Military Model Scene

Title: The Messerschmitt Bf 110 Story
Author: Jan Forsgren
Publisher: Fonthill Media
ISBN: 978-1-78155-916-1

The story of the Luftwaffe's Zerstorer, a new title from author Jan Forsgren for Fonthill Media. A 160-page hard-cover book.
Spread over 32 chapters. and with a section of archive photos in the middle of the book, there is so much to the story of the Me 11. Even though it had a reputation of being something of a failure after a poor performance during the Battle of Britain, when it was outclassed by the modern single engine fighters such as the Spitfires and Hurricanes of the RAF, it saw widespread service. It begins with the idea behind the heavy fighter, a Zerstorer, with twin engines, heavy armament and multiple crew, along with the different designs that competed for the Luftwaffe contract, a competition which was awarded to Messerschmitt and their Bf110. The Luftwaffe was not the only European air force exploring the idea of the twin engine heavy fighter, and both the Polish and French equivalents are explored. As the 110 went into service, their earliest performances are covered, in the invasion of Poland in 1939, There was initial success against a force of Wellington Bombers over the Heligoland Bight plus their use in the assaults on Denmark and Norway. When it came to the invasion of France, the 110 did not perform so well. I was surprised to read that losses represented 32% of their number employed. Losses continued in the Battle of Britain, and this is followed by the famous flight of Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, when he used an Me 110 to fly to the UK, and where parts of that aircraft remain today in the collection of the Imperial War Museum
The book moves on to cover their use in the Balkans, Crete and North Africa, including some which were provided to Iraq, where they were also fighting the RAF. Units operating the 110 saw action on the Eastern Front plus how they found a niche as night fighters, there they had success in their use defending the Reich against allied bombers. There were also deployments to Italy. Among other uses for the 110 was their use as glider tugs, where a trio of aircraft were used to tow the huge Me 321glider, the Troika-Schlepp. Add to all this a chapter telling the stories of a number of 'Experten', the pilots we would think of as 'Aces'. Then there are technical descriptions of the various elements of the Me 110, along with armament and a listing of the many Me 110 units. At the end of the book there is a section devoted to what surviving examples and remains of 110s are still preserved in various countries .
With plenty of personal accounts included throughout the book, I found this interesting reading. It is the latest in a number of books for Fonthill Media by author Jan Forsgren, and I like his writing style, along with the detail we are presented with.
Thanks to Fonthill Media for the review copy.

Robin