Quote:
Hooton in Eagle in Flames gives the percentage losses of 109s by subtype:
July
E1 - 44%
E3 - 30%
E4 - 20%
August
E1 - 40%
E3 - 8%
E4 - 52%
September
E1 - 38%
E3 - 1%
E4 - 61%
October
E1 - 36%
E3 - 2%
E4 - 62%
and some more info from Kurfust,
Quote:
I have some actual numbers. On 31 August 1940, fighter units (excluding JG 77) reported 375 E-1s, 125 E-3s, 339 E-4s and 32 E-7s on strength, indicating that most of the E-3s had been already converted to E-4 standard. JG 77 had around 100-125 aircraft with it, but for the rest of the units, its 75% cannon E-3/4/7, the rest are all MG E-1s. The E-1 and E-3 were produced parallel and in about equal numbers from the end of 1938, but by mid-1940, the production of the E-1 stopped, replaced by the E-4 and then the E-7.
and,
Quote:
In Ulrich Steinhilper's book 'Spitfire on My Tail', he relates quite clearly that they, JG52 didn't get there first cannon armed 109's until mid september (10th iirc, fenrirs got my copy at the moment so can't check), and then only 2, which were hand me downs from another unit.
from this thread
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.ph...,23678.12.html