For a few days in September 1942 the Me 210 flew operationally against England. Chris Goss describes its tragic debut
Flying at sea level, a pair of twin-engined Luftwaffe fighters skimmed the North Sea, maintaining strict radio silence. They were heading west from Soesterberg in the Netherlands on August 3, 1942, bound for a convoy sailing off the Yorkshire coast. Leading the raiders was 25-year-old Oberleutnant (Oblt) Walter Maurer, who had cut his teeth on Messerschmitt Bf 110s.
Nearing the target, they climbed to 1,200ft into a bank of mist, before diving to 600ft. They released their bombs and headed for home, not knowing if they had been successful. Flying the Luftwaffe’s Me 210, the crews had been on the receiving end of British anti-aircraft fire, but knew that sooner or later they would meet the RAF. Only then would they find out how the problematic new warplane shaped up operationally.
At the end of April 1942, Erprobungsstaffel Me 210, dedicated to bringing the new machine into service, formed at Lechfeld in Germany, with Oblt Maurer in command. Following officer and pilot training, in 1938 Maurer was posted to 3/ Jagdgeschwader 137 (3/JG 137) at Bernberg after which he flew with 1/Jagdgrup…
