Aviation History - USA (2019-09)

September 2019 AH 33

into heavy fog and died when they hit a low hill

in the Vosges range, in eastern France. Whether

they were to be paid by the French, who evidently

had initiated the theft, or simply wanted to migrate

westward has never been determined.

A far more notorious Me-110 heist was Rudolf

Hess’ jaunt to Scotland in May 1941, a mission

he had carefully planned for almost a year. At

the time, Hess was Hitler’s deputy führer and a

moderately experienced pilot. Hess had first asked

Messerschmitt for a 109, saying he wanted to be

combat-capable if needed, but Willy thought that

was a bit much. Hess was able to requisition a 110

for his occasional personal use, and over time he

quietly had it equipped with long-range tanks, oxy-

gen gear and special radios. Hess imagined that

he could fly to the British Isles, negotiate person-

ally with the government and effect a negotiated

peace that would spare all concerned a great deal

HUNTERS & HUNTED

Left: Night fighter

ace Heinz Vinke’s

Me-110 falls victim

to Hawker Typhoons

over Dunkirk in 1944.

Top: Me-110G-2/R3

“formation destroyers”

armed with extra belly

cannons and under-

wing rockets roll in for

an attack. Above: An

Me-110G-2 crew from

the ZG 1 “Wasp Wing”

commemorates its

100th mission over

the Russian Front.

of trouble. He bailed out of his 110 near Glasgow

and was promptly arrested, jailed and four years

later sent to the Nuremberg trials, where he was

sentenced to life imprisonment. So much for per-

sonal diplomacy.

I

nitially, all seemed to go well for the Me-110
when the war started. Over Poland and then
Norway, 110s met little opposition and ranged
freely in a ground-attack role. Both Junkers
Ju-87 Stukas and Zerstörers were the Wehrmacht’s
flying artillery. And both Stukas and Zerstörers
found their nemesis in the RAF.
During the Battle of Britain, the Me-110’s
main flaws as a fighter quickly became apparent.
In British aviation historian Martin Windrow’s
words, “It was easily identifiable from long dis-
tances; its acceleration and speed were insufficient
to allow it the luxury of avoiding combat; it was
sluggish in evasive maneuvers; its turning circle
was wide; and with its large wing and tail sur-
faces, it presented a good target....The destroyer
became the destroyed.”
The Luftwaffe began the Battle of Britain with
OP 237 Me-110s. By the end of that fight, it had lost

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