HISTORY

Photo of Messer D-123 after final assembly, prior to its first flight on August 15, 1948. D-123 participated

in Operation Chorev and operated from Castina airbase until it was scraped in 1950.

Messer D-122 flew for the first time over Israeli soil on August 5, 1948.

It was written off in a take-off accident by Horowitz on September 22, 1948.

The only photo found which was taken at Hertzelia airfield during operation Yoav, showing Messers D-120

and D-121 in the background as they prepare for take-off.

The deep cooler nose intake and red spinner belong to the longest

Photo of D-121, taken on March 14, 1949 on Castina air base, is the last photograph taken of an operational

lasting Messer in IAF service, D-108, which logged its first flight during Messer. It is the only surviving S-199 in Israel and has one probable kill on its account. It currently resides

at the Israel Air Force Museum, wearing an incorrect D-120 tail number.

the first week of June 1948 and the last one on December 26, 1948.

provised airbase, the 101 squadron moved

on November 9, 1948, to the former RAF

base at Castina, later to be renamed as

Hatzor Air Base. The arrival of ten Spitfires Mk.IXe from Czechoslovakia during

the Velveta II direct flights to Israel on the

December 23 and 26 curtailed flight operations in the Messer. The 101 squadron operated from Hatzor air base during operation Chorev, using Messer airplanes which

were given a new four digit identification

May 2022

number introduced by the IAF to all airplanes in inventory as of November 1948.

The Avia S-199 were given the type number beginning with the digits 19 followed by

two digits identifying the aircraft. Airplanes to be identified with the new numbers

included 1901/D-117, 1902/D-118, 1903/D-120,

1904/D-121, 1905/D-123, 1906/D-108. Messer number 1907 was the last to arrive in

Israel and is the only Messer to be painted

directly with the new four digit number on

its fuselage. The last combat mission logged in an Israeli Air Force Avia S-199 was

to escort Israel’s first Spitfire D-130 in a

reconnaissance escort mission over Gaza

and Rafah. The mission took place on December 26, 1948, and was flown by Rudy

Augarten in Messer number D-108.

INFO Eduard

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