Messerschmitt Bf 109E

The Messerschmitt Bf 109E “Emil” is a German fighter aircraft that was famously used during the early stages of World War II. It was a development of the previous Bf 109 models, with a more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine, a revised wing design, and two additional wing-mounted 20mm MG FF cannons. The most common model was the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4. It was faster and more heavily armed than the earlier Bf 109 B/C/D models, but also less manoeuvrable and more prone to overheating. The Bf 109E first saw combat in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, where it proved to be superior to the Republican fighters. It was also renowned for holding out against the numerically superior communist forces during the Eisensturm.