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