German fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe’s JG53 scrambling on La Marsa airfield, Tunisia, Spring 1943. Victor Sierra

Scramble! Scramble!

Messerschmitt Bf 109Fs of the Luftwaffe’s JG53 “Pik As” in “desert” livery flying over the North Africa. Photo (Bundesarchiv Bild 1011-443-1588-09, date 18 June 1942) likely taken by an escorted Axis planes. Victor Sierra

Bf 109 over North Africa

A Me-262 V083 outfitted with a 50mm Rheinmetall-Mauser BK-5 cannon was intended to be a heavy bomber destroyer. it was captured by the Americans and shipped to the united states. The jet was named Wilma Jeanne was named by a Watson Whizzers Master-Sergeant Eugene Freiburger wife but latter renamed Happy Hunter II. The prototype (only two made the other V899) was impressive the crew. they were impressed by the recoil-damping system which hardly moved the plane. But some problems were the guns was it was prone to jam and the muzzle flash was bright enough to blind the pilot. the plane was destroyed from the vibrations of the cannon and the tail of the plane to malfunction and go into a uncontrollable dive at speeds of 500 mph the pilot Ludwig Hofmann (a Messerschmitt test pilot from germany) managed to  bailout safely but suffered from contusions and severe bruisin. 