Messerschmitt Bf 110 F-2 Zerstörer – Jagdbomber or Jabo was a dual engine long range heavy fighter. It was a destroyer / night fighter – reconnaissance airplane with a crew of two. One pilot and one radio controller / navigator / rear gunner.
This particular Messerschmitt Bf 110F-2 was part of 10(Z)/JG5, Jagdgeschwader 5, and has the Dachshund / Badger dog as mascot painted on its nose. The dachshund has a Russian Polikarpov I-16, also named Rata (rat), in its mouth. The Zerstörerstaffel of JG5 had three Badger dogs as mascots, Bamse, Herdla and Lockheed. Lockheed was named after the first victory of the destroyer fighter wing. Herdla was named after an airfield used by Jagdgeschwader 5 and Bamse was a Norwegian name for a bear, Bamse was thick furred. They were brought back from leave by Lt. Dieterichs.
The Bf 110 uses two Daimler-Benz DB 601B-1 engines. This plane is often referred to as Me 110 by the Allied forces and as folk designation. There are only 2 original Messerschmitt Bf 110 left, one in England, and one in Germany. One in Denmark is build up from parts of different planes. Photographed in Berlin at the Deutsches Technik Museum in 2016.
