With the early tail unit problems out of the way, pilots generally agreed that the F series was the best-handling of all the Bf 109 series.
[45] Mölders flew one of the first operational Bf 109 F-1s over England from early October 1940; he may well have been credited with shooting down eight Hurricanes and four Spitfires while flying
W.No 5628,
Stammkennzeichen SG+GW between 11 and 29 October 1940.
[46][47]
As the DB 601 E was not yet available in numbers, the pre-production
F-0 (the only F variant to have a rectangular supercharger intake) and the first production series
F-1/F-2 received the 1,175 PS (1,159 hp, 864 kW) DB 601N engine driving a VDM 9-11207 propeller.
[36] The F-0/F-1 and F-2 only differed in their armament; the F-1 being fitted with one 20 mm MG FF/M
Motorkanone firing through the engine hub, with 60 rounds. The F-1 first saw action in the
Battle of Britain in October 1940 with JG 51.
[48] The most experienced fighter aces, like
Werner Mölders, were the first ones to fly the first Bf 109 F-1s in combat in October 1940.
[46]