However, there were also delays in the

development of the Bf 109 K. It was therefore

decided to install the DB 605 D engine in the

airframe of the Bf 109 G-14, creating the Bf 109

G-10 as a transitional type between the G-14 and

the K-4. However, the development of the DB

605 D engine was not immune to delays either,

necessitating the use of the DB 605 AS engine

as an emergency measure, which followed

a similar development path by installing a more

powerful compressor. Its integration into the

Bf 109 G-6 and G-14 airframes created a powerful

machine that ensured a continuous increase

in the performance of the Bf 109. The first

Bf 109 G-6/AS began to leave the Messerschmitt

factory in Regensburg in April 1944, and in July,

the Erla company started in Leipzig to produce

the Bf 109 G-14/AS. The advantage of these

Bf 109 G-6/AS and G-14/AS was the possibility

of using older airframes of the Bf 109 G series

for conversion to more powerful versions by

installing the DB 605 AS engine. As a result,

a total of 686 Bf 109 G-6/AS were produced, of

which only 226 were new builds, the rest were

conversions from the original G-6.

Photo: JaPo

HISTORY

A Bf 109 K-4 “Black 1” with the late style III./JG 51 camouflage pattern at Rønne, Denmark in May 1945.

The right side of the engine cowling of this machine used part of the Bf 109 G cowling.

In the summer of 1944, deliveries of the DB

605 D engine with a barometric automatic

control system of the compressor speed

dictated by altitude began. These engines

came in two main versions, the DB 605 DB for

the use of 87 octane B4 fuel, and the DB 605

DC, powered by 96 octane C3. The Erla factory

in Leipzig had a Bf 109G-10 airframe ready for

this engine, which started their production as

early as September 1944. Most of the machines

built at Erla were of the Bf 109G-10/R-6 version,

equipped with a PKS 12 autopilot and additional

aids for night and adverse weather flying, and

as such, most of them were delivered to singleengine night fighter units operating within the

Wilde Sau free pursuit system. The WNF/Diana

factory produced the Bf 109 G-10/U4 version

from December 1944, armed with the 30mm MK

108 engine mounted cannon. Out of a total of

about 2,600 Bf 109 G-10s produced, about 1,700

were by Erla, 800 by WNF/Diana, and only 123

came from Regensburg between October and

December 1944. This was because production of

the first batch of 386 Bf 109K-4s in the 330xxx

series had already started there in August 1944.

Bf 109 K-4

Based on the conclusions of a meeting at the

RLM on August 9, 1943, preparatory work was

underway on the design of the Bf 109 K-1 and K-3,

equipped with a pressurized cockpit, and the

Bf 109 K-2, a standard fighter aircraft, powered

by the DB 605 D or DB 605 AS engine, armed

with a MK 108 engine mounted cannon of 30 mm

caliber and two 13mm MG 131 machine guns. After

10

INFO Eduard

Photo: JaPo

Bf 109 G-10

A Bf 109 K-4 from late in the war with a fuselage probably painted in shades of RLM 81 (dark brown) and RLM

82, pictured in Salzburg, Austria. The yellow markings on the rudder and engine cowling were introduced by

Luftflotte 4 in March 1945.

another series of meetings between General

Milch and Minister Albert Speer and their teams

in March 1944, there was a reassessment of

priorities in the development and production of

new aircraft. After the resumption of Allied air

attacks in February 1944, aircraft production in

Germany fell sharply. In response to the new

situation, the Jägerstab was created under the

leadership of Otto Saur, which had the task of

adapting the production of fighter aircraft to the

conditions of intensive air attacks on German

industrial capacity and infrastructure. A 72hour work week was introduced, the dispersion

of production capacities into forest and

underground factories began, and a number of

other partial measures were taken to solve the

resulting crisis. In June 1944, aircraft production

was concentrated only on fighters, and the

plan from July 1944 counted on the monthly

production of 500 Bf 109s. Production was to

focus on the piston engined Fw 190 D, Ta 152 and

the jet powered Me 262. However, the start of

production of new types was slow and production

continued of the proven Bf 109 G-14/AS,

G-10 and, from autumn 1944, the Bf 109 K-4.

The Jägerstab, whose tasks were taken over

by the Technical Department of the Ministry

of War Production in August 1944, still under

the leadership of Otto Saur, managed to bring

aircraft production in Germany to a record

level of 3,375 newly produced and another

1,500 refurbished machines in September. It

should be mentioned, however, that it was

at the cost of the lives of thousands of fully

committed workers from occupied countries,

concentration camp prisoners and prisoners of

war, mainly Soviet. At the same time, September

saw the resumption of the Allied bombing

offensive against Germany, interrupted in June

1944 due to the involvement of Allied strategic

air forces in supporting the Allied landings in

Normandy. The escalating bombing offensive

September 2023