The very first aerial battles revealed the many shortcomings of the heavy twin-engined Bf 110 used by the Luftwaffe, so it was decided to design a new aircraft that would not suffer from these shortcomings. It was to be the Me 210. Even before the prototype was built, 1000 Me 210s had been ordered. However, it turned out to be so bad that it was canceled after a third of the ordered planes had been built. The Messerschmitt designers then decided to modify the design of the aircraft. The result was the Me 210 version with an extended fuselage, a wing with slats, and DB 603A engines in extended nacelles. The flight characteristics of the new modification improved so much that it was decided to put it into service under the new name Me 410 "Hornisse" (Hornet). The Me-410 prototype first flew in late 1942.

The Me 41 0A-1 was a two-seat, twin-engine, all-metal, low-wing aircraft with cantilevered wings and retractable landing gear. In the front part of the fuselage was a weapons compartment, and behind it was the crew cabin, consisting of a pilot and a gunner/radio operator. Below the cabin, there was a bomb bay, which was closed by a double hatch. Behind the cockpit, there was a weapon compartment, in which 2 defensive heavy machine guns were mounted on remote-controlled FDSL 131 barbettes.

Offensive small arms included two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons and two 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns. Since the Me 410 A-1 was primarily a fighter-bomber, its bomb bay could carry a variety of bombs — one 1000 kg, two 500 kg, or eight 50 kg bombs with a normal load of 500 kg. When used as a dive bomber, the aircraft was equipped with a Stuvi 5B sight.

• A-1/U-1: photo reconnaissance aircraft without 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, equipped with a camera (Rb 20/30, 50/30 or 75/30);
• A-1/U2: heavy fighter, in place of the bomb bay a WB 151 weapon container with two 20 mm MG 151 cannons (250 rounds each) was installed;
• A-1/U4: heavy fighters assigned to Erprobungskommando 25 were equipped with one 50 mm BK 5 cannon (22 rounds), used in conjunction with a ZFR 4a sight.

By the end of April 1943, the Luftwaffe had taken delivery of 48 Me 410 A-1s. These aircraft were used on various fronts from May until the end of the war. The Me 410 A-1s were used as night fighters, heavy fighters, and fighter-bombers. They attacked targets in England, blockaded British airfields, intercepted Allied bombers, and escorted long-range naval reconnaissance aircraft. The Me 410 first appeared over the British Isles in June 1943. The aircraft proved very difficult to intercept, even for the fast Mosquito fighters.

Sources used:

1. W. Creen “The Warplanes of the Third Reich”, Galahad Books, 1986

2. “Wings of the Luftwaffe” Translation of V. Green’s book “Combat Aircraft of the Third Reich” by A. Firsov, 1993

3. S. Ivanov “Messerschmitt Me 210/410” War in the air No. 123 2004

4. “War in the Air” No. 123, 2004 Materials from the site airwar.ru