an oval-section monocoque with an elongated and glazed canopy, which accommodated a crew of three. The tail was mounted above the rear of the fuselage and had end stabilizers and rudders. The wing was a single-spar structure with slots on the leading edge and flaps on the trailing edge. The main landing gear elements were retracted back into the engine nacelles, and the tail wheel was folded at the rear of the fuselage.
The aircraft was designed on the basis of two twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled Daimler-Benz DB 600 engines with an inverted cylinder arrangement, which were just beginning to be produced. First prototype, Bf. 110 V1, made its premiere flight on May 12, 1936 from Augsburg-Haunstetten airfield. Despite its high speed, the Bf. The 110 exhibited a serious lack of maneuverability.
This was followed by two more prototypes, released on October 24 and December 24, 1936, respectively. First, Bf. 110 V2, was delivered to Rechlin for Luftwaffe testing on January 14, 1937. The success of these tests prompted the Air Ministry (RLM) to award a contract for four pre-production Bf aircraft. 110A. They were manufactured between August 1937 and March 1938, but due to slow deliveries of the DB 600 engine, they were fitted with Junkers Jumo 210B engines, which produced only 610 hp for takeoff. With. Bf. The 110 A-0 had four 7–9 mm MG 17 machine guns in the nose and one 7–9 mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear of the cockpit.
On April 19, 1938, the first of two Bf. 110B-Os made its debut flight. Both aircraft were equipped with Junkers Jumo 210G engines producing 670 hp. s., but after mass deliveries of the DB 600A began in the summer, the aircraft were equipped with this power plant. For Bf. The 110B-Os was followed by the similar production model B-1. This aircraft had similar armament to the A-0, but carried two 20 mm MG FF cannons in the nose in addition to four MG 17 Bf machine guns. The 110 B-2 was similar, and the B-3 became a two-seat trainer.
Relatively few Bf were produced. 110B before the machine was replaced on production lines by the improved C-series. The new subtype was distinguished by the fact that it was equipped with two Daimler-Benz DB 601A engines with a power of 1 hp. With. The first Bf. 100 were delivered to the Luftwaffe in February 110, and were soon followed by production C-1939 aircraft.
The campaign against Poland began with a massive attack on Polish Air Force airfields, with Bf. 110 flew as escort for Luftwaffe bomber units. German fighters proved to be more than worthy competitors to the high-wing monoplanes of the Polish Air Force and strengthened the faith of the Reich's political leadership in the invincibility of the Luftwaffe.
Bf. The 110 first saw action against the Royal Air Force on 18 December 1939, when 22 Wellingtons attempted armed reconnaissance of Heligoland Bight. Sixteen Bf. 110 and thirty-four Bf. 109 intercepted them, resulting in a protracted battle.
As a result, only ten Wellingtons managed to return to British shores, and two of them crashed upon landing. For the next three years, no major Allied bomber force entered German airspace during daylight.
Использованная литература:
James S. Corum. A Clash of Military Cultures: German and French Approaches to Technology Between the World Wars. A Paper for the USAF Academy Symposium, September 1994.
Smith, JR; Kay, Anthony L. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London, 1972.
Corum, J. S. The Roots of Blitzkrieg: Hans von Seeckt and German Military Reform. – USA: University Press of Kansas, 1994.
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