Peeking into the Spanish Civil War, we find the origin of the Bf109 -
but less spritely models than the familiar Emil, Friedrich, and Gustav! There
was the same inefficient handling but without the fast acceleration available
in the DB600 engine series. Still, they were the speed wonders of their time.
This set also includes the D-1 and E-1, for use with the Polish scenarios and
the carrier version which would have served aboard the Graf
Zeppelin aircraft carrier. These are available for download in one
PDF file (114Kb):
Bf109B-2 - includes the B-1 and Swiss D variants.
Bf109C-1 - includes the C-2, C-3, C-4 weapons variants
Bf109D-1 - interim production version produced while waiting
for the DB601 engine; served until after the Fall of France
Bf109E-1 - the first Emil; flew over Poland; includes the rare
E-1/B Jabo version
As World War II drew to a close, there were several plans to update and
upgrade the Bf109 - most of which fell through. The Bf109 survived in service
after the war in Czechoslovakia, Spain - and Israel. This
set of 3 ADCs (76 Kb) includes:
Bf109H-1 - a high altitude 109 design.
Bf109Z - a twin-hulled model (like the P-82 Twin Mustang)
carrying a heavy weapon collection.
S-199 Mezec(Mule) - a poor-handling post-war G-14 that
served in Czechoslovakia - and Israel during
their 1948 War of Independence.
After the He51 biplane fighter, Heinkel tried a couple times to break
Messerschmitt's hold on the German fighter market. This set of 3 ADCs includes a couple of decent aircraft
that failed the political game:
He51C - The resurgent Luftwaffe's first fighter, switched to
ground support in Spain after the advent of the Bf109B.
He112B-1 - able to top the Bf109(C) in everything but top
speed, this was only used operationally by Nationalist Spain and Rumania.
He100D-1 - A completely new fighter, quite fast, designed
after the failure of the He112.
Faced with first a trickle and then a nightly river of Bomber Command
night attacks, the Luftwaffe developed a variety of specialized night fighters,
developing air-intercept radar about a year after (with further developments
even further behind) British developments. Set includes
6 ADCs (136 kb).
Dornier Do17Z-10 Kaus II - an early nightfighter; the
last variant of the Do17.
Messerschmitt Me110G-4 - radar-armed last variant of the
workhorse zerstorer.
Messerschmitt Me210A - not a night fighter, but an OK place
for the ADC.
Junkers Ju88G-7 - Late model heavy nightfighter.
Focke Wulf Ta154AFalke - The Luftwaffe's answer
to the Mosquito - until they ran out of glue.
Heinkel He219A-7 - the wonderful night fighter that the pilots
wanted - but the Luftwaffe staff kept cancelling.
The He111H bombers that darkened the skies from Bristol to the Baltic,
from Narvik to North Africa did not spring fully formed from the head of Zeus
(or Heinkel). This set of 4 ADCs (101 Kb) traces
its roots, including:
He70F-2 - Heinkel's (and the Luftwaffe's) first modern
monoplane bomber. Used in Spain.
He170A - a Hungarian recon version of the He70 used until
1941.
He111B-2 & E-3 - conventional nosed versions used over
Spain 1937-39.
He111 Follow-on Variants
Development of the He111 did not stop with the H-2 familiar from
Achtung! Spitfire. This set
of 3 ADCs (200 Kb) describes:
He111H-16: mid-war "standard" version, with larger engines and
more bomb capacity.
He111H-21 - late war version "standard" version (plus missile
carrier variant)..
He111Z Zwilling - built of two H-6s joined by a common
center wing to haul the giant Me321 glider (and admittedly the variant that
induced me to produce this set).
We have all heard of the Ju88. However, it was neither the first nor the
last medium bomber Junkers built for the Luftwaffe. These ADC sets show a few
others:
Ju86D: a diesel poweredmedium bomber that fought in Spain, but
was phased out of the Luftwaffe. Other versions with gasoline engines flew
longer for other nations.
Ju86G: last version combat bomber version of the Ju86. The
change to a stronger engine did not compensate for the aircraft's other
shortcomings compared to the He111 and the Ju88 prototypes.
Ju86P: stretching the diesel engine to its limits, this
version became a hi-altitude strategic recon aircraft flying above the reach of
most fighters.
Ju86R: larger wing, higher altitude upgrade of the Ju86P.
The Germans were masters of battlefield air support early in World War
II. The Ju87 Stuka was the Luftwaffe's most famous
aircraft at the time. The Luftwaffe supported the blitzkrieg with pin-point "surgical" application of force,
displaying an air-ground cooperation that most armed forces merely dreamed
about. This skill was a minor lesson learned in the Spanish Civil War.
The Ju87B is included with Achtung! Spitfire.
However, the Ju87 soldiered on into the War, its mid-thirties aerodynamics
showing its age more with each passing month. This set of 5 ADCs includes:
Junkers Ju87C - Carrier-borne version of the Ju87B meant to
serve aboard the Graf Zeppelin with the Bf109T.
Junkers Ju87D-1 - Cleaner version, with mods that stretched
the JU87's useful life into 1943.
Junkers Ju87D-5 - More powerful engine, bigger bombload.
Includes the Ju87G-1 tank-buster armed with 2 37mm antitank guns flown by Ernst
Udel.
Henschel Hs123A-1 - Germany's first ground attack aircraft
(circa 1936) that soldiered on from Spain to Barbarossa.
Henschel Hs129B - Ground support aircraft that could pack a
lot of punch vs. ground targets. It was unmaneuverable and slow vs other
aircraft.
In Fall, 1943, the Stuka Geschwaderen (StG -
dive bomber wings) were redesignated Schlacht
Geschwaderen (ground support). Stukas began to be phased out for FW190s.
German ground support and recon aircraft include some interesting
oddities, including those in this PDF
file (316 kb):
Blohm und Voss Bv141 - the first successful asymmetrical
aircraft! However, the RML dragged its feet about accepting the radical design,
and by the time they put in a purchase order, Blohm und Voss factories were all
assigned to other aircraft.
Heinkel He59 - German naval recon and SAR float plane. It
began service before the Spanish Civil War (where it served as a patrol
aircraft). Six He59s delivered 60 men to seize the Maas bridges by landing in
the river in centra Rotterdam. Used as SAR and air ambulance over the North and
Baltic Seas.
Henschel Hs126 - Two-man parasol wing tactical recon aircraft
that flew throughout the war. It began its service in Spain and flew over
Poland, France, the Balkans, North Africa, and Russia as the Luftwaffe's
standard tactical recon and army cooperation aircraft. Supplanted 1940-42 by
the FW189, it was relegated to tarining an dglider towing, but in 1944
surviving aircraft made their way into night ground attack units.
Focke Wolfe FW189 - a German fork-tailed, well-glazed design
that supplanted the Henschel 126 1940-42. Used mostly on the Eastern Front. It
was rather slow, so as Soviet air power grew, the FW 189 was increasingly used
for second-line duties after 1944.
(You knew these were probnably coming after the Japanese flyingboats). I
wanted to do these for two reasons. One is the shape of the Bv138. The other
was research into the He115 - I wanted to see if the ADC matched its
reputation. German flyingboats and seaplanes served several purposes, flying
usually from bases around the North Sea and later on the French Atlantic coast
and the Med. This set of six ADCs
includes:
Blohm und Voss Bv138C: Heavy flying boat used through the war
mostly around the North Sea, Norway, and the Baltic. It was fairly tough with
good capacity for either troops or mines. Among the last missions flown by a
Bv138 was into a lake in Berlin on the last days of the war, evacuating
government officials.
Blohm und Voss Bv222 Wiking: Large flying boat
transport of immense capacity, capable of carrying more than 90 troops. Few
built.
Dornier Do18G: Rather docile flying boat used early in the
war. First German aircraft of the war shot down was one of three Do18s
shadowing HMS Ark Royal.
Dornier Do24T: Do18's replacement, with more capacity and
power.
Arado Ar196A: Scout seaplane carried by large German warships,
as well scouting from the shore.
Heinkel He115C: Torpedo bomber seaplane especially effectiove
in the North Sea and the Med. Curiously enough, the Norwegians had them too,
and captured two during the Norwegian campaign. They were the most effective
bombers the Norwegians had. A few survivors fled to England and were used for
infiltration until they wore out.
(Heck, I've done most everything else). In addition to Iron Annie, the
Ju52, there were other transports. Unfortunately for them, they were often
targets. Both the Go242 and the Me323 started as gliders, to which engines were
attached - and the marriage was not always a happy one. This
set of 5 ADCs includes:
DFS 230 - the world's first assault glider. Teams in this
glider took Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium in the world's first air assault.
Gotha Go242 - a medium-sized glider used along the Eastern
Front.
Gotha Go244 - a Go242 glider with engines used a transport on
the Eastern Front.
Messerschmitt Me321 Gigant - a giant-sized glider used to
deliver tons of supplies or a company of troops.
Messerschmitt Me323D Gigant - a Me321 glider with engine,
creating a huge (if unweildy) transport. Used in Russia and to supply Rommel in
North Africa (until many were shot down in droves off Cape Bon).
Messerschmitt Me323E Gigant - a toughened-up version
This PDF file (93Kb) includes
jets not (yet) covered by JD Webster that flew (or almost flew) for
Germany:
Arado Ar234B - the world's first operational jet bomber most
notably used to attack the Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen in March, 1945.
Arado Ar234C-3 - version of the Ar234 with 4 weaker BMW
engines (for more overall power) and other improvements.
Horten Ho229 - a flying wing jet fighter that was a couple
weeks from pre-production when its factory was overrun by Americans in April,
1945.
Heinkel He280 - a rival for production to the Me262, the He280
was about a year ahead in development, was more maneuverable, but was held up
waiting for an engine.
These last-minute weapons are clearly design efforts that are grasping
at straws - but they were worked on until someone realized this was not the way
to spend resources. Included for your amusement in this
set of 3 ADCs (52Kb):
Bachem Ba349 Natter (Viper) - a rocket plane that fired
one furious burst of air-to-air rockets, and burst into a recoverable tail
section, freed pilot, and disposable nose cone. 10 of these were in position
and ready to use, just waiting for a flight of bombers to come by, when US
ground forces closed in. They were destroyed by the Germans.
Blohm und Voss Bv40 - a high speed glider armed with 2 30mm
cannon. After flight testing, it was abandoned when someone realized that there
was not a shortage of Bf109Gs which were generally more effective.
Fiesler Fi103R Reichenberg - a manned version of the
V-1 Buzz Bomb.
These aircraft were being developed as the Reich was falling, meaning
that prototypes were being constructed (or had been flown) but there were still
a few bugs to be worked out. This set of 4 ADCs
(153 kb) are presented here as What If aircraft.
(For instance, what if the Me262 had effectively delayed the 8th Air
Force/Bomber Command Offensive and supplied good support on the Eastern and
Western fronts sufficient to give the Reich another 6 months of life...)
Henschel Hs132 jet dive bomber - a jet version of the Stuka
concept that would depend on speed for its defense. The pilot would lie prone
to decrease the aircraft's cross section (target area) and to better withstand
G forces.
Focke Wulf Ta183 fighter - an advanced jet fighter that was
preparing for flight test when its factory was over-run by the Russians in
April 1945. The prototype and its design documents was the basis of the MiG 15.
Messerschmitt P.1101 jet fighter - The P.1101 was a designed
to research the effects of different wing angles. It's wing could be swung to
different angles on the ground before take off. However, since it was also a
working high-speed jet, efforts were under way to mass-produce it as a jet
fighter capable of multiple swept-wing configurations. One prototype was taken
to the US and was later rebuilt as the Bell X-5 and used for its original
purpose.
Messerschmitt Me264Amerika bomber - designed as a
maritime bomber (from a long range research aircraft) that had the range to
reach cities on teh US east coast and return.
Germany fielded the first stand-off weapons used in the world, and was
close to fielding some other advanced weapons concepts: AAMs including
self-guided homing wepons. These ADCs are designed for use with the
Guided Weapon Attack Rules I devised. This
set of ADCs (138 Kb) includes:
FX 1400 Fritz glide bomb - used to sink the Italian battleship
Roma, and to damage another.
Hs 293A anti-ship missile - guided rocket used against allied
shipping
Hs294A anti-ship missile - development of the Hs293 used to
attack ships below the waterline
Hs298 air-toair missile - guided AAM under the control of the
pilot developed for anti-bomber work.
V-1 Buzz Bomb - launched by the hundreds at England, these
were air-launched after their initial launch sites were taken or
destroyed.
X-4 air-to-air missile - a wire-guided AAM developed for
anti-bomber work.
JD Webster has produceed the following (official,since they are from JD)
German aircraft to FW2.0 (Whistling Death) format that he has made available to
all players through the web:
German Aircraft