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GUSTAV Part Two

Luutn. Kyösti Karhila of 3/HLeLv 24 in the cockpit of MT-461 at Lappeenranta base in July 1944. This aircraft with WNr. 165342 and Stammkennzeichen SZ+PG was received by the unit at the end of June 1944. Finnish pilots achieved a total of 18 victories with this plane, of which Karhila achieved eight successes. Photo: SA-Kuva


In the second part of our Gustav VI article, we will focus on armament and equipment upgrade and conversion sets, take a gander at the reconnaissance versions of the Bf 109 G-6 including the recce specific Bf 109 G-8, we’ll describe the high-altitude Bf 109 G-5 and finally, we will take a look at the Bf 109 G-14, a de facto summary of all modifications and improvements continuously introduced into production during the long development of the Bf 109 G-6 series and its variants.

 

Equipment and weapons sets / Rüstsätze R

For the Bf 109 G-6, as for other versions of the Bf 109 G, modification kits were available, installed in unit level workshops or service centers during overhauls. Available weapon sets were as follows:

 

Rüstsatz R1: bomb rack (Abwurfwaffenanlage) ETC 500 IX b for one 250 kg (550 lb) bomb.

Rüstsatz R2: bomb rack (Abwurfwaffenanlage) 4 x ETC 50 VII d for four 50 kg (110 lb) bombs.


Rüstsatz R4: bomb rack/dispenser for twenty-four SD 2 bomblets (Abwurfwaffenanlage für 24 SD 2).

Rüstsatz R6: Underwing pods each holding an MG 151/20 20mm cannon (Flügelgondel – bewaffnung zwei MG 151/20 mm).

  

Rüstsatz W: Bordrakete BR 21 cm

BR 21 21cm rockets, also known as W. Gr. 21 or Wfr. Gr. 21, unofficially dubbed ‘Dödel’ (‘fool’, but carried a number of other understood meanings) were a new and exclusive piece of armament for the Bf 109 G-6, with other version use having not been documented. In addition to the Bf 109 G-6, they were deployed on the Fw 190 A of various versions and the twin-engined Bf 110 G-2, and Me 210/410. Bf 109 G-6s armed with a pair of rockets may have been designated Bf 109 G-6/w.

 The BR 21 aerial rocket launchers were created by adapting the Nebelwerfer 42 six-barreled ground based 21cm rocket launcher by hanging the launch tube under the wing of the aircraft. In the case of the Bf 109 G-6 and Fw 190 A-8, one rocket launcher was suspended under each wing at an angle of 15o to the airfoil centreline. The weight of the rocket was 112. 6kg (250lb), it was powered by solid fuel propellant weighing 18. 4kg (40lb), and the warhead contained 40. 8kg (90lb) of explosives. The muzzle velocity of the projectile was 320 m/s (1,050 ft/s), effective range 1,200m (4,000ft), and the rocket was rotation stabilized. Since rocket launchers significantly worsened the flight characteristics and speed of the aircraft, it was possible to jettison them as necessary.

The use of BR 21 rockets was tested and fine tuned by fighter groups JG 1 and JG 11. They also used them for the first time in combat on July 29th, 1943, during a USAAF raid on Kiel and Warnemünde. During August, combat tactics were further developed, and BR 21s gradually reached other units. On August 17th, 1943, they were deployed in the famous American raid on Schweinfurt and Regensburg, in which the USAAF lost sixty bombers and another 95 were damaged to varying degrees. A large part of them were written off after their return. This was especially the case with the 3rd Bombardment Wing of the 8th Air Force under the command of Colonel Curtis LeMay, which attacked Regensburg and continued south after the raid and landed at American bases in North Africa. However, it should be noted that the deployment of BR 21 was only one of the many reasons for such heavy losses.

In the Defense of the Reich (Reichsverteidigung) units, one Staffel, equipped with the Bf 109 G-6/w, was usually allocated within the Gruppe, called the Werferstaffel. The deployment tactic was to attack with the full strength of the entire Gruppe, of which one Staffel (usually twelve aircraft) was armed with BR 21 rockets. The latter began the attack by firing their rockets from a distance of 600 to 1000m (650 to 1100 yards) at a box formation of bombers. Timed fuses were mainly used, although impact fuses could be as well. Timed fuses detonated rockets inside the box formation, with the aim of breaking up the formation and separating any damaged machines from it, which were then attacked by other Staffel birds from the Assault Gruppe, equipped with fighters armed only with gun and cannon armament. In the case of units with Bf 109 G-6s, these were often Bf 109 G-6/R6s with underwing gun pods mounting MG 151/20 cannon.

It was an effective combat tactic, successful especially against groups of heavy four-engine bombers operating deep in German airspace without fighter escort, as was the case with the raid on Schweinfurt and Regensburg. In the second half of 1943, German tactics against American heavy four-engine bombers were so effective and inflicted such heavy losses on the Americans that after the second raid on Regensburg in October, 1943, the USAAF Eighth Air Force halted major raids on Germany for five months. It resumed these only in February 1944, after it had enough escort fighters with sufficient range to provide protection over the entire bomber route at its disposal.

BR 21s were also used to attack formations of medium bombers both on the Western Front and in the Mediterranean. A total of 402,600 210 mm Wfr rockets were produced during the war (Wurframmen Granate 21), including both ground and air launchers.

   

Equipment upgrades:

Rüstsatz R3: 300 liter auxiliary drop tank (300 Liter Kraftstoffzusatztank)

  

Various types of drop tank were used:

 

 Rüstsatz R7: ZVG 16

ZVG 16 direction finder system with PR 16 (Peilrahmen) loop antenna at the top of the spine. (Peilrufanlage ZVG 16 mit PR 16 Peilrahmen)

  

Armament sets R1, R2 and R6 were already used on the Bf 109 F and especially on the G-2 and G-4. On the Bf 109 G-6, as on the G-2 and G-4, the R6 set consisting of the underwing cannon pods were popular. They significantly increased the firepower of the aircraft armed with them, and thanks to the more powerful DB 605 A engine, they did not reduce the performance of the machine as much as was the case with both versions of the Bf 109 F, in which these nacelles were not used much due to the lower power offered by their engines. Their use on the Bf 109 G-6 was even more extensive than on the G-2 and G-4. 

 

Exploring the frequency of the R6 kit usage on the Bf 109 G-6

 According to some researchers, the cannon pod use on the Bf 109 G-6 decreased as compared to the Bf 109 G-4. In this case, it would have been because the introduction of the MG 131 fuselage mounted machine guns increased the firepower of the Bf 109 G-6, reducing the need for additional armament. It makes sense if the advantage of a lighter and therefore more powerful and maneuverable fighter outweighed the advantage of more firepower, and in some cases it, this may have certainly held true.

But I have my doubts about this claim. For one thing, I don't think that the need would decrease for fighter firepower on either the Eastern or Western fronts, or in the Mediterranean for that matter. Targets that required concentrated firepower over a short firing bursts was not only ever present on all battlefields, but increased in number. In the West and the Mediterranean, they were sorely needed against allied medium and heavy bombers, and in the East, against the Soviet Il-2 armored beasts of various versions. All these adversaries over the fronts were increasing in number, firepower and improved tactical use and the quality of their pilots was growing. It makes no sense to me that the Luftwaffe would go about decreasing the firepower of its fighters.

The second reason for my doubts is in the analysis of the available photos. In those that are at my disposal, the ratio of photos of aircraft that can be identified as having cannon pods under the wing to those that do not is as follows:

Bf 109 G-2 ratio of aircraft with the pods to those without: 1:2. 4

Bf 109 G-4 ratio of aircraft with the pods to those without: 1:1. 1

Bf 109G-6 ratio of aircraft with the pods to those without: 1. 16:1

From this it would follow that the ratio of aircraft equipped with cannon pods between subsequent models increased, and while the G-2 and G-4 have more airframes without the pods in the photos, those with them dominate in the G-6. With this in mind, it is important to note that there are aircraft with BR 21 rockets launchers in a significant number of the available images. This too would indicate an ever-increasing demand for firepower rather than the other way around.

Granted that this is not a scientific analysis of the subject matter using proper data sampling or methodology, but the result hinted at can be taken as a solid base for a hypothesis that would be worth a more thorough examination.

 

Bf 109 G-5

The Bf 109 G-6 also had a high-altitude variant with a pressurized cockpit in the form of the Bf 109 G-5, the distinguishing feature of which, like the other high-altitude versions of the Bf 109 F and G, was an airtight armored bulkhead with two triangular windows in the upper corners, mounted in the middle of the hinged canopy section so that it formed a wall behind the pilot. On this bulkhead, there were two cockpit pressurization system valves, one was a safety valve, preventing the maximum cabin pressure from being exceeded, and the other was an equalizing pressure valve. Contrary to popular belief that the G-5 version did not have standard armor, this was surprisingly not the case. Much of the G-5 run with the standard canopy had both an airtight bulkhead and standard slanted armor mounted beneath the hinged canopy cover. There were silica gel capsules in the corners of the cockpit canopy windows to absorb moisture between the panes. Handles behind the cockpit were on both sides of the fuselage.

The Bf 109 G-5 also had, as part of the cockpit pressurization system, blanked off vents under the cockpit windscreen on the side of the fuselage below the cockpit. Those on the cowl were either not there at all, or they were also decommissioned and fared over.

The G-5 version also featured a small bulge covering the cockpit pressurization air compressor, added to the larger fairing over the machine gun on the right side of the forward fuselage. But it is not a clear identifier by which to gage the Bf 109 G-5. As already mentioned, it was also used on some of the Bf 109 G-6 fighters produced by all three manufacturers turning out Bf 109 Gs. The compressor was the new Knorr-Luftpresser 300/10 type. It was an oil-free item with two pistons rotating against each other in a figure eight. This compressor (blower) had certain disadvantages, mainly pulses of compressed air being blown back into the compressor chamber. This was because the pistons do not touch the chamber walls, but that feature allowed for operation without lubricating oil. However, this is of no practical importance for pressurizing the small space of the cockpit. Additionally, the pulses were dampened by the relief valve situated on the rear air-tight bulkhead of the cockpit. The advantage of the Roots blower was the achievement of a stable output pressure and a high flow rate of compressed air at low revolutions, along with the already mentioned absence of oil. This was an advantage precisely for pressurizing the cockpit, which was not polluted by oil and the compressed air did not need to be filtered. The reason for moving the compressor to the side of the engine from its top, where the MAG III air compressor was located on the Bf 109 G-1 and G-3, is not entirely clear. M. Baumgarl states that it did not fit between the larger MG 131 machine guns. This may be true, but it is probably not due to the size of the machine guns, but rather to the different shape of the Knorr 300/10 compressor as compared to the MAG III unit.

None of the authors state that the DB 605 A-1 engine in the Bf 109 G-5 had modified high altitude characteristics. A special high altitude distributor (Zünder) with modified plug firing was considered for the Bf 109 G-5/U2, but in the end, the standard Bosch ZM 12 CR 8 distributor, only with a modified ignition advance for the spark plugs, was retained.

During 1943 and early 1944, production of the Bf 109 G-5 took place at the Erla AG works in Leipzig. The first five airframes were produced as part of production block 15 000 by March and April of 1943. H. H. Vogt lists the production numbers as 15 338 to 15 344, which does not quite fit the five units he claims. The reason for this may lie in that the Bf 109 G-5 was on the production line together with the G-6, so the serial numbers did not necessarily run consecutively, but intermingled with the serial numbers of the concurrently produced G-6. A further 200 or so were built in production block 15 000 between June and October, 1943. Further G-5s were built in production blocks 26 000 (25) and 27 000 (33) between August and October, 1943. The last of the series comprised 287 machines in production block 110 000, built continuously between November, 1943 and June, 1944. From February 1944, the Bf 109 G-5 and G-5/U2 were produced at Erla Werk VII in Antwerp, Belgium.

 

Bf 109 G-5/U2

Some Bf 109 G-5s were built as the Bf 109 G-5/U2, equipped with a GM-1 boost system. The GM-1 system pressure bottles were located in the right wing, unlike the Bf 109 G-6/U2, which had the GM-1 pressure bottles placed in the fuselage, behind the second fuselage bulkhead. According to H. H. Vogt, most, if not all, Bf 109 G-5s, including the airframes from production block 15 000 in March and February, 1943, were built as G-5/U2. But this is contradicted by M. Baumgartl's statement, which states that the GM-1 system was only available for the G-5 from July or August 1943, and the first fully equipped G-5/U2s were delivered only from December, 1943. The statement by M . Baumgartl seems to me to be better grounded.

All Bf 109 G-5/U2s had VDM 9-12159. 10 propellers, the same as the Bf 109 G-6/AS and G-10 powered by the DB 605 AS and DB 605 D engine respectively. This propeller was considered for all G-5s, but eventually G-5s without the GM 1 system were supplied with the standard VDM 9-12087. 10 unit. The Bf 109 G-5/U2 also did not have laminated armor fuel tanks. The removal of the armor compensated for the increase in weight of the Bf 109 G-5/U2, caused by the installation of the GM 1 system, and the heavier VDM 9. 12159. 10 propeller.

The Bf 109 G-5 was also produced in several production variants. All had the same armament and the same engine (DB 601 A) as the Bf 109 G-6. 

 

First Production Variant

Bf 109 G-5 from production block 15 000 (205 units, five in March and April 1943, 200 between June and October, 1943).

These airframes had the following distinctive features:

 

  • Tall antenna mast.
  • Not equipped with a ZVG 16 direction finder and lacked the associated PR 16 loop antenna on the fuselage spine.
  • FuG 16 Z radio was used.
  • FuG 25a IFF system.
  • REVI C 12 D gunsight.
  • Sealed cockpit, silica gel tablets in the corners of the canopy windows (1).
  • Airtight bulkhead forming the rear wall of the hinged canopy section (2).
  • Angled armor plate behind the pilot's head (3).
  • Suction slots for cockpit ventilation under the windscreen absent (5).
  • Without cockpit vent on left side below canopy (6).
  • A small bulge covering the Knorr 300/10 compressor on the lower leading edge of the fairing covering the breech of the right fuselage machine gun.
  • On the right side of the fuselage, there was only a socket for the external electrical power source connection and the access cover for the pressurized oxygen bottle between fuselage bulkheads 1 and 2. 

  

Second Production Variant

This covered Bf 109 G-5s from production blocks 26 000 (25) and 27 000 (33) produced between August and October, 1943, and part of the Bf 109 G-5 and Bf 109 G-5/U2 run from production block 110 000. 

These aircraft displayed the following features:

  • Short antenna mast.
  • Most had the ZVG 16 direction finder system with the associated PR 16 loop antenna on the spine.
  • FuG 16 Z radio.
  • Commanders’ aircraft, equipped with a FuG 16 ZY radio and its Moranmast whip antenna mounted under the fuselage/wing were designated Bf 109 G-5/Y.
  • FuG 25a IFF system.
  • REVI C12 D gunsight.
  • Sealed cockpit, silica gel tablets in the corners of the canopy windows (1)
  • An airtight partition forming the rear wall of the hinged section of the canopy.
  • Angled armor behind the pilot's head in aircraft from production block 110 000. 
  • A small bulge covering the Knorr 300/10 compressor on the lower leading edge of the fairing covering the breech of the right fuselage machine gun (4).
  • Ventilation slots under the windscreen were missing (5).
  • Vents on the left side of the fuselage below the canopy were also absent.
  • Bf 109 G-5/U2 had a VDM 9-12159. 10 propeller with wider blades (as with the Bf 109 G-10)
  • A small fuel tank was used for starting the engine, with a filler neck on the right side of the fuselage spine between fuselage bulkheads 4 and 5 (6).


The Bf 109 G-5/U2 in the 110 000 range production block had the GM-1 boost system pressure bottles located in the left wing, the access cover for which was on the lower wing surface (7).

 

Example: Bf 109G-5/U2/R6, WNr. 27112, Flown by Maj. Walther Dahl, III. /JG 3, Bad Wörishofen, Germany, December, 1943. 

 

 

Third Production Variant

This characterizes part of Bf 109 G-5 and Bf 109 G-5/U2 production in block 110 000. These aircraft had Erlahaube canopies and short rudders, and are often confused with the Bf 109 G-6 or G-14.

These aircraft can be identified by the following:

  • Short antenna mast.
  • Erlahaube-type canopy, non-pressurized. (10)
  • Short rudder.
  • Usually equipped with a ZVG 16 direction finder unit with its PR 16 loop antenna on the spine.
  • FuG 16 Z radio.
  • Command aircraft, equipped with a FuG 16 ZY radio with its Moranmast whip antenna mounted under the left wing were designated Bf 109 G-5/Y. (8)
  • FuG 25a IFF system.
  • REVI C 12 D gunsight.
  • REVI 16 B gunsight from the summer of 1944. 
  • A small bulge covering the Knorr 300/10 compressor on the lower leading edge of the fairing covering the breech of the right fuselage machine gun.
  • A small fuel tank was used for starting the engine, with a filler neck on the right side of the fuselage spine between fuselage bulkheads 4 and 5. 
  • The Bf 109 G-5/U2 had a cover on the underside of the left wing for access to the GM-1 boost system pressure bottles located in the wing (7)
  • No intake gills for cockpit ventilation under the windscreen. In some cases, probably on aircraft converted from older airframes, the cockpit ventilation openings may have been covered with circular caps (9)
  • Cockpit ventilation on the left side under the canopy were absent.
  • The Bf 109 G-5/U2 had a VDM 9-12159. 10 propeller with wider blades (as with the Bf 109 G-10).

  

EXAMPLE: Bf 109 G-5, W. Nr. 15729, Flown by Obstlt. Hermann Graf, Stab. /JG11, Jever, Winter 1944. The aircraft is sometimes listed as a G-6 converted from a G-5, but it is a G-5. There could be several reasons why the 15 000 series airframes had an Erlahaube canopy.


 M. Baumgartl states that twenty Bf 109 G-5s were built, powered by a DB 628 A-0 engine with a two-stage supercharger and fitted with a VDM 9-12159. 10 propeller with wider blades (as the Bf 109 G-10). One Hundred and thirty of these engines were built, so their use in the Bf 109 G-5 is not really out of the question.

The G-5/R2 version is a bit of an enigma. According to M. Baumgartl, seventy-two of a planned 126 were built, and according to him, it was a photo-reconnaissance version, equivalent to the Bf 109 G-6/R2. They were allegedly made without fuselage machine guns, but whether they were actually produced is unknown. In addition to these machines, sixteen Bf 109 G-5/R2/AS and 76 Bf 109 G-5/AS aircraft were also produced, powered by the BD 605 AS engine with the VDM 9-12159. 10 propeller.

 

Photo Reconnaissance Bf 109 G-6

Part of the Bf 109 G-6 run was dedicated to photo reconnaissance. In the following paragraphs, the three photo reconnaissance versions are described chronologically as they were produced. As a result, the Bf 109 G-6/R3 version, produced in the summer and autumn of 1943, is described before the Bf 109 G-6/R2 version, produced in late 1944. 

 

Bf 109 G-6/R3

The photographic equipment in this aircraft consisted of an Rb 50/30 camera. Access to the camera was from the cockpit through a hatch in the rear sloping cockpit wall. The Bf 109 G-6/R3 had two grooves in the bottom of the fuselage/wing section to divert oil escaping from the oil cooler under the nose and to prevent the leaking oil from obstructing the camera lens. These grooves were run parallel from the rear corners of the oil cooler across the entire center wing section to the trailing edge of the wing/fuselage transition. The main armament was reduced to the MG 151/20 cannon. Fuselage machine guns were not installed, the gun troughs were fared over, and instead of machine guns, an additional oil tank with a volume of 20 liters was placed in the compartment of the machine gun mounts. Unlike the later Bf 109 G-6/R2, the MW 50 boost system was not installed. Radio equipment consisted of a FuG 16Z radio and a FuG 25a IFF system. A ZVG 16 direction guidance system (Peilrufanlage) with a PR 16 (Peilrahmen) loop antenna on the fuselage spine (Rüstsatz R7) could also be installed. The canopy, unlike the G-6/R2, was of the standard type. In addition to the possibility of carrying an auxiliary tank under the fuselage, a variant with two additional tanks with a volume of 300 liters each under the wings was also developed, but it is not certain whether it was ever introduced into operational service. At WNF, 35 were produced in the summer of 1943 (between June and August) in production block 20 000, and five in the fall of 1943 in production block 140 000. 

Rüstsatz R7

 

 

Bf 109 G-6/R2

Photographic equipment consisted of an Rb 75/30 or Rb 50/30 camera (1). They carried full gun armament and were powered by a DB 605 AM engine with the MW 50 boost system that injected a mixture of water and methanol into the compressor intake. Between the second and third fuselage bulkheads just offset from the top of the spine was the MW 50 system tank filler cap (4). The battery was moved to the luggage compartment in the cockpit, the luggage compartment door featured a recess covering the battery (5). The radio equipment consisted of a FuG 16Z radio and a FuG 25a IFF system. AZVG 16 (Peilrufanlage) direction finder with its associated PR 16 (Peilrahmen) loop antenna on the top of the fuselage (Rüstsatz R7) could also be installed. These machines likewise had grooves installed below the wing center section for draining leaked oil coming from the oil cooler (2), but they diverted the oil differently than the grooves on the Bf 109 G-6/R3. In this case, they arced from the rear corners of the oil cooler to the leading edge of the lugs covering the wing spar mounting stud, where they met the lower surface of the wing. The rear-view mirror (6) mounted on the top inner frame of the windscreen was also characteristic of the photo-reconnaissance Bf 109 G. One hundred and ninety three Bf 109 G-6/R2s were produced at WNF in November and December, 1944 in production block 230 000, together with the Bf 109 G-8/R5, and were likely structurally consistent with respect to their manufacture. They had an additional bulge adjacent to the fairing covering the right fuselage mounted machine gun (7). I believe that it was not without function, that it accommodated an air compressor to supply enough air to ventilate the cockpit. At least some Bf 109 G-6/R-2s (probably all) had an Erlahaube canopy, and always had a short rudder. On the right side of the mid fuselage between bulkheads 2 and 3 there was apparently a large oval camera access cover (3). I don't have photographic evidence of this on the G-6/R2, but it appeared on both the G-2/R2 and the G-4/R2, and it's quite logical that it was carried over to the G-6/R2 as well. It may have also been on G-6/R3, if only because the original access to the camera in the rear sloping cockpit wall was not possible since this was now the location of the battery (5).

  

Equipment layout in the fuselage of the Bf 109 G-6/R2:

1. Battery

2. Rb 50/30 or Rb 75/30 camera

3. MW 50 water/methanol system tank

4. FuG 16 Z radio

5. Compass (Mutterkompass)

  

The Bf 109 G-6/U3 were a tactical reconnaissance aircraft (Nahaufklärer or Heeresaufklärer). The photographic equipment consisted of two Rb 12. 57 x 9 or Rb 32/7 x 9cameras (2) , located in the lower part of the fuselage on the fifth fuselage bulkhead and covered by a closing door as indicated in the second illustration below, and one Robot II Kleinbildkamera in the leading edge of the left wing, in front of the wheel well (1). This was calibrated for photography at an altitude of 2000m (6,550 feet), but was usually removed in practice. The radio equipment consisted of a FuG 17 radio, the standard used in fighter and bomber aircraft. Apart from the frequencies used, it was identical to the FuG 16Z, but, unlike the FuG 16, it had the option of connecting with ground-based forward flight controllers. This version also had the FuG 25a IFF system. A ZVG 16 direction finding system (Peilrufanlage) with its associated PR 16 loop antenna (Peilrahmen) on the back of the fuselage (Rüstsatz R7) could also be installed.

 About twenty Bf 109 G-6/U3s were produced by WNF in the summer of 1943 in production block 20 000.

  

Bf 109 G-8

The Bf 109 G-8 was a development of the Bf 109 G-6/U3. They were tactical (frontline) reconnaissance aircraft (Nahaufklärer or Herresaufklärer). The photographic equipment consisted of two Rb 12. 57 x 9 or Rb 32/7 x 9 cameras, located in the lower part of the fuselage on the fifth fuselage bulkhead and covered by sliding doors controlled from the cockpit (2), and one Robot II Kleinbildkamera in the leading edge of the left wing, ahead of the wheel well (1). They carried full gun armament, but many aircraft had the MG 151/20 engine mounted cannon removed at unit level. Also, the Robot II camera in the leading edge of the wing was also often removed in practice.

Part of the Bf 109 G-8, twenty-nine machines with production numbers 20 670 to 20 698 produced at WNF in September 1943 and 112 710 000 series airframes produced in February and March 1944 were powered by the DB 605 A engine and lacked the MW 50 system. They had standard canopies.

Another 760 or so Bf 109 G-8/R5s, produced between May and December, 1944, were powered by the DB 605 AM engine with MW 50 water-methanol injection into the intake of the compressor. The MW 50 system tank filler cap was to the right of the fuselage spine centreline behind the second fuselage bulkhead (3). The Bf 109 G-8/R5 used 96 (or 100) C3 aviation fuel. The battery was moved to the luggage compartment in the cockpit, and there was a characteristic bulge on the luggage compartment door projecting into the cockpit to cover the battery. Like other photo-reconnaissance Bf 109 Gs, the G-8 had a rectangular rear-view mirror on the inner frame of the windscreen.

The radio equipment consisted of a FuG 17 radio, later replaced by the FuG 16 ZS unit and the FuG 25a IFF system. A ZVG 16 (Peilrufanlage) direction finder system with the PR 16 (Peilrahmen) loop antenna on the fuselage spine (Rüstsatz R7) could also be installed. All Bf 109 G-8s and G-8/R5s produced had the Erla Vollsichtshaube canopy and short rudder. Some of the machines had the mast of the antenna moved rearward, in front of the 2nd fuselage bulkhead, where the PR 16 antenna was usually located. The reason for this change is unclear. This may have something to do with the retrofitting of the MW 50 system tank, but why this should be is not entirely clear. It may also be related to the type of radio used.

 

(Author's note: Prien/Rodeike references mention planned U2 (GM 1 boost system) and U3 (MW 50 system) kits. It does not appear that such things actually existed. These authors have photos in their book of alleged G-8s with a standard canopy. These may be one of the first twenty-nine Bf 109 G-8s, produced in September 1943 in the block 20 000 range, production numbers 20 670 to 20 698, or could also be confused with the Bf 109 G-6/U3)

 The Bf 109 G-8 could carry all available weapons. To what extent this possibility was only theoretical and to what extent these weapon sets were actually used is not clear. The use of auxiliary tanks is documented and logical. This is the case for all photo-reconnaissance Bf 109 Gs produced. It seems unlikely that these valuable machines, which were often lightened by the removal of some of the fuselage armament, were used for risky combat missions. On the other hand, there are known cases of pilots who achieved a number of kills on photo reconnaissance aircraft and even achieved ace status, such as Herbert Findeisen. During his two hundred operational missions flying photo reconnaissance aircraft, he achieved 42 kills. After his 37 kills, as CO of 2. /NAGr 4, he was awarded the Knight's Cross. (NAGr = Nahaufklärungsgruppe).

 

Bf 109 G-12

As with the Bf 109 G-4, the Bf 109 G-6 served as the basis for two-seat Bf 109 G-12 conversions. The subsequent Bf 109 G-12 series was then created from the Bf 109 G-10 as well. These machines retained the attributes of the original fighters, but were equipped with a two-seat, dual-control cockpit, with the rear instructor's cockpit having simplified instrumentation. Regardless of the original production version, the two-seat machines were always labeled Bf 109 G-12. The exact number of machines produced is unknown.

 

Bf 109 G-14

From July, 1944, Erla (and from August, Messerschmittt) produced the Bf 109 G-14 in parallel with the Bf 109 G-6, corresponding to the last production version of the Bf 109 G-6 with the Erla Vollsichshaube type canopy and tall rudder. All Bf 109 G-14s were fitted with the MW 50 system as standard and therefore used C3 fuel with an octane number of 96 (100). A distinctive feature of all Bf 109 Gs with the MW 50 system installed was a box-shaped projection on the baggage compartment door in the rear sloped wall of the cockpit, behind the head armor plate (2). This arose because the installation of the water-methanol mixture tank for the MW 50 system in the space behind the first bulkhead forced the battery for the radio to be moved forward into the luggage compartment, which needed to be enlarged to accommodate it. All Bf 109 G-14s had a bulge under the fairing covering the right machine gun, and all were also fitted as standard with a FuG 16 ZY radio with an on-board transponder for the Pegasus Y goniometric sighting system with a Morane-type whip antenna (Moranmast) located under the left wing. The gunsight was the REVI 16 B as standard.

Most Bf 109 G-14s with the DB 605 AM engine were produced at the Erla factory in Leipzig. They were manufactured in blocks 413 000, 460 000 to 462 000, 464 000 and 465 000. These machines had a tall rudder (3), Erla Vollsichtshaube canopy (1) and Gallandpanzer armored headrest. Only a small number of airframes were produced at Messerschmittt in production block 165 000, but some of the total production of about 110 G-14s were to Bf 109 G-14/AS standard with a DB 605 AS engine.

 Example: Bf 109G-14, W. Nr. 464380, Flown by Mag. M. Bellagambi, 5 Squadriglia, 2 Gruppo Caccia, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Osoppo, Italy, March, 1945

 

The DB 605 AM engine was also installed in part of the Messerschmitt produced block of airframes in the 781 000 range, numbering about thirty birds, which had a low rudder. The remainder of this production block were Bf 109 G-14/ASs with the DB 605 AS powerplant. According to photos, there were standard G-14s with a low rudder even in the 782 000 series production block, in which H. H. Vogt lists only the G-14/AS. The six hundred Bf 109 G-14/U4s, production block 510 000 to 512 000, armed with a 30mm MK 108 fuselage/engine mounted cannon, produced by WNF, also had the low rudder and Erla Vollsichtshaube type canopy. These machines did not have the bulge on the fairing above the right fuselage machine gun breech (6), and between bulkheads 4 and 5, they had an access cover for the compressed air bottle for the MK 108 engine mounted weapon (4). There was also an MW 50 system tank filler cap on the right side of the fuselage spine behind the second bulkhead.

 

Example: Bf 109G-14/U4, W. Nr. 512382, Flown by Lt. H. Schlick, 4. / JG 77, Schönwalde, Germany, November, 1944

 

 Conclusions

If you have read this far, I value you sticking with me and I greatly appreciate that you understand that the subject surrounding the technical development of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 is extremely complicated. It is a theme that is probably without parallel in the history of aviation, perhaps remotely comparable are some types from the First World War, such as the Breguet 14 or the Hansa-Brandenburg C. I. But only remotely. For the Bf 109 G-6, the issue is complicated by the fact that production took place under extreme wartime conditions, under heavy Allied air raids and almost constant reorganization of German war efforts. It was a situation that is difficult to imagine today. The production of aircraft in Germany, and not only the Bf 109 G-6, responded not only to the needs of the customer, the RLM and the Luftwaffe and its combat units, but also to the prevailing economic conditions and the deteriorating state of the industrial base. As a result of the air raids, a large part of the factories were destroyed or badly damaged, production operations were scattered to branch plants, hidden in the mountains, forests, railway tunnels or underground. The dynamics precipitated by the changes were unbelievable, and moreover, these changes were intertwined on the production lines. The fact that three production plants were engaged in the production of the Bf 109 G-6 plays only a partial role in this. During the war, between early 1943 and late 1944, probably more than 13,000 Bf 109 G-6s were produced. The exact number is not and will never be known, and a significant part of the production lacks definitive documentation. It was apparently irretrievably lost in the maelstrom of war. One reason I am writing these articles is because from time to time some lost documents turn up somewhere. Part of the facts presented in the text you have read will certainly be further refined and corrected over time, thanks to new discoveries, or thanks to relevant new interpretations of already known documents. ​If you research previously published material and kits of the Bf 109 G-6, you will certainly come across images of aircraft that do not correspond to their classification within the production variants we have discussed or even to types according to other sources. Please, treat such cases with lenience. There will be many of them, even in the case of Eduard kits. Unfortunately, from the point of view of the facts and conclusions that I tried to convey in my article, a large part of the profiles in current literature and kits, whether by Eduard or someone else, are wrong. It may cause some loss of confidence in some, but let's take it positively. Let's take it as an opportunity to revise our old knowledge, assumptions and mistakes, because this type of research is an ongoing evolution and needs adjustments to evolve in the right direction.

A nice example of the above is this Bf 109 G-6, serial number 160303, flown by III. /JG I’s Hauptmann Friedrich Eberle:

  According to the serial number, it should have a standard canopy and a short antenna mast. Nevertheless, the unlikely combination of a tall antenna mast and an Erlahaube-type cockpit covering is photographically documented. The serial number is not, however, and it is derived from the loss of aircraft report. Hptm Eberle was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 on January 30th 1944 by a Thunderbolt piloted by Lt. Robert Booth of the 369th FS (359th FG). It is possible that the gun camera footage does not show the same aircraft as photos on the ground. But even so, the combination of a tall mast and an Erlahaube canopy should not exist. But it does, and there are more such cases. I do not want to discuss possible reasons here, various logical explanations can, of course, be offered. I bring this case up just to illustrate that you can expect a lot from the Bf 109 G-6 and its variants. Prepare for cases when even the impossible can become a reality!

 In this article I have not dealt with aircraft powered by the DB 605 AS engine, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/AS and Bf 109 G-14/AS. This is mainly because it is a vast and complex topic in and of itself. The second reason is that I have dealt with these machines before. However, from the point of view of my current knowledge, it is clear to me that even that not-so-old article requires revision today. I therefore promise to come back to it, revise it, and release an updated form when the Bf 109 G-6/AS and G-14/AS are released in 1/72 scale. The same also applies to the Bf 109 G-10.

That will be it at this point, my friends, and I hope you didn’t need to stumble through this article, and that it has brought you much to your understanding of the evolution of the Bf 109 G-6!

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Info EDUARD 02/2024, GUSTAV Part Two
Info EDUARD 02/2024, Page 7
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02/2024
Info EDUARD 02/2024

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