Bf109E and bomb racks

[stona]

Someone was asking recently whether the Bf109E ever flew with a bomb rack attached when not engaged in bombing missions. I thought they probably did,though I'm aware that the racks were easily removed. Whilst shuffling various documents around my computer I rediscovered one that seems to show that this supposition was correct.

It's the preliminary report from the interrogation of Feldwebel Ray who was forced to land in Kent due to an engine failiure (something he was not happy about!)

You can read it for youselves.

I imagine the same would be true of the rack fitted to take the auxiliary fuel tank on the E-7

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I have been looking but can not find any pix of a 109E trop with a centreline tank installed in North Africa.Yet strangely I have found lots of "G's" with it on. Did the E have longer range or was the battlefront near enough not to warrent it?

Theuns

[stona]

Here ya go

It's an E-7 (trop) of JG27 at Syrta. Anything earlier than an E-7 did not have the plumbing to carry the auxiliary fuel tank. They could of course still carry a centre line bomb. There are enough pictures of these aircraft with external tanks to indicate that their use was not unusual.

Cheers

Steve

Edit. Bonus piccy with ground crew dressed in typical mix and match style.

Steve