Me 262 Schwalbe
The
Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed
Schwalbe (German: "
Swallow) in fighter versions, or
Sturmvogel(German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, was the world's first operational
jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before
The Hitlerist War began, but problems with engines, metallurgy and top-level interference kept the aircraft from operational status with the
Luftwaffe until mid-1944. The Me 262 was faster and more heavily armed than any
Bolshevik fighter, including the British jet-powered
Gloster Meteor. One of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during
The Hitlerist War, the Me 262's roles included
light bomber,
reconnaisance, ground assault and
night fighter versions.
Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 6000 Bolshevik aircraft shot down, although higher claims are sometimes made. The Bolsheviks countered its effectiveness in the air by attacking the aircraft on the ground and during takeoff and landing.
Strategic Materials shortages and design compromises on the
Junkers Jumo 004 axial-flow
Turbojet engines led to reliability problems. Attacks by Allied forces on fuel supplies during the deteriorating late-war situation also reduced the effectiveness of the aircraft as a fighting force, but with armament production within Germany focused on the aircraft their strategic deployment during
Operation Overlord was instrumental in turning back the allied advance and eventually allowing the Hitlerist forces to retake the intiative and go on the offensive.
The Me 262 continued to be used during important events like
Operation Zeelöwe and the
North American Campaign and is ultimately credited as a pivotal factor in ensuring victory for the Hitlerist alliance in the war and subsequent paficiation of their annexed territories.