WOW050 – Messerschmitt Bf. 110

Description

WOW050 The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was a twin engine heavy fighter armed with 2
x 20mm cannons, 4 x 7.92mm machine guns at the front and 1 x MG fitted to
the rear for defence. The Bf 110 served with success in the early stages of
the war during the Polish and France campaigns but was hopelessly outclassed
by the RAF’s fighters during the Battle of Britain where is served as a
bomber escort. Redeployed as a nightfighter in the West the Bf 110 was well
suited to this role, especially when flown by aces like Major Schnaufer who
claimed 121 victories solely in this type of aircraft. In other theatres
such as the Balkans and the Russian front, the 110 soldiered on as a ground
attack/fighter bomber and performed admirably. A 37mm cannon could also be
fitted under the belly of the Bf 110 which made this a formidably armed
aircraft when used in the ground attack or bomber interceptor role. The 110
was also adopted by Italy, Romania and Hungary amongst others with over 6000
aircraft being produced during its operational career. The Bf 110 is one of
the largest aircraft we have made in 1/30 scale with the original aircraft
having a 53ft wingspan and over 40 ft in length. Our aircraft is from
Zerstorergeschwader 1 (ZG 1) a unit that had carried the Wasp art nose-work
on its aircraft since the Norwegian campaign in 1940. Equipped with the 110
during the French and Russian campaigns, a huge amount of ground targets
were claimed by the units pilots before switching some of the units aircraft
to the troublesome Me 210 and latterly the Me 410. Some of the units
remaining 110’s were also fitted with the 37mm underbelly cannon and
utilized in the anti tank role at Kursk with mixed results. Towards the end
of the war ZG1 were employed in the Defence of the Reich taking on the USAAF
bombers with often disastrous results. The unit was finally disbanded in
July 1944 with its personnel being deployed to other Grupen.