Messerschmitt Bf 109 | Better than the Spitfire

This Bf 109 fought in the Battle of Britain, crash landed in 1940, and ended up on display. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was matched only by the Supermarine Spitfire. It was the Luftwaffe’s only single seat fighter for the first few years of the Second World War and the RAF’s nemesis during the Battle of Britain. Duxford’s Bf 109 is an E-3/E-4 variant. It was attacked by Spitfires in late 1940 and crash-landed in a field in relatively good condition. Because of this smooth crash landing, the aircraft ended up touring North America before going on display at IWM – the tourists’ graffiti from these tours can still be seen on its wings. In this video, Curator Adrian Kerrison shows us how much we can learn from looking closely this Battle of Britain icon. Take a look into the cockpit, watch it take off, and hear from those who flew the Bf 109 during World War Two. Plan your visit to IWM Duxford: See the full list of archive films used in this video, available for licensing