Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter

Although the Japanese never imported the Bf 110, Allied sources assumed that the air­craft would be seen in combat and gave the Bf 110 the codename Doc.

Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet rocket fighter

For details, please see the chapter on the Mit­subishi J8M Syusui.

Messerschmitt Me 209 fighter

Originally, the Me 209 was designed as a high­speed aircraft capable of breaking the world air speed record. In fact, the Me 209 VI would set the record at a speed of 755.14km/h (469.22mph) on 16 April 1939. Beginning with the Me 209 V4, the design shifted to that of a fighter. Despite a number of prototypes, the Me 209 was not accepted for service. Still, Allied intelligence was positive that the Japan­ese knew of the Me 209 and, in fact, a Japan­ese military attache in Berlin did recommend in 1943 that the manufacturing rights for the aircraft be acquired as well as a sample air­craft. It would appear this was not acted upon.

Messerschmitt Me 210A-2 heavy fighter

One Me 210A-2, Werk-Nr. 2350, was modified to the standard of the Me 410 (with the excep­tion that it retained the original Daimler-Benz DB601F engines) and sent to Japan in 1942
for evaluation. After testing, no further inter­est was shown in the design.

Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe jet fighter

For more details, please see the chapter on the Nakajima Kitsuka and Nakajima Ki-201 Karyu.

Messerschmitt Me 309 fighter

The Me 309 was a failed attempt to create a replacement for the Bf 109. The tricycle land­ing gear was cause for grief and in compari­son testing the Me 309 VI came up short against the ВЛ09. Fully loaded, the Me 309 offered only a marginal increase in speed over the Bf 109 and the latter could out turn the for­mer. With the advent of the Focke-Wulf Fwl90D and the superior performance it offered, the Me 309 was shelved with the remaining prototypes serving as testbeds. Despite the failure of the Me 309, the Japanese attempted to purchase the Me 309 in 1943 prior to the termination of the program. It would appear that with the cancellation of the Me 309, no sales of the remaining aircraft or manufacturing rights were offered to Japan.

Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport

Allied intelligence believed that the Japanese received plans and components for the Me 323 Gigant (meaning ‘Giant’), the pow­ered version of the massive Me 321 Gigant transport glider. Although the Japanese were interested in large transports, there is no evi­dence to suggest they had an interest in the Me 323.

Messerschmitt Me 410 heavy fighter

It was thought by Allied intelligence that the Germans had shared information on the Me 410 with the Japanese in November 1942, with other sources suggesting this occurred closer to the end of 1943. However, no such interest in the Me 410 was shown nor were any aircraft delivered. It may be that some confusion was caused by the one Me 21OA-2 that Japan did receive and was configured to the Me 410 standard.

Messerschmitt Me 509 fighter

The Me 509 was a planned derivative of the Me 309, sharing components such as the tri­cycle landing gear. The Daimler-Benz DB605B 12-cylinder engine was housed inside the fuselage, behind the cockpit. The propeller was driven via an extension shaft with the cockpit situated well forwards in the nose. The wings were mounted low on the fuselage. The Kugisho R2Y1 Keiun bears an uncanny resemblance to the Me 509 and it has been suggested that when the Japanese sought the Me 309, information on the Me 509 was also provided to them. No evidence has yet proven this, however.