February 20, 1937.

On this morning, Günther Radusch (Germany's night ace of World War II, but I really don't know how to translate it) set off on a routine air safari in a pre-production bf-109B0V5 fighter.

Why do you say it's an air safari? Quite simply, a total of 10 pre-production versions of the BF-109B were produced at this time, three of which were shipped to Spain in October 1936 for combat testing. Because the number is too small (only 3), it is not so much a test of war as a final test before mass production.

So what is the performance of the BF-109B pre-production model (later referred to as the BF-109B0 type)? At an altitude of 4,000 meters, the maximum speed is close to 470 kilometers per hour (467), which is 30 kilometers faster than the Red Army's I-153 and I-16-18.

It should be said that the performance of the BF-109B0 is the same, and there is no absolute advantage in the face of the I-153 and I-16-18. The main reason is that the engine used by the BF-109B0 at this time is not powerful, and the engine JUMO210B stable and reliable output is only 540 horsepower, and it can only maintain 600 horsepower at sea level for five minutes.

This is a big gap with the Yi-15 and Yi-16 series, which have been replaced with 1000 horsepower M-62 engines. In particular, the M-62 is a star-shaped air-cooled engine, which is heavier and more reliable than JUMO210B liquid-cooled engines.

Anyway, after the BF-109B0 arrived in Spain, although it achieved certain results, there were also a lot of minor problems and mechanical failures. Of course. As a fighter that had just completed test flights in the second half of 1936 and entered the pre-production period. These problems are tolerable. In particular, it is important to note that the birth of the BF-109 at the beginning was full of ups and downs. Almost stillborn.

Messerschmidt, the name is familiar to everyone, and it is also known that the BF-109 is the masterpiece of this genius aviation designer. But everyone doesn't know that this genius didn't mix well in the twenties and thirties, or a little miserable.

In the late twenties, Messerschmidt raised the funds to open several airlines (in order to avoid risk), the most famous of which was the Bavarian Aircraft Factory (BFW). However, Lao Mei is indeed relatively moldy, and she was just about to show her strength when she encountered a world economic crisis. In 1929, BFW's license agreement with the American Pattucott Oriental Aircraft Company was cancelled less than a year later, and by 1930 BFW had lost 60 Deutsche marks on the project. In 1931, BFW's M-20 for Lufthansa crashed for unknown reasons.

For a while, BFW was stormy. To be honest, the biggest impact of this air crash on BFW was not the loss of Lufthansa's order, but the death of a deserving person in this air crash, that is, Lufthansa General Manager Earhart. Milch's best friend and assistant.

Note that this Milch was very important, and in World War II he was a Luftwaffe field marshal. He was also the one who was in charge of the Luftwaffe's equipment. In other words, if Milch looks at a company that is not pleasing to the eye. Then that company can't avoid wearing small shoes.

Milch was naturally furious at the crash, insisting that the main reason for the crash was that Messerschmitt did not consider the safety performance of the aircraft in order to save production costs. At that time, all orders for the M-20 were cancelled and BFW was asked to refund the money already paid.

This almost made Messerschmidt worry to death, and several times the work was ineffective, and BFW could only declare bankruptcy. An agreement was then reached with the creditors, and with the help of BFW's shareholder, the banker Saller, operations resumed on May 1, 1933. But don't think that Milch's anger will disappear, after learning the news, he said directly to Salel: "You help him is also a white gang, this kid can't do anything, if you are finished, don't expect him to pull you, if you don't kick you when the time comes, you will be lucky!" ”

This shows how much Milch hates Messerschmitt. Of course, the hatred between the two sides is not only the aforementioned point, but there is another reason, that is, Messerschmidt and the CEO of Lufthansa's biggest competitor, North Bayern Air Transport. Krones had a close personal relationship. This is naturally an enmity on revenge for Milch, so Milch has his eye on Messerschmidt and wants to take revenge at every opportunity. And Milch also has the qualifications and power to retaliate, because three days before the resumption of BFW's operation, the mustache who had just come to power appointed Milch as the head of procurement at the Imperial Aviation Department (RLM)!

For example, the BF-109 project, at that time, there were many companies competing for the Air Force fighter project, but it was definitely only Messerschmidt who made Milch look unpleasant. In particular, Messerschmidt's products have a very bad reputation among test pilots (known as the king of crashes), and compared with the competitor He112 Heinkel, the bf-109 is not very good to pilot, and test pilots generally do not like this kind of aircraft with the nose high and the runway in front of it is not visible at all, and uses a closed cockpit and automatic flaps. The He112 is generally more satisfied with the He112, which has a larger wingspan and better hovering performance.

Anyway, in the first comparative flights, no one was optimistic about the BF-109. For example, Ernest. Udet said directly: "This thing will never become a fighter!" ”

Not only was the comparison test flight not optimistic about the BF-109, but in fact, Milch did not plan to give Messerschmidt a chance in the first place. At the beginning of the fighter selection, the BFW was directly excluded, and if it were not for the excellent performance of the BF-108, which caused ideas from all sides, the BF-109 would not even be qualified to participate in the selection. And even if Messerschmitt got this qualification, Milch still got in the way, and directly told him: only three prototypes can be produced, don't count on any production orders!

If this rhythm continues, the bf-109 is destined to be just a character who accompanies the prince to study, and the final winner may be the more traditional He112. But no one could have imagined it. At this life-or-death moment. The British pulled Messerschmidt!

Yes. You read that right, it was the British who helped Messerschmidt. When German intelligence got the design of the Spitfire and several jù. In contrast, the He112, which is widely recognized by test pilots, is simply a big stupid bird, and it can only be exploded when it encounters a firethrow. The performance of the bf-109 was very close to that of the Spitfire, so that under the threat of the British, the Germans immediately changed their ways and threw the He112, which was already ready to win, into the garbage heap. Instead, righted the BF-109.

This was good news for Messerschmidt, but it was hateful for Miserschmitt, and after that, whenever he had the chance, Milch would trouble Messerschmidt, and in the later Germans' four-engine long-range bomber project, Messerschmitt's Me-264 was tossed by Milch enough.

Well, these are all digressions, back to the story itself, when Günther Radusch piloted the bf-109b0 on a safari mission in the air. The first time I met my opponent!

According to Günther Radusch's recollection of the situation: "Our three Bf109s followed a group of Ju86s from a distance, and when we were about to reach the port, we saw four Avia534 biplanes climbing up rapidly. An attempt to break up the formation of bombers. We swooped down and surrounded them from behind. The two companions opened fire first, but the distance was too far to miss, and the three Avia534s immediately dispersed and fled, but their long plane still chased the bomber. I kept close to the past and did not fire until 50 meters, and I could clearly see that the bullet had entered the opponent's fuselage. It rolled over, no smoke, no flames, and fell to a height of 1,000 meters, breaking into pieces on the ground......"

Günther Radusch was quite happy about the results, the only thing that made him regret was that he did not meet the I-16, he had heard from his comrades that although the speed of the I-16 was a little slower than the bf-109b0, the speed was also very impressive. He very much wanted to fight with the latest Soviet fighters, so that he could "squeeze" the extreme performance of the BF-109.

However, Günther Radusch's wish was soon granted, and just as he was regrouping and regaining altitude, two different fighters flew in from the direction of Malaga.

What's the difference?

Günther Radusch recalled: "We had previously obtained the Spanish Republican Army's Air Force Identification Manual, and it was clear that both the I-15 and I-16 had distinct features, with air-cooled engines, they had a huge nose, and in general, they looked rough and thick, and compared to our streamlined BF109, the Soviet fighters were unusually ugly!" ”

"But these two fighters were completely different from the coarse Soviet counterparts, with their pointed noses and streamlined fuselages, which were very beautiful in terms of their shape. I immediately set my eyes on them, and the only thought that came to my mind was: 'Where did this plane come from?' ’”

Pokryshkin would be proud if he could hear Günther Radusch. Because he flew the most advanced MiG-1 interceptor of the Red Air Force. Note that it's an interceptor, not a fighter!

Why? This has to start with the previous aircraft selection of HNA, when Polikarpov's design did not satisfy Li Xiaofeng, and later Yakovlev's Yak-1 was excellent, so in this round of selection, the Yak-1 won. Therefore, under Li Xiaofeng's instructions, the Air Force chose the MiG-1 as an interceptor for territorial air defense, and its main mission was to defend important cities and strategic points, mainly used to attack enemy invading bombers and reconnaissance planes, and not to undertake the task of seizing air supremacy.

The first production MiG-1 rolled off the assembly line in Moscow in mid-December 1936, and by the end of January, a total of 18 had been produced. Of these, 12 were immediately equipped with the Air Force of the Leningrad Military District, and the remaining six were sent to Spain for combat testing.

At this time, the MiG-1 used an M-105 engine (the domestic version of 12Ycrs, which is slightly less reliable than the original cargo, and the rated power did not reach 960 horsepower, only 920 horsepower) and compared with the MiG-1 prototype when HNA selected the model before. The production version of the MiG-1 was rebuilt with a gold-wood structure. The reason is none other than that the Air Force wants to save money. And there is no need for such good corrosion protection (as an additional thing, in this time and space, the Soviet imitation of the 12Ybrs M-100 will not be produced), because the gold and wood structure is heavier, so the maximum speed is about 490 km.

In terms of speed alone, the MiG-1 and BF-109B0 are half a catty, but in terms of maneuverability, the MiG-1 is more than twice as painful as the BF109B0. The machine is known for its poor longitudinal stability. Just look at the shape of the MiG-1. The pilot's cockpit is extremely rear, although it does not have the feeling that the pilot's cockpit is almost in the tail of the improved MiG-3, but in this era, it can be regarded as very rear.

If you think about it, the design of the rear three-point landing gear makes the nose of the aircraft high, and it is difficult for the pilot to observe the runway, and the cockpit of the MiG-1 is still far behind, which makes take-off and landing exponentially more difficult. In particular, this is still a "static and unstable" fighter, and the longitudinal operation is very fatal. For newbies, this is simply daunting.

The only thing to be thankful for is. The previous poor longitudinal maneuverability of the I-16 has already been revealed, and for most pilots who can skillfully fly the E-16, it is slightly less difficult to fly the MiG-1.

For example, Pokryshkin, who had accumulated enough experience on the I-16 before, and after flying the MiG-1, his performance was excellent, and it was precisely because of this that he became the first 10 pilots to accompany the MiG-1 to Spain.

And this flight, which was Pokryshkin's first combat mission, after taking off from Malaga, according to the guidance of the Navy, they found the formation of Günther Radusch.

For the Soviets, the BF109 is no stranger, in the previous three months, there have been pilots who have witnessed or been directly shot down by German high-speed pointed fighters, even the E-16, which has a very good speed, is no match for this advanced German fighter. It is precisely because of this that the country immediately sent the MiG-1 and Yak-1 to Spain. High-level officials, including Arksnis and Li Xiaofeng, want to know who is stronger in the field of the latest fighter jets!

This time, after detecting that the BF-109 was dispatched again, the international column immediately sent two MiG-1s, and on the Leningrad aircraft carrier, the Yak-1K with all-metal foldable wings (in fact, this is the original Yak-1, and the Yak-1 that was later delivered to the Air Force, in fact, was developed and produced later. It was not until 1938 that the Yak-1, without the folding mechanism, began to be delivered to the Air Force) was also nervously refueling and hanging bombs, and a little later it would also rush to the battlefield.

Three BF-109s and two MiG-1s quickly traded each other, with pilots on both sides trying to climb up the throttle in order to gain an advantage. But it soon became clear that it didn't make much sense, because the speed and climb of the two sides were not much different.

At that time, Pokryshkin was taken aback, because at home, with his excellent speed and climbing ability, he could easily take advantage and then condescendingly blow up his opponents. And now, even if he has stepped on the accelerator to the end, he has not been able to occupy any advantage, which is not a good sign.

Why? Because the MiG-1 is really an interceptor, its circling and rolling performance is a mess, if you can't use high speed to seize a favorable position, you will be abused in a dog fight!

Anyway, at that time, Pokryshkin and his wingman were a little stunned, not knowing what to do next, but fortunately, they soon remembered the teachings of their comrades, avoid fighting, try to fight and run, and climb up and somersault if it really doesn't work.

Soon Pokryshkin began to fight according to the experience of his predecessors, but it became clear that their opponents were not so easy to bully, Günther Radusch and others were also old birds, and the bf-109 was not He51, and it was not particularly afraid of vertical maneuverability.

So in the next few minutes, Pokryshkin and his wingman were in frequent distress, somersaults could not get rid of their opponents, they could not get rid of their opponents by stepping on the accelerator to death, and he did not dare to circle and roll, because these two opponents were very good at them. During the final evaluation of the BF-109 in Germany, the BF 109 made 23 left rolls in one breath, followed by 21 right rolls, and then dived almost vertically from 23,000 feet in the air in full view. It can be said that as long as the MiG-1 plays with mobility, then the battle will end in minutes.

Pokryshkin was surprised, and Günther Radusch was also taken aback, whether it was an I-15 or an I-16 before, he almost didn't want to run away in front of the bf-109, but the pointed fighter in front of him was different, even if he hit the throttle to the end, he couldn't catch up with the opponent, in the race, although the opponent's advantage was not particularly large, but it was always a little bit of distance. Günther Radusch believed that if he continued to race like this, his JUMO engine would soon overheat and the speed would drop.

Just as Günther Radusch was frowning, two more pointed-nosed fighters appeared from the other side. At first, Günther Radusch thought that enemy reinforcements were coming, and he also glanced at him in the midst of the tense race.

And these two eyes blinded his dog eyes, because the two enemy planes that arrived recently were completely different from the previous two, the cockpit was centered and the fuselage lines were very different. At that moment, a big question mark popped up in Günther Radusch's head: "Could it be that the Russians developed two fighters at once?" ”

Next, when Günther Radusch fought the two new Yak-1s, it was a white hairy sweat. Why? Because this new opponent is completely different from the previous one! Faster! Better mobility! (The maximum speed of the Yak-1K is 508 km/h, because the Yak-1 is installed with the original French 12Ycrs, which has no power loss and better reliability).

If you don't pay attention, he almost makes his opponent burst. After that, Günther Radusch went from being a stalker to a prey. Hung behind his tail, Jacques-1 chased after him, and even if he kept rolling, he couldn't get out of the situation.

The only thing that made Günther Radusch fortunate was that the enemy pilots had not yet mastered the performance of the aircraft and could not get the best out of the Yak-1, which allowed him to escape under the cover of the CR32 group that arrived behind.

After landing, Günther Radusch was told by the ground crew that his fuselage had been pierced with more than 30 holes, and that the loss would not be fatal, otherwise he would not have returned.

After this sortie, Günther Radusch and his bf109b0 fighters were quickly repackaged and shipped back to Germany, where the next bf109 would be improved according to the previous table in Spain.

However, when he left Ceuta, Günther Radusch never forgot the Russian pointy fighter that made him very wolf, he always wanted to find out what kind of fighter it was, and he looked forward to fighting again in the future!

Günther Radusch didn't have to wait too long, in the next Spanish Civil War, the bf109 and the Yak-1 and the MiG-1 had a chance to fight, both sides will have a full understanding, and in the future, their improved models will fight to the death over Eastern Europe! (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank you for drinking a thousand cups of people who are not drunk, instant kill potatoes, hzwangdd and Comrade Juventus!