Messerschmitt Bf 110F-2, WNr. 5052, LN + NR
History
The Messerschmitt Bf 110 F-2 with Werknummer (serial number) 5052 is a notable example of a Luftwaffe aircraft preserved at the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin. This aircraft's history is marked by combat service, a dramatic crash landing, and a remarkable recovery and restoration journey.
Built in 1942, the Bf 110 F-2 served with 13.(Z)/JG 5, a Zerstörergruppe (destroyer group) of the Luftwaffe, stationed in Finland. On January 11, 1943, during a mission to attack Soviet railway lines between Murmansk and Leningrad, the aircraft was struck by ground fire from train-mounted anti-aircraft guns. The damage included hits to the fuel tanks, forcing the pilot, Lieutenant Helmut Ziegenhagen, to make an emergency belly landing on a frozen lake between the two cities. Both the pilot and his radio operator/gunner were rescued the following day by Finnish and German forces.
After the ice thawed, the aircraft sank and remained submerged until it was recovered in 1991. The wreckage was transported to the United Kingdom, where it was acquired by Sir Tim Wallis's Alpine Fighter Collection in New Zealand.Subsequently, the aircraft was sold to the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin in February 1997. The restoration was undertaken by a team of retired Dornier employees at their facilities in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The aircraft was meticulously restored to its original condition and painted in the colours of JG 5 Eismeer, featuring the distinctive "Dackelstaffel" (Dachshund Squadron) emblem.
Today, the Bf 110 F-2 WNr. 5052 is displayed at the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin.