SAAF bf 109F

[T. van Vuuren]

I think this is an interesting read. I post a pic of the 109F that the SAAK rebuilt in the field and acording to the story became the first Allied force to fly a 109F.

Just click the zoom on the pic to read it.

Maybe Steve has some history on this particular plane.

Theuns

View attachment 32366

 

[stona]

The RAF got its first Bf109F delivered by Rolf Pingel on 10/7/40. He was hit by return fire from a Stirling bomber. There is a funny section in his interrogation where he bigs up the Stirling's defences,wounded pride I suspect.

The RAF soon had his aircraft off to The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough and got it flying again. The F series had only just started to be introduced to front line service so they were understandably keen to assess it.

So was Douglas Bader who,unimpressed with the length of time the RAE had taken with trials of a captured E, wrote a snotty letter (he wasn't known for his tact) essentially saying let me and a couple of my senior pilots fly it for a few hours and we'll tell you all you need to know.

I didn't know the story of the SAAF Bf109F. I wouldn't have wanted to fly that around the Western desert,even with a few hastily applied national markings. It still looked like a 109 to another allied pilot!

Cheers

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Interesting Steve, it seems the writers of the "SAAF at war" book missed the story you just gave!

I suspect the "SAAF" 109 would have been heavily escorted while airborne to not "loose" it to some eager trigger happy pilot LOL

Theuns