page_title: Willy Messerschmitt
section_title: Nazi Germany and World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Willy Messerschmitt / Nazi Germany and World War II
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. A. Speer, E. Milch, W. Messerschmitt ADN-Zentralbild/Archiv II. Weltkrieg, Inspektion eines Rüstungsbetriebes im Mai 1944 durch den Reichsminister für Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion Prof. Albert Speer (links) und Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch (Mitte), rechts Prof. [Willy] Messerschmitt Abgebildete Personen: Messerschmitt, Willy Ing.: Flugzeugbauer, Firmengründer, Wehrwirtschaftsführer, Bundesrepublik Deutschland GND 118581376 Milch, Erhard: Generalfeldmarschall, Ritterkreuz (RK), Luftwaffe, Deutschland (GND 118582402) Speer, Albert Prof. Dr.: Reichsminister für Rüstung und Kriegsproduktion, Architekt, Deutschland (GND 118615998)
context_page_description: Wilhelm Emil "Willy" Messerschmitt was a German aircraft designer and manufacturer. In 1934, in collaboration with Walter Rethel, he designed the Messerschmitt Bf 109, which became the most important fighter aircraft in the Luftwaffe as Germany rearmed prior to World War II. It remains the second most-produced warplane in history, with some 34,000 built, behind the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2. Another Messerschmitt aircraft, first called "Bf 109R", purpose-built for record setting, but later redesignated Messerschmitt Me 209, broke the absolute world airspeed record and held the world speed record for propeller-driven aircraft until 1969. Messerschmitt's firm also produced the first jet-powered fighter to enter service — the Messerschmitt Me 262.
context_section_description: The ties that Messerschmitt had formed with leading Nazis Rudolf Hess and Hermann Göring (through Theo Croneiss) saved him from sharing the fate of Milch's other great enemy, Hugo Junkers. To stay in business in the face of Milch ensuring that he would get no government contracts, Messerschmitt had signed agreements with Romania for sales of the M35 and a transport plane, the Messerschmitt M 36. When Milch learned of this, he publicly denounced Messerschmitt as a traitor, and the Gestapo was sent to question him and other BFW officials. Probably due to Croneiss' intervention, no further action was taken.
  The establishment of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium ("Reich Aviation Ministry" - RLM) by the Nazi government in 1933, headed by Milch, led to a resurgence in the German aircraft industry and the resurrection of BFW. Collaborating with Robert Lusser, Messerschmitt designed the flagship product of the relaunched company. This was a low-wing four seater monoplane called the Messerschmitt M37, but better known by its later RLM designation of Bf 108. The following year, Messerschmitt incorporated many advanced design features of the Bf 108 into the Bf 109 fighter.
  In 1936, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 won the RLM's single-seat fighter contest, and became one of the main Luftwaffe aircraft types. Messerschmitt and his factory thus took an important role in the RLM's armament plans. This role expanded even further when the Messerschmitt Bf 110 also won the multi-purpose fighter contest.
  On 11 July 1938, Messerschmitt was appointed chairman and managing director of BFW and the company was renamed after him to Messerschmitt AG. This same year, the company began work on what would eventually become the Me 262, and on the Messerschmitt Me 210, planned as successor for the Bf 110. The Me 210 turned out to be plagued by massive development problems that were solved only by evolving the type into the Messerschmitt Me 410. The resulting problems and delays again put the reputation of both Messerschmitt and his namesake company in jeopardy.
caption: Messerschmidt meets with Milch (center) and Minister of Armaments and War Production Albert Speer
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