Now, what happened to my Motorkanone?
In another topic I simply stated that one mark had the enginegun deleted.
My initial claim; The hatches for the wing-mounted MG were also a feature of the C, as they had the enginemounted MG deleted, . . .
Resulted in this comment; Just for the record, there was never an “engine mounted” weapon of any type in the 109A-D series. In fact, there was no engine mounted weapon until the Friedrich. Anything you read where the author says there was such armament is proof you are reading the work of a NON-expert (likely someone whose “research” is limited to cut-and-paste of 40 year old material).
It is my belief that the Bf 109 V4, Wnr 878, D-IALY (by some said to be the prototype for the B-series, had three MG 17’s, two above the engine and one that shot through the spinner. (Flugzeug Classic Extra magazine, Messerschmitt Bf 109, Teil 1 (side 12-14) and in the book; Messerschmitt Bf 109, Vom prototyp bis zur Bf 109 K af Markus Wunderlich, Geramond 2017 ISBN 978-3-86245-263-7, side 11)
Further in the book mentioned above on page 16; . . .regarding the transition from B to C: "Das hinter dem Motorblock montierte MG 17 erwies sich als äusserst anfällig für Ladegehemmungen beziehungsweise niegtebei Überhitzunge zu Selbstzündern. Bei der C-serie wurde daher auf den einbau dieser waffe verzichtet. Damit stand die Bewaffnung mit insgesamt vier MG fest." In short, the engine-mounted gun had proven to be unreliable and prone to overheating resulting in the gun firing spontaneously. Not a thing you want!
Die Messerschmitt Me 109 in der Schweizer Flugwaffe
In the book “Die Messerschmitt Me 109 in der Schweizer Flugwaffe” by Georg Hoch (own publishing, ISBN 3 905404 35 4, 2nd edition 2004 (has also been translated to englished and published in the states) it is claimed on page 39; Chapter 7; “Die Schusswaffen der Me 109 D und E. Unklare Vorstellungen über die Bewaffnung. Bei der Beschaffung der ersten Serie Me 109 hatte man offenbar keine endgültigen Vorstellungen über die Bewaffnung der Flugzeuge. Für beide Typen waren entweder zwei MG über dem Motor und zwei trägflachen MG oder eine Motorkanone und zwei Trägflachen-MG vorgesehen.” – that is, the Swiss were either speculating on two over the engine and two in the wings, or one in the engine and two in the wings! Of course this last thing did not happen. Further the chapter continues later on: “Über den einbau einer Motorkanone war man sich im Unklaren, ob tas technish überhaupt machbar sei. Theoretisch war ein Einbaubeim Jumo 210 wie auch beim DB 601 möglich.” Meaning the theory was OK, practicalities another matter. They go on in the same chapter: “1936 ist in die mit einem Jumo 210C ausgerüstete Me 109 V3/D-IOQY versuchsweise ein 30mm MG C/30L (einige quellen sprechen von einem MG FF) eingebaut worden. Starke Vibrationen die nicht behoben worden konnten, verhinderten jedoch einen serienmässigen Einbau dieser Waffe.” . . . ”Es sind dem Author keine belegbaren hinweise bekannt, ob jemals Me 109 Jumo oder E, ausser zu Versuchszwecken, mit Motorkaninen ausgerüstet wurden.” So the conclution in this book is that the Swiss had intended to include a engine-mountet gun, but found it too difficult. The Swiss used Bf 109D and Bf 109E (in Swiss use they were mostly called 109 Jumo and Me 109 DB)
So, what we have here is; no operational use in 109D and 109E. However in the same book the C is noted as having 3 MG 17’s, all other marks either 2 or 4, suggesting that the C in this authors opinion had the engine-mounted gun. Lets check another and more recent book
German Eagles in Spanish skies
In this book by David Johnston (ISBN 978-0-7643-56-6, published 2018) it is said in the introduction; “Deliveries of the Bf 109 B to the Legion Condor began in mid-July 1937. Photographs and anecdotal evidence indicate that they were armed with three MG 17 machine guns.” (page 7)
On page 28 in this book there is a picture of 6 O 3, and in the caption it is said; “This aircraft was fitted with an engine-mounted 20 mm MG C30 cannon, It was the only A-series aircraft with a centrally-mounted gun flown by the Legion Condor.”
Now, the MG C30 had its teething trouble, and on page 116 it says “Plans to mount the MG C/30 L cannon as an engine-mounted weapon were delayedbecause of ongoing difficulties with the weapon.” Later on the different series is discussed, and on page 120 it is said that "As delivered to the Legion Condor, the Bf 109 A differed from the subsequent B variants in a number of respects: ... Armament: Two MG 17 machine guns were mounted above the engine with mechanical cocking. There is no evidence to suggest the presence of a third engine-mounted machine gun; however, one aircraft, 6 O 3, was fitted with an engine-mounted MG C 30 cannon for a time"
Continuing the discussion on page 135; "Also the wooden propeller fitted to the Bf 109 B differed from that of the A variant; its spinner matched the diameter of the forward fuselage, and there was a firing tube through the axis of the propeller for the engine-mounted MG 17." I take note that it is not ‘. . a tube for a . .’, but ‘. . a tube for the . .’ and further down on the same page “The armament of the Bf 109 B consisted of three MG 17s, two above the engine and one mounted between the engine cylinder banks. It has been claimed that the engine-mounted weapon proved to be troublesome and was removed, but personal accounts and photographs reveal that all three weapons were retained for a time.”
Now to justify all this trouble it has to be said – and here I quote the above book again; “. . regarding the 109 D, Green wrote: . . . these were followed by the Bf 109 D-1, wich carried an armament of one engine-mounted MG-FF cannon and two MG 17 machine guns. . . ” However this quote is meant to explain that in the authors opinion regarding the armament with four machine guns, these had to be D, not C models indicating that he has no doubt from the evidence available to him, the B had three guns (Green being the author of a book from 1960; War Planes of the second World War: Fighters; Volume 1)
And with that I rest my case – I will most definitely make an early 109 with a engine-mounted gun, perhaps two, one being the 109A 6 O 3, the other a 109 B.
