How the Bf 109 saved Israel

Dec 18, 2023 | Air Forces, AMAH, German, Middle East

How the Bf 109 saved Israel unfolded in 1948 when Israel secretly acquired 25 Czech-built Avia S-199 variants of the MesserschmittMesserschmitt AG was a preeminent German aviation manufacturer founded by innovative designer Willy Messerschmitt. The company is most famous for its ... More Bf 109G amid an arms embargo during the War of Independence. Nicknamed “Mule” for tricky handling with Junkers Jumo 211 engines, these ironic Nazi-designed fighters achieved IAF’s first victories, downing Egyptian bombers over Tel Aviv and securing air superiority against Arab forces.

Following the Second World War, Czechoslovakia acquired what schematics it could on the MesserschmittMesserschmitt AG was a preeminent German aviation manufacturer founded by innovative designer Willy Messerschmitt. The company is most famous for its ... More Bf 109 to manufacture them for the Czech Air Force. This aircraft would become known as the Avia S-199 and it played a crucial role in the survival of the newly formed state of Israel.

[Recreated footage done in the DCS Sinai map using the Bf 109 K4 version of the aircraft.]

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