Product Description

The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was the Luftwaffe s prime multi-role heavy fighter. By the time Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, 10 Luftwaffe Gruppen had been equipped with this heavy fighter. However, as a long-range escort fighter, the Bf 110C received a disastrous mauling at the hands of the more nimble Hurricane and Spitfire during the "Battle of Britain". Rather than protecting the bombers under escort, the Bf 110C formations usually found that they were hard-pressed to defend themselves, and the farcical situation developed in which single-seat Bf 109E fighters were having to afford protection to the escort fighters. The complete failure of the Bf 110C in the role for which it had been conceived led to its eventual withdrawal from the Channel coast but did not result in any reduction in its production priority.
Author John Vasco has researched a wealth of new material on the B, C, D and E variants of this aircraft, including many previously unpublished photographs and high-quality artwork and color profiles. This detailed examination of the aircraft will be an invaluable work of reference to historians and modelers of the Bf 110.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #131404 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

About the Author
John Vasco has studied the history of the Luftwaffe, and particularly the role of the Zerstörer units, for more than 20 years. A retired civil servant, he is the author of several highly acclaimed works on the subject.

Customer Reviews

Bf-110 technical details source
Highly detailed and useful book. Don't be put off by the fact that the artist's color profiles are of unfinished primered aircraft (no camouflage or tactical markings). Their purpose to shown the physical aspects of the various different model types and they do this very well without being "painted over" as it were. I just hope there is a second volume delving into the F and G models also. It this one. I fills a nitch in any comprehensive reference collection.

Impressive Nuts-and-Bolts Guide to Early Bf 110s!
Luftwaffe fans should enjoy this detailed technical study of Messerschmitt's 110 'destroyer' published by Ian Allan in 2008. Noted author John Vasco and illustrator Fernando Estanislau offer up 192 pages of photos, profiles and diagrams detailing the C, D and E models. It's quite an impressive package, a real treasure trove devoted to Messerschmitt's twin-engined heavy fighter.

After a short history of the pre-war B model, the authors describe each sub-type in detail in succeeding chapters from C-1, C-2, etc. through E-3. To illustrate the coverage found in Vasco's book, the section on the Bf 110D-0 devotes nine pages to the portly - and deadly to its crews -'Dackelbauch' model with two color side-views, a G.A. drawing from the Bf 110 manual and 14 photos! Short chapters round out the book, describing converted nightfighter variants, camouflage and markings, servicing the Bf 110, etc.


The book is packed with hundreds of black & white and color wartime photographs including many reproductions from manufacturer manuals. Estanislau's numerous color illustrations furnish full-profile and close-up views of airframes, engines, equipment, weapons, differences between various models, and so on. Estanislau's artwork is on a par with that of Tom Tullis, 'nough said!

Though almost all the profiles depict unpainted aircraft, Estanislau includes five color pages showing basic schemes; the numerous photos providing a good overview of the camouflage schemes carried by the early models.

If you're interested in the Bf 110 at war, you'll need to look elsewhere. But, if you're a modeller or a nuts-and-bolts airplane enthusiast, MESSERSCHMITT BF 110 C, D AND E will be just what the doctor ordered. It's pricey at $54.95 but the book is well worth it. Recommended.

Classic Zestorer
Since his book with Peter D. Cornwell Zestorer The Messerschmitt and its Units in 1940 published by JAC in 1995 John J. Vasco has rewritten the history of the Bf110. This new book for CLASSIC is a worthy adition to his Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 ZG1 and Eprobungsgruppe 210 volumes for Schiffer and two volume ZESTORER set also for CLASSIC. While those books where operational histories this book is more inline with The Messerschmitt Bf110 in Color Profile again completed for Schiffer in that it is more technical in focus. Often technical studies can be in the worthy but dull category but not this excellent book. Loads of great photos including colour plus plans and profiles accompany the informative text with much of the information being included as photo captions making the package both interesting and great to look at.