Messerschmitt ME 262: Revolutionizing Aerial Combat.

Whenever a machine comes around, that revolutionizes something, it is always renowned. The ME 262, was one of those machines. It was the first jet to ever soar the skies. The ME 262 was a German first-generation jet fighter. When it first saw combat in April 1944, it quickly became feared by the Allies. Before it no one knew what a jet was, it was such an advancement flight itself, that the Allies had nothing comparable to it.

Whenever a machine comes around, that revolutionizes something, it is always renowned.

The ME 262 saw limited combat, due to it being introduced late in the war. But in the time it did see action, ME 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied kills. The ME 262 used dual Junkers Jumo 004 axial-flown turbojet engines. The ME 262 also was more heavily armed than most allied aircraft. Most allied aircraft really didn’t stand a chance. The Messerschmitt ME carried various roles. Such as light bomber, recon, fighter, and even experimental night fighter. The ME 262 flew for the Luftwaffe, during the war. A total of 1,430 were built. But even this steel bird was kill able. The Allies quickly designed tactics to kill as many ME 262 as possible. When in the air the ME 262 reigned, there was little chance for an allied aircraft to beat an ME 262 in a dog fight. Not only because of how advanced it was, but also because only the best pilots were flying these birds. So the Allies began to attack air strips/bases to destroy the ME 262, while it was on the ground. During the end of the war  Allied forces began to attack ME 262 factories to keep them from being produced.  This beauty retired with the end of the war in 1945. Once the war was over, the Allied powers rushed in to take as many of these as possible. They wanted to study the technology and incorporate it into their own aircraft. As a part of the USAAF’s  Operation Lusty many ME 262 were swept up by the US.

Even though this aircraft was so advanced and game changing, it did little to actually impact the end of the war. The biggest flaw of the ME 262, was that it was introduced so late in the war. If they had been introduced earlier who knows what could have happened, and if it really would have made an impact or not.