any Messerschmitt ME/BF 100 experts out there?

As to the ME/BF question, the 110 (along with the 108 and 109 etc) should be referred to as Bf110. This was because they were designed when the company was named Bayerische Flugzeugwreke AG (Bavarian Aircraft Factory). Those designed after the company became Messerschmitt AG are officially designated with the Me prefix. In reality, the 109 and 110 etc were frequently referred to as Me109, Me110 etc, both by the Allies and by the Germans themselves.

You may find this worth a read…. 🙂

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/index1024.htm

‘Rückblickfernrohr’
It was a device for fighter planes with a reticle to control external weapons from inside the cockpit.
http://www.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/~vernalek/Hist_Fotos.html

Whilst on the subject. I think “Rückblickfernrohr” translates to something like rear pointing telescope or?

The unit seems to be SKG 210.

Any explanations welcome.

that could be it then…

Thank you – imagine taking on a P-47 or P-51 with radar, external cannon, mortors – scary stuff. ME-110 was a fine but misused aircraft, gets a bad press like the JU-87 just from 1940. Hobbey master are putting out a 1/72 model next year, with and without radar. One to collect I think.:D

Nightfighters…

Late in the war many of the front line Nightfighter units,amongst them the elite pilots were transfered to Defence of the Reich Staffels to help stop the endless flow of B24,s and B17,s during the day.Also there were bomber crews and others hastily retrained.You could find many of them with the rocket Mortars fitted,much to the disgust of the crews as they slowed the planes down considerably and made them an easier target again for roving P51,s.Many of the top pilots were wasted this way and eventually the luftwaffe was bled dry of it,s experienced crews.

thank you

I was asking because I was set to spend out my xmas model zone vouchers on a BF-110 night fighter with the “tubes” – the use at night struck me as odd and without being banished to the other forum, it just struck me as odd that a night fighter would have rockets or morters

Mortars

Only used during the day to break up the bomber formations.At night the launch flare would have seriously damaged the pilots night vision,plus place a big “I am here” sign for roving Mosquito,s to pick up on.

…not an expert, but…

110 type number – Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM)
Bf110 manufacturer – Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (official term)
Me110 constructer – Willy Messerschmitt

21cm morters Wgr.21
http://www.nexusboard.net/printthread.php?siteid=6365&threadid=296722&showpage=1&nx=5d9ea447033db0c98ad3745d547c6e16

Photo: Me110 with Wgr.21

As to the ME/BF question, the 110 (along with the 108 and 109 etc) should be referred to as Bf110. This was because they were designed when the company was named Bayerische Flugzeugwreke AG (Bavarian Aircraft Factory). Those designed after the company became Messerschmitt AG are officially designated with the Me prefix. In reality, the 109 and 110 etc were frequently referred to as Me109, Me110 etc, both by the Allies and by the Germans themselves.

As for the rockets, the WGr.21 rockets were only carried on daylight operations as far as I’m aware. It’s difficult to imagine what use they would be at night as they had to be aimed and fired from a considerable distance away from the target, ie you needed daylight and plenty of visibility. Besides, the 21’s main use was as a formation-breaker, making it easier to attack individual bombers with more conventional weapons. I can’t see how they would have been used against single bombers at night.