This title tells the fascinating story of German airborne heavy
weapons platform designs and the difficult history behind the types'
development.
Intended as a progressive development of the twin-engined Bf 110
Zerstörer ("destroyer" or heavy fighter), the Me 210 first took to the
air in September 1939. However, due to a lack of sufficient
flight-testing before being declared service-ready, the Me 210 suffered
from a less than satisfactory reputation in respect to its flight
characteristics and weak undercarriage. After enhancements were made to
the fuselage and wings, and the power of the plane was increased, the Me
210 became the Me 410 in late 1942.
By this stage of the war much was expected of the two types, which were
forced to fly in very dangerous skies over North Africa and in the
defense of the German homeland. Both aircraft were deployed as heavy
fighters, fighter-bombers, reconnaissance platforms and interceptors,
seeing service with a number of different units. The Me 410 was fitted
with 30 mm cannon, 21 cm underwing mortars and the colossal 5 cm BK
cannon that was intended to pack a punch against the USAAF's
four-engined bombers which threatened the Reich in large numbers from
1943 onwards.
In this title, supported by contemporary photography and full-color
artwork, Robert Forsyth tells the complex story of the Me 210 and 410,
detailing their development and assessing their capabilities as combat
aircraft.
