Production of the 210
Production began in Spring 1941 in both Augsburg and Regensburg factories; first deliveries began in April 1941.
A very important innovation in the Me 210 design was the use of side rear firing Mg131 turret guns (barbettes) controlled by the rear crew member by the means of a ReVi gun sight and a pistol grip with the firing trigger. These barbettes were delicate maintenance pieces and were not easy to handle. A famous victim of these guns was the American Ace Captain James Morris of the 20th Group. On 7/07/44, over Halle and Bernburg, he was shot down and killed in his P-38 Lightning by an attacked Me 410.
By the end of `41 the test program was over and the final evaluation was that it was still an unsuitable firing platform for its stability problems. Messerschmitt modified a pre-production plane (Me 210 A-0 NE+BH Werk Nr. 101) with lengthened rear fuselage (lengthened by 1˝ panels) and redesignating it with the Versuch-number V17 on 14/03/42. This modification was very successful in increasing the plane’s handling qualities. Another important modification was the fitting, in July 1942, of wing leading edge slots. Soon after flying tests it was ordered to retrofit all Me 210 As with this device.
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The Me 410 "Hornisse"
The Me 410, was an improvement of the Me 210 proposed as a high altitude fighter/bomber with two DB 603A engines (1750 hp), wing edge slats, a presurized cabine, lengthened engine nacelles and no sweep back on the wings. The Me 410 was waited everywhere in all fronts by 1943 and arrived too late. When it finally arrived, it was usually limited to the role of high-speed bomber or reconnaissance. The Hornisse was more successful in Observation units 1 and 7 than in the interceptor role.
The first prototype V1 was ready by the end of 1942. The entire test program envolved some twenty test planes many of which were modified Me 210s. The armament was the same as in the Me 210.
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Hungarian 210
In Hungary th Me 210 in the Ca-1 version was builded by the Dunai Repülögépgyár (Danube Aircraft Factory) under the Mutual Armament Program between Germany and Hungary. Two-thirds of this aircraf factory were to be delivered to Luftwaffe and the rest to the Honvéd Air Force. Even if it was mainly used as a Gyorsbombázó (fast bomber), the Me 210 Ca-1 was also used by the 5/1. night fighter Squadron known also as Bagoly (Owl) Squadron sited at Ferihegy airfiled in 1944.
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About the guns:
The Me 410 guns had the usual German defensive machine gun setting: lead calculating mechanical calculator gunsights, with system moving the machine guns and shooting whichever or both guns could fire at the target.
