The period covered in this volume was considered to be the 'glory years' for the Jagdwaffe fresh from the experience gained in the Spanish Civil War and for the Bf 109 in particular. Many famous pilots scored their first kills in the classic dogfights staged over Poland, Western Europe, the Channel and finally southern England. Some 40 Knight's Crosses were awarded in 1940 alone. However, after sweeping all before them in support of the Blitzkrieg across continental Europe, the Bf 109E pilots were to suffer badly during the Battle of Britain, the result of poor tactics inflicted upon them by the Luftwaffe High Command, and their mount's less then generous range.

Using first-hand accounts and brand-new artwork, this book brings to life the realities of flying the Bf 109 in combat during the very first battles of World War II. The Bf 109 was one of the principal fighter aircraft types in the Luftwaffe's inventory during the opening months of World War II and it was central to many of Germany's early victories, before coming up against the unbeatable RAF during the Battle of Britain. This book presents first-hand experiences of the pilots who flew the Bf 109E, the aircraft which first featured a Daimler-Benz DB 601 powerplant, and which was in the front line in the skies over Poland, the Low Countries and France, and the older Bf 109D, still in use in the Polish campaign. The early variants of the Messerschmitt fighter, the Bf 109E-1, Bf 109E-2 and Bf 109E-3, swept all before them during the opening wartime campaigns, their successes only fading at the Battle of France, when the Bf 109's seasoned pilots encountered modern and well-flown RAF and Armée de l'Air fighters. In a rigorous and engaging new analysis, Luftwaffe aviation expert Malcolm V. Lowe examines and assesses the Bf 109 as a fighting machine from the perspective of the Luftwaffe at the forefront of the German blitzkrieg. Contemporary photographs and specially commissioned artwork, including a dramatic battlescene, armament views, technical diagrams and ribbon diagrams illustrating step-by-step each battle tactic of the main dogfights explored in the book, bring the experiences of the Bf 109 pilots vividly to life.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft, and was flown by the three top-scoring German fighter aces, claiming 928 victories between them. This text presents a full chronology and photo history of development and operational use.

The latest addition to the 'Monographs Special Edition' series is devoted to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E. This new book gives not only a thorough insight into the development, variants, technical features and camouflage of the 'Emil', but also an excellent overview of the aircraft's service with the Luftwaffe. Packed with period photos, color profiles and scale drawings, this title is a perfect guide for aviation modelers.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the most prominent German fighter type of World War II – over 35,000 were built and it served in many different variants and roles throughout the course of the war. It was the true workhorse of the German Luftwaffe throughout the war and continued in front-line service with some European countries for many years afterwards. This title details the early and pre-war variants, including the Bf 109s that flew in the Spanish Civil War, Poland, France and the Battle of Britain, in a series of increasingly complex construction projects. It also details the numerous kits available of this famous fighter.

With around 32000 aircraft produced, continuous improvement to performance and modification for differing combat requirements meant that identifying a particular variant or sub-type often meant hours of research. This study sets out to describe and portray the differences of all known production variants, revealing myths and anomalies in the process.

Gathered in two volumes, presented here are the legendary Luftwaffe aircraft: the Messerschmitt 109 and 110, the Focke Wulf 190 and the jets that appeared near the end of the conflict. More than 600 color profiles detail a wide variety of insignia and camouflage paints. Together, these two books represent a highly detailed compilation (new photographs, new profiles) improving upon the previous editions published in the Planes and Pilots series.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the most prominent German fighter type of World War II – over 35,000 were built and it served in many different variants and roles throughout the course of the war. It was the true workhorse of the German Luftwaffe throughout the war and continued in front-line service with some European countries for many years afterwards. This title details the early and pre-war variants, including the Bf 109s that flew in the Spanish Civil War, Poland, France and the Battle of Britain, in a series of increasingly complex construction projects. It also details the numerous kits available of this famous fighter.

The famous Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-seat fighter was one of the most important warplanes of the Second World War. Originally designed during the 1930s, and a contemporary of the equally-legendary Supermarine Spitfire, it was vitally important to Germanys Luftwaffe and was flown in combat by the highest-scoring fighter pilots in history.It was in service throughout the Second World War and was built in a number of significant versions that proved to be worthy adversaries of the very best of the Allied warplanes that it flew against. Bf 109s operated in all the major areas of conflict where German forces were engaged in combat and, in modified form, the type even had a post-war career in several countries that extended well into the 1950s.

Pure fighter par excellence, shared with the Focke Wulf 190 the first line of the Luftwaffe throughout the second world war. Continuously updated and upgraded, it represented an irreplaceable element in the Luftwaffe's arsenal, staying in line with the Battle of England until the last day of war. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is the best-known German WWII fighter. He served between 1937 and 1945 and was confronted with an incredible series of increasingly aggressive opponents, who were faced with continuous changes and improvements, far exceeding the limits of the original project; in the end he doubled the weight and tripled the original power, whose inevitable price was a decidedly reduced autonomy compared to the first series. It was an extremely versatile aircraft: its latest versions even included a high-altitude fighter with a pressurized cabin. It was produced after the war in Czechoslovakia and Spain, and a total of about 35,000 were built: one of the greatest productions of all time. In books and magazines it is also sometimes called Me 109, from the contraction of the manufacturer's name. The abbreviation Bf indicates instead the name of the production factory (Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG) which in July 1938 changed its name to Messerschmitt AG. The planes designed from then on assumed the name Me, while those designed previously (including variants) continued to be called Bf. limits of the original project; eventually he came to double.