However, the 109’s tactical
radius was far greater than the
ultimate Messerschmitt. Surely
the shortest missions in the ETO
were recorded by the rocket-powered Me 163. First flown
in 1941, the Komet possessed
an eye-watering rate of climb:
39,000 feet in barely three min-
utes. After the war, British Navy
test pilot Eric Brown became the
only non-German to make a
powered Komet flight. He described the climb as
“being in charge of a runaway train.”
However, the unpressurized cockpit posed po-
tential physical problems, so 163 pilots had a
carefully prepared diet to reduce intestinal gas.
From his Olympian height the rocket pilot—
fuel nearly exhausted—had his pick of any Al-
lied bomber formation within reach. Depending
upon use of the five-position throttle, the pilot
had between four and seven and one-half min-
utes of propulsion. From its immune perch the
163 could nose down, maintaining 550mph, and
flash past escorting fighters. The twin 30mm can-
non could be lethal to bombers.
However, development lagged, and the Komet
did not enter combat until 1944. The unique
fighter was credited with no more than 16 victo-
ries—some sources list nine. Recalled rocket pilot
Mano Ziegler, “Our losses had been so catastroph-
ic that we were forbidden to intercept bomber
formations enjoying fighter escort. We were only
permitted to take off and intercept unescorted
reconnaissance aircraft, and so we kept our eyes
peeled for such … Apart from myself—every one
of our pilots who still survived was fit for combat
duty.”
Toward the end of the European war, Me 262s
were hunted as often as hunters. Some of their
interceptions were barely 40 miles from base, es-
pecially against 12th and 15th Air Force bombers
from Italy. Based at Munich, JV 44 needed only
45 minutes to take off and attack intruders from
the south.
The world's only rocket fighter,
the Me 163 had fuel for perhaps
seven minutes of powered flight.
Probably no aircraft routinely
flew shorter combat missions.
(Photo courtesy of Jay Miller)
