Does the 109E have armor?

[Osprey]

Kurfurst, just an observation but I notice that your 4 109's listed are all recovered late in the BOB, the earliest 31st August. Do you have any records from the start too? Or even Battle of France?

[Kurfürst]

Originally Posted by Osprey

Kurfurst, just an observation but I notice that your 4 109's listed are all recovered late in the BOB, the earliest 31st August. Do you have any records from the start too? Or even Battle of France?

I think that's it, I have found these on http://aircrewremembrancesociety.com/luft1939/ site, there are many other such reports for Bf 110s, bombers etc. It's a good source.

I have the crash report for WNr. 4101 somewhere too (that's the only E-4/N crash report I know of ) which also confirms the armor plate. These reports were made in haste and were superfluous. Still they are invaluable.

It's difficult to find examples earlier, I am sure there are some other but I guess during most of August the air combat typically occured near the coastline, and those 109s that were hit and did not go straight down (and pancaked, so there was not much to report but aluminium ash pile..) probably tried to make it for France over the sea... either they did make it or did not, obviously no reports of those.

As for Battle of France, no, I have not too many French reports (relatively few 109s were lost anyways, and the French/British had other problems during retreat than inspecting them). I have the one 109E-3s which the French tested (and later handed over to the British, that's the long RAE or Morgan report), serial no 1304., which notes there were no armor fitted. But they captured that plane back in the late automn of 1939, so it does not tell you much about the BoF period's fitting.

However the 109E manual issued in december 1939 however notes that armor weight is not included in the loading weights, so its pretty clear armor was / was about to be introduced in the end of 1939 (right after the French captured WNr. 1304), given the reference.

Most secondary sources seem to note that it was the E-4 that introduced armor into serial production (and puts it May 1940), so pilot armor essentially went parallel with similar RAF upgrades.

[Osprey]

I wonder about that JG26 example in the BOB museum at Duxford. They have it sat on display in a crashed state. I know that the starboard wing is original but I can't remember how much of it is or when it was forced down. I have some pictures at home, should be easy to see. It's a case of trust though, the example has the '100 octane' triangle on it in the museum but that isn't in the original photograph at the crash site.

[Kurfürst]

This one?

Wnr. 1190, White 4 of II/JG 26. I believe this is the one famously set up as it was orginally. Pilot had an engine failure in a dogfight and made a nice belly landing IIRC.

[JG52Uther]

Pics of the Duxford 109 here:
http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/ma...orama_duxford/

[Osprey]

Yes that's the one Uther, looks like it was also in September.

[JtD]

Galland in his book the first and the last mentions when his 109 got the armour plate installed, because he didn't like it when he saw it, but then was happy he got it when it was struck by a cannon shell soon after and saved his life. Not sure if his statement has a date to it, can't look it up at the moment.