Bf-110 Aces?

[John M. Strenski]

I know that every else knows(espically their pilots) that the ME-110
was a horrible dog-fighter. But my question to everyone on the group
is did any German really get good at fighting other aircraft in the
110?

John M. Strenski

[Rich Rostrom]

> is did any German really get good at fighting other aircraft in the
> 110?

The Me-110 was widely used as a night fighter by the Luftwaffe, and one German
night fighting specialist scored 90+ kills. (I don't recall his name, but
he was dubbed "the ghost of St. Trond", where his airfield was). There
were others, and some no doubt flew Me-110s.

Whether making a radar-guided intercept on an unsuspecting bomber counts as
"fighting other aircraft", I can't say.

--
Rich Rostrom | There is something the matter with our bloody
R-Ro...@bgu.edu | ships today. Steer two points toward the enemy.
(312) CRIMINY | - Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty, RN, at Jutland.

[Bill Shatzer]

John M. Strenski (Po...@camalott.com) writes:
> I know that every else knows(espically their pilots) that the ME-110
> was a horrible dog-fighter. But my question to everyone on the group

> is did any German really get good at fighting other aircraft in the
> 110?
>

> John M. Strenski
>
Yes indeed - while the Bf110 turned out to be a flawed concept
as a long-range day fighter, it proved at least adequate as
a night fighter and remained in frontline service in that role
until the end of the war. Several Bf110 pilots chalked up fairly
impressive scores in the night skies against the RAF bombers.

And, Wolfgang Falck became an ace flying the Bf110 in the day
fighter role as well so it -was- possible.

Cheers,
--

Bill Shatzer - bsha...@ednet1.osl.or.gov - aw...@FreeNet.Carleton.ca

[Cameron Lynch]

Heinz Wolfgang Schnaufer was the highest scoring Bf 110 ace with 122
kills. All of his kills were at night against the RAF. There were
dozens of other Bf 110 nightfighter pilots who scored over five kills. I
can't think of any Bf 110 pilots who scored more than 5 daylight kills.
Perhaps Wolfgang Falk (who later became one of the first nightfighter
aces) or Wolfgang Schenk. I have no idea why, but it seems that most of
the prominent 110 pilots were all named Wolfgang.

Cameron Lynch

[Emmanuel.Gustin]

John M. Strenski (Po...@camalott.com) wrote:

: I know that every else knows(espically their pilots) that the ME-110

: was a horrible dog-fighter. But my question to everyone on the group
: is did any German really get good at fighting other aircraft in the
: 110?

The Bf 110 could operate by day effectively enough if it was free to use
hit-and-run tactics, and if it had a speed advantage (It did have that
over about any enemy fighter of the early WWII, except the Spitfire). It
did well above Poland, France, and Norway. Even against the British it was
reasonably effective, until they were tied closely to the bombers they
were supposed to protect. Perhaps there were some daylight Bf 110 'aces'.

But its main contributiob to the German war effort was a nightfighter. As
such it was *very* good, only too slow to intercept the Mosquitoes.

Emmanuel Gustin

[Patrick J. Shanahan]

Po...@camalott.com (John M. Strenski) wrote:
>
>I know that every else knows(espically their pilots) that the ME-110
>was a horrible dog-fighter. But my question to everyone on the group
>is did any German really get good at fighting other aircraft in the
>110?
>

There were a number of night fighter aces who flew the Me-110 for
part or all of their careers.. The ones I recall off the top of my head
are as follows:

Major Wolfgang Schnaufer - Top night fighter ace, 136 (?) victories
Major Helmut Lent - 100+ victories
Colonel Hans-Joachim Jabs - 56 (?) victories (some in Ju-88G)
Lieutenant Walter Scheel - 36 victories (later became President of
West Germany in 1970's)
Wolfgang Falck - "Father" of German night fighter command
Major Prince Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein - "The Fighting Prince",
in excess of 80 victories, some in Ju-88G

There were more of them, but those are the "big names".

Patrick J. Shanahan

[DDavis1768]

there were indeed Bf110/ Me410 aces both over the western and eastern
fronts. I have not included the nightfighter aces due to earlier comments
but schnauffer did reach 121 victories and Lent 110. what follows is a
list of Bf110 aces who also held the Ritterkreuz. you can assume that
there are Spifires Hurricanes Rata and B-17/24's in these victories
Edward Tratt 38 Josef Kociok 33 Herbert Schob 28 Rolf
Kaldrack 24
Johannes Kiel 20 Gunther Tonne 20 Joachin Jabs 19 Helmut haugk
18
Hans Schalk 15 Wolfgang Schenk 18 Erick Groth 13 Wolfgang Falk
8
There are others with greater than 5 victories but these are the top ones
the 110 was not a good dogfighter but in combat the element of surprise
and who sees who first had as much to do with success as the ability to
maneuver.