Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Yugoslav service: Difference between revisions

In October 1944, advancing [[Yugoslav Partisans|Partisan]] forces captured eight Bf 109Gs at [[Kovin]], which were supplemented by more Bf 109s in May 1945. Some of these aircraft were made airworthy and pressed into service, flying sorties against [[Chetnik]] forces in [[Bosnia]] in early May 1945 and against Croat forces in [[Posavina]] late that month.{{sfn|Ciglić|2024|p=43}} They saw little use after the end of the fighting, and were scrapped in 1947.{{sfn|Ciglić|2024|p=44}} In 1947, Bulgaria realised that it had a surplus of aircraft above what would be allowed by the [[Paris Peace Treaties, 1947|Paris Peace Treaties]], and rather than scrap them, it was decided that they would be transferred to Yugoslavia, reinforcing the newly established [[Yugoslav Air Force|''Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo'']] (JRV) or Yugoslav Air Force. An initial delivery of 48 dismantled Bf 109s was made in March 1947, and in July that year agreement was made to transfer another 43 Bf 109s, with 12 aircraft being converted to two-seaters.{{#tag:ref|These two seaters had several differences from the Messerschmitt designed G-12 conversion.{{sfn|Ciglić|2024|p=44}}|group=lower-alpha}} In 1949, political disagreements between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union (known as the [[Tito–Stalin split]]) caused deliveries from Bulgaria to be stopped after 53 single-seaters (known as Me 109s rather than Bf 109s in JRV service) and six two seaters (designated UMe 109s) had been received.{{sfn|Ciglić|2024|pp=44–45}} Three more single-seaters were converted to UMe 109 trainers in 1951.{{sfn|Ciglić|2024|p=47}}

 

 

==Surviving examples==