Messerschmitt Bf-109 E3 Walkaround (J-355; Werk NummerlFactory Number 2422)

[Guest]

An interesting walkaround of the Messerschmitt Bf-109 (J-355; Werk NummerlFactory Number 2422)

exhibited at the Swiss Air Force Museum at Dubendorf Air Base near Zurich, Switzerland.

This may be of interest to anyone looking for a reference for a build that isnt German in origin.

Much respects to Tonyiosky for the Photographs.

Toniosky's Cool Stuff Vault: Messerschmitt Bf-109 E3 Walkaround

Danny

[Guest]

Great link, Danny, the detailing inspires and discourages in equal amounts!

[stona]

Nice link and some nice piccies.

The Swiss E-3s were essentially the same as the German ones. They were supplied unarmed and without radios etc.

The Swiss fitted two Fl.Mg.29 machine guns in the cowl position. These were the slightly unusual 7.5mm calibre and used the same 7.5 x 55 cartridge as Swiss army rifles and machine guns. In the wings were two FF 20 Oerlikon cannons.

The cowl and cannon bulges are about all you'd have to change to get a Swiss from a German umless I've forgotten something (entirely possible!).

Here's a piccy of that aircraft before it was consigned to a museum.

Swiss Bf 109s were quite successful against Luftwaffe intrusions into Swiss air space. I bet the Germans wished they'd never sold them

Cheers

Steve

[flyjoe180]

Good walk around and great info there again Steve. When did the Swiss retire their 109s? And last question, hoping to not detract too much from the original thread, did they intern German aircraft and use them, or return them? What became of captured German crews?

[stona]

They certainly interned German aircraft and used them. I haven't checked but I seem to remember a couple of G-6s at least. I'm not sure about crew but the Swiss were rigorously neutral. They did intern other nationalities so I expect they did the Germans too. They seem to have followed the conditions of neutrality laid out in the Hague Conventions.

I have read accounts of US bomber crews destroying sensitive equipment (like IFF,bomb sights etc) prior to landing in Switzerland.

Steve

[flyjoe180]

Interesting stuff, cheers for the info Steve. Ireland was neutral too, but I think they did allow British aircrew to go home after interning their machines, hence I was interested in the fate of those in Swiss hands. Many escaped POWs and evading airmen made it to Switzerland and then to Britain, so the Swiss must have allowed some to leave. Unless there is a difference in the rules of the Hague Conventions regarding coming down in a neutral country while on offensive operations as opposed to just running from the enemy.

[stona]

I haven't looked the Hague Conventions up for ages. I think the rules for interned combatants and escaped PoWs maybe different.

Ireland compromised her neutrality at various times. Her intelligence services cooperated with their British counterparts and,most noteably, there was the "Donegal Corridor". This allowed British aircraft based in Northern Ireland access to the Atlantic Ocean by overflying Irish territory,something prohibited under her terms of neutrality.

Cheers

Steve

[flyjoe180]

Thanks Steve. The British had Irish airspace, the Germans had Swiss vaults. Seems fair.