MESSERSCHMITT Me 210/410 HORNISSE 69
Messerschmitt Me 410A-1
Type: Twin-engined,
heavy fighter
Crew: Two
Dimensions:
Length: 40ft 8in (12.4m)
Wingspan: 53ft 9in (16.39m)
Height: 12ft 3in (3.7m)
Weights:
Empty: 13,558lb (6,150kg)
Max T/O: 23,721lb (10,760kg)
Performance:
Max Speed: 388mph (624km/h)
Range: 1,400 miles (2,300km)
Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB
603A liquid-cooled
inverted V12 engines
Armament: 2 × 20mm MG151
cannons, 2 × 0.3in
(7.92mm) MG17 machine
guns and 2 x 0.5in
(13mm) MG131 machine
guns firing rearward
from remote-operated
turret either sideCentre left: Undergoing evaluation at RAE
Farnborough in 1944, the captured Me 410A-3
F6+OK has had RAF roundels and the serial TF209
applied. The aircraft provided the Allies with
valuable information regarding the aircraft’s
capabilities, its strengths and weaknesses. Sadly,
this machine was scrapped in 1947.Above left: Another captured Hornisse was
Me 410B-6 that was fitted experimentally with
FuG200 radar and a pair of 30mm cannon
mounted in the nose. Operated by Seenotgruppe
80, it was surrendered in Denmark in May 1945
and flown to Farnborough for evaluation.Left: The programme’s salvation in the shape of
the first Me 410 prototype, which immediately
showed the promise that Messerschmitt always
knew the aircraft had.proposed and experimental derivatives. One of
the strengths of the Me 410 was its impressive
range of 1,400 miles and the Luftwaffe utilised
this to mount some night raids over southern
England in the ‘Baby Blitz’ of late 1943 and early- They were also moderately successful
against unescorted bombers through 1943,
with a considerable number of kills against
USAAF day bomber formations being achieved.
Right: The cockpit of the Hornisse was compact
and relatively ergonomic. Note that some of the
instruments have been annotated with English
labels, indicating that this aircraft is Me 410A-3
F6+OK, which was captured by the British after
its pilot mistakenly landed at Montecorvino in
southern Italy in November 1943.
However, the Me 410 was no match in a
dogfight with the lighter Allied single-engine
fighters such as the North American P-51
Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire. In early
1944, the Me 410 formations encountered
swarms of Allied fighters protecting the
bomber streams, resulting in the Me 410s
previous successes against escorted bombers
now often being offset by their losses. From
mid-1944, despite being Hitler’s favourite
bomber destroyer, the Me 410 units were
taken from Defence of the Reich duties and
production was phased out in favour of heavily
armed single-engine fighters as dedicated
bomber destroyers, with the Me 410s remaining
in service flying on reconnaissance duties only.
Total Me 410 production numbered 1,189 units
before war’s end.