"Me" or "Bf"?

[HoHun]

Hi everyone,

I'm sure you've recognized the question :-) Apparently, it was hotly debated not only in a historical context, but actually between Messerschmitt and the RLM themselves.

Here's a bit I just found in Mankau/Petrick's Zerstörer book:

"8.11.35 (LC II) Post to the main office, subject: correspondence from the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke - It is requested that effective from November 6, 1935, all incoming letters and documents from the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke that use the obsolete designation "Me" (for example Me 110) instead of the "BF" (for example BF 110) for their aircraft types are to be returned to the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke as not accepted with a corresponding comment. This measure is necessary to establish a standardized treatment of aircraft designations of the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke within the Reichsluftfahrtministerium."

To sum it up: To get Messerschmitt to accept the RLM standard designations instead of his initials for his aircraft, the RLM simply returned any piece of paper not complying with their ideas to Messerschmitt until he gave in.

(I'd assume the summary should actually begin "After everything else failed ..." :-)

The capital "BF" is 1930s' style and was replaced by the familar mixed "Bf" later.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[Crumpp]

That's funny!  Thanks Hohun.

Crumpp

[Badboy]

Originally posted by HoHun
Hi everyone,

I'm sure you've recognized the question :-)

Very interesting. I've seen historians refer to the issue in books before, stating which designation the author considered to be correct. However, this information gives me the impression that there wasn’t a "correct" designation as such, just a battle of minds, between Messerschmitt’s natural desire to have his aircraft named after him, and  Bayerische Flugzeugwerke’s desire to have them named likewise… I’m not sure who normally has the privilege of naming an aircraft, it seems that whoever pays for them has the right to name them, and not many designers get the privilege. I seem to remember Mitchell being quoted as saying he thought that "Spitfire" was a "Bloody silly" name

Badboy

[HoHun]

Hi Badboy,

>However, this information gives me the impression that there wasn’t a "correct" designation as such, just a battle of minds, between Messerschmitt’s natural desire to have his aircraft named after him, and ...

... Milch's desire to have it his way, actually. BFW was more or less controlled by Messerschmitt at the time, but Milch had been Mr. Luft Hansa when some Messerschmitt-built passenger planes crashed, and he was Mr. RLM now and hadn't forgotten the bitter battles fought over the crashes.

Ironically, in 1938 Messerschmitt acquired BFW, founding the Messerschmitt AG, so "Me" became official even with the RLM where Milch was sharing his power with Udet by then.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[Shane]

I found this funny.

fahrt ministerium

[Glasses]

And of Course Mr Udet blew his brains out.


leaving Milch all by his lonesome