Messerschmitt Me 210
| Company type | Heavy fighter, ground-attack aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Founder | Messerschmitt |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Military aircraft |
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The Messerschmitt Me 210 served as a German heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft during World War II. Its design commenced prior to the outbreak of hostilities, intended to succeed the Messerschmitt Bf 110. Although initial prototypes were completed by 1939, they exhibited severely deficient flight stability due to fundamental flaws in wing shape and fuselage configuration. Extensive operational trials conducted through 1941 and early 1942 failed to rectify these issues. The aircraft entered limited operational use in 1942 but was soon supplanted by the improved Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse, an evolution of the Me 210. The unsuccessful development of the Me 210 compelled the Luftwaffe to continue deploying the increasingly obsolete Bf 110, resulting in rising attrition rates.[1][2]
Design and development
Work on enhancing the Bf 110 began as early as 1937, even before the Bf 110 had its maiden flight. By late 1938, with the Bf 110 entering operational service, the RLM initiated plans for its eventual successor. Messerschmitt submitted their redesigned version as the Me 210, while Arado presented a completely new design with their Ar 240.[3]
Although retaining numerous components from the Bf 110, the Me 210 represented a significant redesign. Key modifications included a shortened nose positioned over the aircraft's center of gravity, incorporation of an internal bomb bay, newly designed wings optimized for increased cruising velocity, and an advanced remote-operated defensive armament system that provided the gunner with an expanded firing arc. On paper, its performance was impressive: powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 601F engines delivering 1,350 PS (1,330 hp, 990 kW) each, it could achieve speeds up to 620 km/h (390 mph), roughly 80 km/h (50 mph) faster than its predecessor and nearly matching contemporary single-engine fighters.
The main landing gear drew inspiration from design principles seen in the earlier Ju 88, where each gear leg rotated through a quarter turn during retraction so that wheels rested atop the strut inside the wing. However, unlike the Ju 88’s configuration where wheels were positioned outside the struts when extended, the Me 210’s wheels were located inside relative to their main gear struts when deployed.
Whereas the Bf 110 carried ordnance externally under wings and fuselage—creating additional drag—the Me 210 featured an enclosed bomb bay situated within its nose section. It was capable of carrying two bombs weighing up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) each. Dive brakes were installed atop each wing along with a Stuvi 5B bombsight ("Stuvi" stands for Sturzkampfvisier, or dive-bombing sight) for shallow-angle dive bombing missions. In fighter configuration, this bomb bay was equipped with four forward-firing 20 mm cannon.[4]
For defensive armament, a rear gunner manned two electrically fired MG 131 machine guns (.51 inch caliber), each mounted within half-teardrop-shaped Ferngerichtete Drehringseitenlafette (FDSL) 131/1B turrets on either side of the fuselage. These turrets were remotely controlled from a position at the back of the glazed cockpit using a distinctive aiming device featuring a pivoting handgun-style grip and trigger combined with a central gunsight. This mechanism allowed vertical aiming by moving both turrets simultaneously up or down and horizontal aiming by pivoting each gun outward independently when directed sideways.[5] The rear lower side glazing panels of the cockpit canopy were bulged outward to provide near-complete rearward visibility for the gunner. An electrical contact breaker functioned as an interrupter system preventing inadvertent firing into the aircraft’s tailplane.
An initial order for one thousand units was placed before any prototype had flown—a decision that later proved premature. The first prototype took flight in September 1939 equipped with DB 601B engines but was deemed unsafe by test pilots due to poor stability during turns and persistent oscillations even in level flight. Early attempts focused on replacing the twin-rudder tail inherited from the Bf 110 with a larger single vertical stabilizer; however, this modification failed to resolve directional instability. The aircraft also exhibited dangerous stall behavior; during nose-up attitudes or turns, automatic leading-edge slats deployment triggered abrupt spins. The second prototype (Me 210 V2) crashed in September 1940 after entering an unrecoverable spin forcing pilot bailout. The chief test pilot described it as possessing “all the least desirable attributes an aeroplane could possess.” Efforts to fix these deficiencies involved producing sixteen prototypes and ninety-four preproduction models. Despite evident handling shortcomings, full production was ordered by RLM in early 1941 due to urgent need to replace aging Bf 110s.
To improve handling qualities, several airframe modifications were introduced including lengthening the rear fuselage by approximately ninety-two centimeters (36¼ inches), designated as lang ("long"). The variant known as Me 210C incorporated these airframe changes along with more powerful DB 605 engines. Hungarian authorities accepted this version for their needs and acquired production rights to manufacture it domestically under license as the Me 210Ca (a signifying ausländisch, or foreign). Initial airframes were imported for assembly practice while local production lines were established at Dunai Repülőgépgyár Rt. (Danubian Aircraft Plant). Under this agreement, every third aircraft produced was delivered to Luftwaffe units.
Ultimately, development culminated in the Messerschmitt Me 410 model powered by DB 603 engines as a further refinement of this lineage.
Operational history
Frontline units began receiving deliveries in April 1942, but the aircraft quickly gained a reputation for being unpopular among pilots. Production ceased by the end of that month after only 90 units had been delivered. An additional 320 incomplete airframes were stored. Subsequently, production reverted to the Bf 110 model, which, despite being updated with the newer DB 605B engines and enhanced armament, remained an antiquated design.
Hungarian-manufactured models were supplied to the Luftwaffe starting in April 1943, with Hungarian forces themselves receiving theirs in 1944. Upon entering service, these aircraft were well-regarded by their operators. Manufacturing concluded in March 1944 when the factory transitioned to producing the Bf 109G. By that stage, a total of 267 Me 210C units had been produced, with 108 allocated to the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe primarily deployed their Me 210s in Tunisia and Sardinia, where they were soon succeeded by the Me 410.
Variants
- Me 210 A-0
- Initial pre-production models.
- Me 210 A-1
- Two-seat, twin-engine fighter-bomber and heavy fighter variant.
- Me 210 A-2
- Two-seat, twin-engine dive bomber and heavy fighter version.
- Me 210C
- Enhanced airframe equipped with DB 605 engines.
- Me 210 Ca-1
- Hungarian license-built variant of the Me 210C powered by Daimler-Benz DB 605B engines.
- Me 210 Ca-1 (40 mm)
- A number of Hungarian Me 210 Ca-1s were adapted to mount a 40 mm Bofors autocannon in the lower fuselage for engaging Allied bombers. These aircraft could also carry modified 152 mm rockets derived from the Hungarian version of the Nebelwerfer 41 for ground attack missions. Development was underway on the 44M Lidérc anti-bomber acoustic proximity-fuzed air-to-air rocket specifically for the Me 210; however, this project remained incomplete before Budapest’s fall.
- Me 210D
- Conceptual improvement based on the Me 210C airframe; did not progress beyond planning stages.
Operators
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- The Luftwaffe operated a total of 90 German-built Me 210A and an additional 108 Hungarian-built Me 210 Ca-1 aircraft.
- Eprobungsgruppe(A) 210 (initial testing unit)
- Versuchstaffel 210
- 3./SKG 210
- 16./KG 6
- 1.,2.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.122 (users of Me/DAF 210C-1)
- FAGr 122
- Stab/AG 22
- II.,III.,7.,8.,9./ZG 1 'Wespe' (operated Me/DAF 210C-2 [Ca-1])
- 10./ZG 26 (operated Me/DAF 210C-2 [Ca-1])
- I.,II./NJG 1
- NJG 101
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- The Royal Hungarian Air Force flew approximately 179 Hungarian-produced Me 210 Ca-1 aircraft. The type performed relatively well against Soviet fighters. The final Me 210s were destroyed by their crews at Parndorf (Hungarian: Pándorfalu) following Hungary’s collapse in March 1945 due to shortages of fuel and spare parts.
- 1° and 2° RKI Század "Villám" (Evaluation squadron), RKI (Hungarian Aviation Institute)
- 5/1.Légi Század "Bagoly" (Night Fighter Squadron)
- 102.Gyorsbombázó, 102/1.Század "Sas"
- 102.Gyorsbombázó, 102/2.Század "Tigris"
- 102.Gyorsbombázó, 102/3.Század "Villám"
- Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
- Acquired one unit (Me 210A-2 W.Nr.2350) purchased from Germany for evaluation purposes and delivered via blockade runner. It was operated by the Testing unit of the First Tachikawa Air Army Arsenal.
Specifications (Me 210Ca-1)
See also
Bibliography
Citations
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Bibliography
- "Hornisse ... The Last Zerstorer". Air International, October 1981, Vol.21 No.4. pp.181–185,197–200.
- Mankau, Heinz. "Messerschmitt Bf110, Me210, Me410: an illustrated history". Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2003.
- Petrick, Peter. "Messerschmitt Me210/Me410 Hornisse/Hornet: an illustrated production history". Hinckley: Midland Publishing,2007.
- Mujzer, Peter. "Les Messerschmitt Me210Ca hongrois (première part)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire, January1997.
- Mujzer, Peter. "Les Messerschmitt Me210Ca hongrois (deuxième part)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire, February1997.
- Punka, George. "Messerschmitt Me210/410 in Action". Carrollton TX: Squadron/Signal Publications,1994.
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