Zerstorer!

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,989

Recently finished reading the book "Hurricane vs. Bf-110: 1940" in the Osprey Duel series. As with all of the Duel books I've read thus far, this one was a good read, and I really enjoyed it. It covered topics I have great interest in (the Battle of Britain and the Phoney War), and it happened to cover my favorite British aircraft and my favorite German aircraft. (You're allowed to have a favorite German plane around here right?)

In any case, I got to wondering what more I could find in terms of good reads on the Bf-110. I already have the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces title on the -110 and it was outstanding. I'm debating getting the book on Nightfighter Aces in the same series as I'm sure a good part of the book talks about the Bf-110's night time career.

Any other suggestions? Any other fans of the Zerstorer around these parts or is it all British all the time? :)

Original post

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 4,956

Abdolutely not, although I am an ME109E man, with FW190 a close second.

Member for

14 years 7 months

Posts: 33

You need "Zerstorer" by John Vasco and Peter Cornwell - possibly the last word on the Bf 110 during the Battle of Britain.

If you are interested in the Nachtjagd you need both volumes of "The Nachtjagd War Diaries" by Dr Theo Boiten and Rod McKenzie.

Both titles are essential.

All British, all the time? Nein!

Member for

19 years

Posts: 550

Armand van Ishoven did a great book about the 110, plenty of early 110 pics and accounts. Prob found cheaply now on eBay

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

SH- to me the 109E has to be one of the best looking aircraft ever! As to 110's- the nightfighter has to be one of the most sinister looking aircraft ever. Despite the fact that one brought down my Dad's uncle's Lanc I like them...

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 691

the best

You need "Zerstorer" by John Vasco and Peter Cornwell - possibly the last word on the Bf 110 during the Battle of Britain.

If you are interested in the Nachtjagd you need both volumes of "The Nachtjagd War Diaries" by Dr Theo Boiten and Rod McKenzie.

Both titles are essential.

All British, all the time? Nein!

fully agreed, this is terrific and the writer is a very decent bloke

triple heart bypass and came all the way from Norfolk to Northampton to give Sywell Aviation museum a talk

took no money for expenses or anything - gave everyone a copy of the book and only asked for any donation to go to the zipper club (heart bypass patients)

plt

plug coming

www.beechrestorations.com

Member for

14 years 7 months

Posts: 33

fully agreed, this is terrific and the writer is a very decent bloke

triple heart bypass and came all the way from Norfolk to Northampton to give Sywell Aviation museum a talk

took no money for expenses or anything - gave everyone a copy of the book and only asked for any donation to go to the zipper club (heart bypass patients)

Blimey, I didn't know that Phil! Top man!

I doubt there's anyone who knows more about the Bf 110 than JV, a simple Google search will reveal all his works. Absolutely essential in my opinion, his books are very pleasant to read, his prose style involving the reader - nothing dry and dreary here.

The only problem is he stopped at the Bf 110 E. If you want to know about the "F" and "G" you have to go elsewhere!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,989

Thanks for all the info about the various titles. I'd heard the name Vasco due to it being in the bibliography of the title I just finished.

Is the first link below the correct book you all are referring to?

http://www.amazon.com/Zerstorer-John-J-Vasco/dp/0951573721

I came across these two titles on Amazon and they are both by John Vasco as well. Anyone know much about them? I'm deployed overseas at the moment, but I believe I can still get them shipped to me if I order. They would be great to kill some time.

http://www.amazon.com/Zerstorer-Luftwaffe-Fighter-Destroyers-1936-1940-Luftwaffe/dp/1903223571/ref=pd_sim_b_1

http://www.amazon.com/Zerstorer-Two-Luftwaffe-Destroyers-1941-1945/dp/190322358X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305286059&sr=1-1

Member for

14 years 7 months

Posts: 33

Yep, all three links are correct and excellent books. You should also have a search for "Bombsights Over Britain: Erprobungsgruppe 210" and "Sting Of The Luftwaffe."

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,989

Glad to hear it! I think I'm going to order a few so I'll have more stuff to read in my free time. I brought a bunch of books and magazines with me, but I've read them all so I'll need additional stuff! :)

Also, do you guys know if any -110 pilots (or crew members) wrote any type of memoirs of his (their) experiences? I'd very much like to read a book that highlights what it was like flying and fighting in the Bf-110 during the war. (The first-hand accounts in the Duel book I just read were great to read!)

In any case, speaking of the Bf-110E (as someone mentioned Mr. Vasco covering in one of his books), can you guys tell me much about it?

The best I can tell is that it had DB-601N engines, and a cooling system (for the crew?) of some sort.......outside of that were there big differences from the Bf-110C?

Member for

12 years 10 months

Posts: 14

Yep, all three links are correct and excellent books. You should also have a search for "Bombsights Over Britain: Erprobungsgruppe 210" and "Sting Of The Luftwaffe."

http://i52.tinypic.com/2ltk0oj.jpghttp://i51.tinypic.com/2v8quxt.jpg

Member for

12 years 10 months

Posts: 14

This is useful for identifying the different sub-variants from the 'C' to the 'E':

http://i51.tinypic.com/2hxbxmu.jpg

Member for

12 years 10 months

Posts: 14

Glad to hear it! I think I'm going to order a few so I'll have more stuff to read in my free time. I brought a bunch of books and magazines with me, but I've read them all so I'll need additional stuff! :)

Also, do you guys know if any -110 pilots (or crew members) wrote any type of memoirs of his (their) experiences? I'd very much like to read a book that highlights what it was like flying and fighting in the Bf-110 during the war. (The first-hand accounts in the Duel book I just read were great to read!)

In any case, speaking of the Bf-110E (as someone mentioned Mr. Vasco covering in one of his books), can you guys tell me much about it?

The best I can tell is that it had DB-601N engines, and a cooling system (for the crew?) of some sort.......outside of that were there big differences from the Bf-110C?

Enlarged main wheel tyres, rectangular air intake on the machine gun cowling, rectangular panel on the starboard fuselage just aft of the cockpit. Early production versions of the 'E' still had the extended rear fuselage (almost certainly E-1s), but later in the production run things reverted to the standard rear fuselage (almost certainly later E-1s, and E-2s). E-3 was the recce version. There was also an E-3 version which had a rearward firing MG on eith side of the fuselage aft of the cockpit, with an external sight attached to the nornal gunsight. Some 'E' variants were also modified for towing duties, which resulted in small rear view mirrors either side of the fuselage just in front of the cockpit, enlarged oil radiators for the engines, cables running from the cockpit area to the rear fuselage on both sides of the aircraft, and a re-worked rear section to take the small pulley. 'E's were also used as nightfighters.

Member for

14 years 7 months

Posts: 33

Good grief, it's Walter Poka von Pokafalva! I thought we'd lost you in March '42!

Memoirs of Bf 110 pilots? An absolute "must read" is the autobiography by Peter Spoden.

You can get it from the man himself here:

Enemy In The Dark

He's a really nice guy.

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 2,820


In any case, I got to wondering what more I could find in terms of good reads on the Bf-110. I already have the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces title on the -110 and it was outstanding. I'm debating getting the book on Nightfighter Aces in the same series as I'm sure a good part of the book talks about the Bf-110's night time career.

Any other suggestions? Any other fans of the Zerstorer around these parts or is it all British all the time? :)

more of a HE-219 fan than a Zerstorer fan myself, but the nightfighter book is interesting if only for the colour schemes etc, if memory serves there is also some bits on the Arado-234 that was trialled as a night fighter (not great, the cockpit glazing gave poor night views)

Member for

14 years 7 months

Posts: 33

more of a HE-219 fan than a Zerstorer fan myself, but the nightfighter book is interesting if only for the colour schemes etc, if memory serves there is also some bits on the Arado-234 that was trialled as a night fighter (not great, the cockpit glazing gave poor night views)

He 219? There's some very interesting research going on at the moment about that kite. I'm a fan too - an interesting, if not particularly succesful aircraft.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,989

Enlarged main wheel tyres, rectangular air intake on the machine gun cowling, rectangular panel on the starboard fuselage just aft of the cockpit. Early production versions of the 'E' still had the extended rear fuselage (almost certainly E-1s), but later in the production run things reverted to the standard rear fuselage (almost certainly later E-1s, and E-2s). E-3 was the recce version. There was also an E-3 version which had a rearward firing MG on eith side of the fuselage aft of the cockpit, with an external sight attached to the nornal gunsight. Some 'E' variants were also modified for towing duties, which resulted in small rear view mirrors either side of the fuselage just in front of the cockpit, enlarged oil radiators for the engines, cables running from the cockpit area to the rear fuselage on both sides of the aircraft, and a re-worked rear section to take the small pulley. 'E's were also used as nightfighters.

A couple of questions about your remarks:

1. The rectangular air intake...is that a cooling system of some sort?

2. The extended rear fuselage...was this fitted with a dinghy? (Didn't some models of the Bf-110D have this?)

3. The E-3 variant with the side firing MG's...was this similar to the MG131 installation in the later Me-210/410 series?

4. You say that E's were used as night-fighters? I thought the F-4 was the first night-fighter model. Did E's have the radar fit of the later F & G?

As for all the books you guys have mentioned, it seems that I have a lot of reading to do. I really want a copy of "Enemy in the Dark." It seems like it is out of print now, and I am concerned that the only way to obtain a copy is to pay a lot for it! Of course if it's a good read then I'll spend the extra money. I'm just wondering what my options are for obtaining a copy. I think it's something I'll have to wait until I get home to order. I doubt I'd be able to get it shipped to where I am at the moment unless I use Amazon and it seems that the price is very high indeed on that site.