Messerschmitt Me 410

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_410

The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse ("Hornet") was a German heavy fighter and
Schnellbomber used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Though essentially an
incremental improvement of the Me 210, it had a new wing plan, longer fuselage,
and engines of greater power. The changes were significant enought to be
designated the Me 410.

Development of the Me 210 had been under way since 1939 but the aircraft proved
extremely unstable and was never considered for full-scale production.
Modifications to the layout produced the Me 210C and 210D, which proved somewhat
superior. As studies progressed on the Me 210D, and with a separate parallel
attempt to improve upon the 210 with the Messerschmitt Me 310 in the second half
of 1943 — which provided almost no aerodynamic improvement over the 210's risky
handling qualities — it was instead decided to introduce a "new" model, the Me
410.

The major change between the Me 210 and 410 was the introduction of the larger
(at 44.5 litre, 2,715 in3 displacement) and more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 603A
engines, which increased power to 1,750 PS (1,730 hp, 1,290 kW) compared to the
1,475 PS DB 605s used on the Me 210C - the interim Me 310 design experiment
actually used the DB 603 powerplant choice first. The engine performance
increased the Me 410's maximum speed to 625 km/h (388 mph), greatly improved
rate of climb, service ceiling, and most notably the cruising speed, which
jumped to 579 km/h (360 mph). It also improved payload capability to the point
where the aircraft could lift more war load than could fit into the bomb bay
under the nose. To address this, shackles were added under the wings for four 50
kg (110 lb) bombs. The changes added an extra 680 kg (1,500 lb) to the Me 210
design, but the extra engine power more than made up for the difference.


Role
Heavy fighter, fighter-bomber

Manufacturer
Messerschmitt, Dornier

First flight
14 March 1942

Introduction
1943

Retired
1945

Primary users
Luftwaffe
Hungarian Air Force

Produced
May 1943-August 1944

Number built
1,189

Developed from
Me 210

The Me 410 night bomber proved to be an elusive target for the RAF night
fighters. The first unit to operate over the UK was V./KG 2, which lost its
first Me 410 on the night of 13–14 July 1943, when it was shot down by a de
Havilland Mosquito of No. 85 Squadron RAF.

They were moderately successful against unescorted bombers through 1943, with a
considerable number of kills against USAAF day bomber formations being achieved.
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, usually flying far ahead of the combat
box formations as an air supremacy move in clearing the skies of any Luftwaffe
opposition, resulting in the Me 410's previous successes against escorted
bombers now often being offset by their losses. An example of this — as part of
a campaign started two days earlier by the USAAF — was on 6 March 1944 during an
attack on Berlin by 750 8th AF heavy bombers, when 16 Me 410s were shot down in
return for eight B-17s and four P-51s (which were destroyed by Bf 109 and Fw 190
fighters escorting the Me 410s). The following month on 11 April, with 8th AF
raids hitting Sorau, Rostock and Oschersleben, II./ZG 26's Me 410s accounted for
a rare clear success, initially bringing down 10 B-17s without any losses.
During the course of the same raid, their second sortie was intercepted by P-51s
that destroyed eight Me 410s and three Bf 110s. Sixteen crewmen were killed and
three wounded.

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. Some Me 410s were used with Junkers Ju 188s during the Battle of
Normandy, for high-altitude night reconnaissance

Specifications (Me 410 A-1)

General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot and gunner)
Length: 12.4 m (40 ft 8-3/16 in)
Wingspan: 16.39 m (53 ft 9-1/4 in)
Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2-5/8 in)
Wing area: 36.20 m² (390 ft²)
Empty weight: 6,150 kg (13,558 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 10,760 kg (23,721 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603A liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,750 PS (1,726
hp, 1,287 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 624 km/h (388 mph)
Range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi) combat
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)

Climb to 6,000 m (19,680 ft): 10.7 min

Armament

Guns:
2 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns with 1,000 rpg, firing forward
2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons with 350 rpg, firing forward
2 × 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg, each firing rearward from
FDSL 131/1B remote-operated turret, one per side

Rockets: 4 x 21 cm (8 in) Werfer-Granate 21 rockets
Bombs:
up to 1,000 kg (2,204 lb) of disposable stores





*