The Messerschmitt 410 ‘Hornisse’

The Messerschmitt 410 ‘Hornisse’ (Hornet) was a German heavy fighter and Schnellbomber which was created through an incremental improvement of the Messerschmitt 210. The ‘remodelled’ aircraft was given a new wing planform, longer fuselage and engines of greater power. The changes were significant enough for the aircraft to be renamed the Messerschmitt 410.

Development of the Messerschmitt 210 had been underway since 1939, but the aircraft proved unstable and was not considered for full-scale production. Modifications produced the Messerschmitt 210C and 210D, which proved somewhat superior. As studies progressed on the Messerschmitt 210D, and with separate parallel attempts to improve on the 210 with the Messerschmitt 310 in the second half of 1943 — which provided almost no improvement over the 210’s risky handling qualities — it was instead decided to introduce a completely new model: the Messerschmitt 410.

The Messerschmitt 410 was equipped with Daimler-benz DB 603A engines and had a very considerable bomb carrying capacity (1,000 kg) for an aircraft of this size. It had a wingspan of 16.35 metres, a length of 12.48 metres and a height of 4.28 metres. It could achieve a ceiling of 10,000 metres and a speed of 337 kph at altitude.

The Messerschmitt 410’s armament comprised two x 7.92mm machine guns and two x 20mm forward firing cannon. For defence, the rear gunner used a pair of Ferngerichtete Drehringseitenlafette FDSL 131/1B rotating gun barbettes mounted on each side of the aircraft, each armed with a 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, operated through a pivoting handgun-style grip, trigger and Revi gunsight arrangement. This was a feature unique to the Messerschmitt 210 and 410 types.

Deliveries of the Messerschmitt 410 began in January 1943 and continued until September 1944, by which time 1,160 had been produced.

Much liked by its crews, as a night bomber the aircraft proved to be an elusive target for the RAF night fighters. The first unit to operate over Britain was V./KG 2, which lost its first Messerschmitt 410 on the night of 13/14 July 1943 to a Mosquito of 85 Squadron – the same operating unit and the same RAF squadron which claimed the aircraft flown by Wilhelm Schmitter and Felix Hainzinger as detailed in this feature.

As a fighter during its use in the defence of the Reich, the aircraft was a formidable opponent for Allied bomber formations, but its performance could not protect it from the huge numbers of Allied fighters frequently encountered.

■ This view of a captured Messerschmitt 410 under evaluation by the RAF gives a good impression of what was a sleek and purposeful looking aircraft in flight. This aircraft was a Messerschmitt 410 A-3 (W.NR 10259) which had been captured at Monte Corvino, Italy, and was given the RAF serial number TF209.