Hey hows it goin,
i was looking through your gallery, and came across the image of a Swiss bf109. And i wondered to myself, how is this possible since Switzerland remanded neutral during the entire conflict? I also though they refused to purchase arms from any of the warring nations? Someone please enlighten me.
http://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/albums/other/ahg.jpg
^ Link to the image
Nope, the Swiss bought arms from anyone who would sell to them during WW2. In practice this was pretty much limited to the Germans, as they were cut off from everyone else. They also picked up any aircraft which strayed off course and landed there to be interned, as did the Swedes.
ahhh ic very interesting. So were the swiss using german panzers or other nations weaponry besides aircraft?
Dont forget the Turks…
Oh yes. But they had a pretty big indigenous arms industry. Both sides used their 40mm Bofors AAA guns, and they made a lot of ammo for the Third Reich. 
But I once read that Hitler thought about invading the Swiss over some dispute and to completely dominate Western Europe, but thought better of it when the Swiss country side would not be conducive to Panzers and he faced a long, brutal fight from a relatively modern and powerful people’s army fighting from lots of small fortifications in the mountains…
The Swedish Bofors 40 mm gun and Swiss Oerlikon 20 mm cannon were widely used during WWII. The Swedish Bofors was also manufactured by western allied nations and the Swiss Oerlikon by various nations from both sides of the conflict.
Swedish Bofors 40 mm gun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors_40_mm_gun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors
The Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous anti-aircraft auto-cannon designed by the Swedish firm of Bofors. It was one of the most popular medium-weight anti-aircraft systems during World War II, used by most of the western Allies as well as various other forces. It is often referred to simply as the Bofors gun.
A MK 12 quadruple mount of Bofors guns fires from the USS Hornet
USA 40 mm/56 Quad Mount on USS Hornet CV-12 in 1945
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # 80-G-413915
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Bofors_firing_USS_Hornet.jpg
SEE ALSO:
20MM and 40MM Guns
20mm Oerlikon gun and 40mm Bofors gun.
http://www.usstexasbb35.com/20mm_gun.htm
Swiss Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oerlikon_20_mm_cannon
The Oerlikon gun was fielded in United States Navy ships starting in 1942, replacing the M2 Browning machine gun, which lacked range and firepower. It came to be famous in the naval anti-aircraft role, notably against Japanese kamikaze attacks during the Pacific War. The gun was eventually abandoned as a major anti-air weapon due to its lack of stopping power against heavy aircraft, largely superseded by the Bofors 40 mm gun. It did, however, provide a useful increase in firepower over the .50 cal machine gun when adapted and fitted to some aircraft; however, it had some problems with jamming in the ammunition feed.
It is still in use today on some naval units, theoretically as a last-recourse anti-air weapon, but mainly used for police shots (warning shots or incapacitating shots).
20 mm Oerlikon guns on USS Iowa BB-61 about 1943
The crewman on the left of the elevated gunmount is adjusting the trunnion height
Note the Mark 14 Gunsight and that the censor has obscured the radar antennas on the director and mast
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # K-16469
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_2cm-70_mk234_Iowa_pic.jpg
SEE ALSO:
Oerlikon FF
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oerlikon_FF
Hispano-Suiza HS.404
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispano-Suiza_HS.404
The Oerlikon Anti-Aircraft Gun
http://jwgibbs.cchem.berkeley.edu/CFGoodeve/oerlikon.html
British
20 mm/70 (0.79") Mark II
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_2cm-70_mk234.htm
20MM and 40MM Guns
20mm Oerlikon gun and 40mm Bofors gun.
http://www.usstexasbb35.com/20mm_gun.htm
Switzerland during WWII
http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/swiss-business-guide/wwii.html
No European country remained truly neutral during WWII. Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland all worked to some extent with the Axis. In Switzerland, the people who lived through the war wanted to believe that it was their army and fortifications that kept the Nazis out. Historical research and documents clearly show that if the Nazis wanted to invade Switzerland, it would have been quick and relatively easy. The reason Germany spared its tiny neighbor to the south was because Switzerland proved much more useful as an independent state than as a satellite. The Swiss made many useful weapon components (aluminium for the Luftwaffe, spark plugs for jeeps taken from the Russians, timing devices for bombs, among other things), and thus their factories were not bombed every night. The Swiss National bank bought gold from the Reichsbank, the Reichsbank was given Swiss francs in exchange, and used them to buy cobalt, nickel and tungsten from the other “neutral” countries. The Turks, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish, who were all under heavy pressure from the Allies not to accept direct gold payment from the Reichsbank, then exchanged the Swiss francs for gold. The problem was that the German gold came from the Belgian National bank reserves (not from concentration camps as some sensationalists would have it) and the neutrals knew it. Finally, the Swiss allowed trains to carry food and non-weapon supplies from Germany to Italy, with dozens of trains every day on their way to Africa. But did Switzerland have any other choice? Probably not. Totally surrounded by the Axis, most of its coal supply came from Germany every week, and all of its exports had to go through Axis controlled territory. For a landlocked country with no natural resources, this meant the Swiss had to work out some form of accomodation with their neighbors. The problem is that the postwar generations have been raised to believe that it was the Swiss army, and not the country’s usefulness to the Germans, that protected it from the wrath of war. The Swiss are now coming to terms with this part of their history, as for example the people of France and Japan have. As a foreigner, it is best to avoid passing judgment on them and giving lessons, at the risk of offending your hosts.
“Invasion Inevitable”
http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/reformation_resistance.htm
World wide, the question was not whether the Wehrmacht would attack the Alpine Republic, but when. By 13 May, over 700 000 Swiss soldiers were mobilised – nearly 20% of the Swiss population, the highest percentage of any country in the war. As Italian troops massed on their Southern border, more divisions were rushed to the South. The League of Nations, the International Red Cross and the American Consul fled Geneva, Zurich and Basel in anticipation of the inevitable invasion. Aerial dog-fights between German and Swiss aircraft intensified. The USA urged all Americans in Switzerland to evacuate immediately. Holland and Belgium folded, and the British and French armies reeled back in retreat.
To guard against sabotage, over 70 000 old rifles were issued to the Ortswehren or local defence units. And in reaction, the German government complained that the Swiss military was dispersing ammunitions and organising local citizens to wage partisan war if invaded!
The military penal code was amended to provide for the death penalty for betrayal of military secrets and for treason. This was applicable to both soldiers and civilians. The Swiss prepared for the demolition of tunnels, bridges and railways in the event of invasion.
On 16 June, 9 Nazi saboteurs were apprehended with large amounts of explosives, destined for Swiss air bases. Several Swiss were killed when the British Air Force accidentally bombed Geneva and Renens on 12 June. 14 June, Paris fell without a shot being fired. Gestapo spies were captured with lists of Swiss citizens to be seized, imprisoned or executed, upon occupation. Throughout the war, Nazi infiltrators and saboteurs continued to be apprehended. 18 June, Hitler and Mussolini discussed the conquest and division of Switzerland, between Germany and Italy. With the French surrender on 22 June, 1940, Switzerland was effectively surrounded.
German publications stated: “Switzerland must quickly be swallowed … Switzerland must not be allowed to stay out of the reorganisation of Europe.” Several military plans for the invasion of Switzerland were drawn up throughout WW II. After France was conquered and Italy entered the war, Switzerland offered the most direct route to transport men and supplies, between Italy and Germany. After the Allies invaded Italy in 1943, Germany’s need to swiftly deploy more troops and supplies into Italy became even more urgent. With the Allies advancing in 1944 – 45, the Nazi leadership planned to make a stand in the Alps.
Yet, on each occasion, the prospect of tackling the stubborn and obstinate resistance of an entire nation of sharpshooters on skis, caused the German High Command to repeatedly postpone the unpleasant task.
The Alpine Republic’s policy of armed neutrality was a complete success. Switzerland alone, among all the nations of Europe, successfully resisted 12 years of Nazi propaganda offensive, infiltration and subversion, and stared down repeated threats of invasion with calm determination and thorough preparations. The land of William Tell, Ulrich Zwingli, William Farrell and John Calvin, with its deep distrust of central governments, its abiding love for God’s Word and for life and Liberty, remained a bastion of freedom in a continent overrun by tyranny.
As Europe became an ocean of conflict, Switzerland stood firm as a island of liberty. Those who desire peace and prosperity would do well to learn from their inspiring example.
Dr. Peter Hammond
Foreign Aircraft to Switzerland during WWII
http://www.airpic.ch/v112b/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=620&Itemid=239
During World War II, the Swiss Air Force had to keep its airspace free from intruders. This lead to more than 200 aircraft land or crash onto Swiss soil. In the first years these intruders were mainly German aircraft. The Germans tried to involve Switzerland into the European War by flying into Swiss neutral airspace. On several occassions the Swiss Air Force shot down Luftwaffe aircraft.
From 1942 on when the Allies started bombing strategic objects further away from the Ruhr, Allied planes crashed or landed in Switzerland as well. First these were British planes that crashed in Switzerland, but from 1943 on with the daylight missions of the USAAF against Germany, lots of US-planes also crashed or landed in Switzerland. A grand total of 186 US-planes crashed or landed in Switzerland. Compared with just 12 British planes this is a great number. This was probably because the US practised daylight bombing, so it was much easier for the US crews to find a safe place to land when they were in trouble or ranned out of fuel. When they were in the neighbourhood of Switzerland it sounds logical that they tried to make a safe emergency-landing in Switzerland. Better than trying to get back to the UK homebases flying over heavily defended France and the Low Countries.
Dübendorf Airfield was the most popular location to land. The busiest day of all was 18 March 1944, when no less than 11 US Bombers landed there. That day Dubendorf looked like a USAAF base in the UK!
At the end of the war (April / May 1945) some Luftwaffe planes with Luftwaffe personnel flew to Switzerland to escape from surrender.
In order to save space and make the list more readable, the type of getting to Switzerland has been abbrevated: C stands for crash, L stands for Landing:
(An eleven page listing follows)
Nice links George, incidentally the BF-109Es used by this country engaged both allied and axis aircrat during the war years. One was shot down by P-51D mustangs.
Thanks Panzerknacker,
BTW, do you know of any large encounters between Swiss and German Bf-109’s during WWII. It seems that in the back of my mind I read of an incident where a flight of German Bf-109’s strayed into Swiss airspace and were forced to land in Switzerland where they were then interned. Haven’t been able to confirm it on the Web.
Here are more tidbits of information concerning the Swiss during WWII:
Swiss Bf-109’s
http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avbf1093.html
- Switzerland purchased a dozen Bf-109Ds in 1938, fitting them with four Swiss-built 7.45 millimeter machine guns. The cowling guns had 480 RPG while the wing guns had 418 RPG. The Doras were intended to provide familiarization for the 80 Emils that followed in 1939 and 1940. The Swiss Emils were also fitted with Swiss guns, as well as a Swiss radio.
The Swiss used their Bf-109Es in several furious dogfights with the Luftwaffe over airspace incursions during the invasion of France, with the Luftwaffe losing a handful of He-111s and Bf-110s, to the loss of a few Swiss Bf-109s.
Despite these fits of unneighborliness, the Swiss obtained a dozen Gustavs late in the war. They had placed an order with the Germans in 1943 but could not get delivery, until a Bf-110 night fighter carrying sophisticated electronics and armament strayed into Swiss airspace in late April 1944, and landed near Zurich due to engine trouble.
The Germans became more cooperative with the Swiss in delivering the Gustavs, bargaining with the Swiss for the destruction of the Bf-110 lest Allied intelligence get their hands on it. However, the Gustavs were of very shoddy quality and were “hanger queens”, and the Germans refunded half of what the Swiss paid for them.
Swiss Bf-109s also intercepted Allied bombers that strayed into their airspace, forcing them to land and be interned. There were rarely problems, but during one such incident, a USAAF P-51D Mustang shot down a Swiss Bf-109 and damaged another. The Swiss tried painting their Bf-109s with loud red and white stripes to emphasize the Swiss cross markings, but this was discontinued because the Luftwaffe mistook them as Allied aircraft painted in invasion stripes.
The Swiss interned a number of Luftwaffe Bf-109s during the war, and even built nine Bf-109Es themselves at the end of the war, one of them assembled from spares. The Swiss Bf-109s finally scrapped in 1949.
Combat Service with Switzerland
http://www.cassiopedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Messerschmitt_Bf_109
Switzerland took delivery of its first Bf 109s in 1938 when 10 Bf 109Ds were delivered. After this, 80 E-3 were purchased which arrived from April 1939. During the war a [b]further four 109s (two Fs and two Gs) were acquired by the Swiss Air Force through internment.
In April 1944 12 further G-6 aircraft were acquired in exchange for the destruction of a highly secret Messerschmitt Me 110G nightfighter which made an emergency landing in Switzerland. The Swiss Air Force used their Bf 109Gs until 1946.[/b]
During the war the Swiss aircraft were painted in more and more colorful markings to avoid confusion with German 109s.
On May 10, 1940 air combat between Switzerland and Germany was initiated. Several Swiss Bf 109s engaged a German Dornier Do 17 near the border at Bütschwil; in the ensuing exchange of fire, the Dornier was hit and eventually forced to land near Altenrhein. The scene was repeated on May 16 when a German He 111 returned from France by way of Swiss airspace. Two Swiss fighters jumped the light bomber when it dropped down below cloud cover to de-ice its wings. The German aircraft was hit by machine gun fire and was further damaged by anti-aircraft fire near Zürich. Two injured flyers parachuted; the other two crew members went down with the plane and were captured.
On June 1 when the Germans sent 36 He 111s through Swiss airspace, Switzerland sustained its first casualty. Sub. Lt. Rudolf Rickenbacher was killed when his Bf 109 caught fire after being hit in the fuel tank by enemy fire.
On June 8 a C-35 observation plane, a relic biplane, was attacked over the Jura Mountains by two German Bf 110s. The pilot and observer were killed. Later on the same day, Swiss Captain Lindecker led about fifteen Swiss fighters against twenty-eight German planes. The Swiss pilots again displayed their ability in air to air combat, knocking three of the German planes from the sky and severely wounding the crew in a fourth. A Swiss Bf 109 was hit and damaged in the dogfight.
Title- Luftwaffe Colours Zerstorer Volume One; Luftwaffe Fighter- Bombers and Destroyers 1936-1940
Author- John J. Vasco
Publisher- Ian Allan Publishing
ISBN- 1903223571
Price- £16.99
Binding- Paperback Pages-96
http://www.randlesreviews.co.uk/4805/157374.html?sessionidkey=sessionidval
Of especial note are such fascinating details as the June 1940 over flight of Swiss territory by Luftwaffe aircraft resulting in Swiss Bf 109’s shooting down one of the escort and more when it was tried again on the 8th of June.
Aerial Dogfights
http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/reformation_resistance.htm
As the Western front opened on 10 May 1940 with a German invasion of Holland, Belgium and France, 27 bombs were dropped by the Luftwaffe on Northern Switzerland, and Swiss anti-aircraft guns drove away German bombers and fighters. A Swiss squadron of pursuit planes engaged the Luftwaffe and a Swiss ME-109 shot down a Heinkel-111, twin-engine bomber. This was the first of many instances in which the Swiss used aircraft, initially purchased from Germany, to shoot down Luftwaffe warplanes.
German reconnaissance aircraft, equipped with cameras, flying over the fortified Northern frontier of Switzerland, were driven away by anti-aircraft fire. On 1 June, 36 German bombers entered Swiss air space and were attacked by Swiss ME-109’s. Two HE-111 bombers were shot down. The next day another HE-111 was shot down by a Swiss fighter. On 4 June, as the British army was being evacuated from Dunkirk, the Swiss Air Force was engaged in an intensive dog-fight with 29 German planes. Both Luftwaffe and Swiss planes were shot down. One German aircraft had the following order on board: “Lure the Swiss fighters into battle and shoot down as many as possible.” On 8 June, it was David against Goliath again – 15 Swiss aircraft engaged 28 Luftwaffe planes, resulting in the downing of 2 Swiss and 3 German aircraft.
Target Switzerland
http://sonic.net/~bstone/archives/981111.shtml
As Allied strategic bombing of Germany intensified, more and more American bombers strayed over Switzerland. On 18 March 1944, sixteen crash-landed. On 1 April, 39 civilians were killed when a raid mistakenly hit Schaffhausen. On the 13th, thirteen US bombers overflew Switzerland; twelve were forced to land by Swiss fighters while the other, refusing to obey, was shot down. On 22 February 1945, American bombers accidentally hit Switzerland yet again and killed sixteen people. More deaths and damage resulted from raids on 4 and 11 March at Basel and Zurich. During the war, 166 American aircraft crashed or landed in Switzerland and 1700 American flyers were interned there.
On 25 August 1944, spearheads of American forces advancing from their landing beaches in the south of France reached the Swiss border near Geneva to re-establish a non-Axis frontier. Afterwards, more than 9000 Allied troops who had escaped into Switzerland during the course of the war – most from Axis POW camps – were released since they were classified as refugees. Interned Allied airmen were finally released in February 1945.
Swiss Mustangs
http://www.swissmustangs.ch/4655/4736.html?sessionidkey=sessionidval
A nitpick, but the Swiss MGs were in 7.5mm calibre, not 7.45mm (there was no such gun as a 7.45mm).
7,5x55 I guess. :rolleyes:
Thanks Panzerknacker,
BTW, do you know of any large encounters between Swiss and German Bf-109’s during WWII. It seems that in the back of my mind I read of an incident where a flight of German Bf-109’s strayed into Swiss airspace and were forced to land in Switzerland where they were then interned. Haven’t been able to confirm it on the Web.
There was several, you have named some . But mostly involving the Göring favorite, the Bf-110. In 1940 the fat guy send some punishing missions because the shooting down of several recce Luftwaffe aircraft to the Helvetic defenses.
However the Swiss defense was stubborn as usual and after losing nearly 10 Messerschmitts with few result in turn Goring cancelled further attacks.
I recomend the book “Strangers in a strange land part 2”
Thanks Tony,
Since they were direct quotes, I didn’t want to alter the original text. Probably should have put a clarification at the bottom though.
At one time I had planned to buy a Swiss Schmidt-Rubin K31 straight pull bolt action rifle (in 7.5mm of course).
http://www.tfsa.co.uk/schmidt%20rubin.jpg
Swiss Schmidt-Rubin K31
http://www.surplusrifle.com/swissk31/index.asp
Swiss Rifles . com
http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/index.html
There was several, you have named some . But mostly involving the Göring favorite, the Bf-110. In 1940 the fat guy send some punishing missions because the shooting down of several recce Luftwaffe aircraft to the Helvetic defenses.
However the Swiss defense was stubborn as usual and after losing nearly 10 Messerschmitts with few result in turn Goring cancelled further attacks.
Thanks for the tip Panzerknacker.
Strangers In A Strange Land, Vol. II
Hans-Heiri Stapfer and Gino Kunzle
http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Strange-Land-Vol-Neutrality/dp/0897472780/ref=sr_1_1/103-0909720-7480658?
I believe that I will buy a copy - some are available for as low as $7.00 US.
Seven dollars ?A bargain, also there is a little more info in “BF-109 in action part 1” (Bf-109 a,b,c,d,e), info that I will try to post here as soon possible.
Here you got , some profiles of this less know Messerschmitts.
Thanks Panzerknacker - nice pics.
Those appear to be “Emils” in the lower photo as well. I can see how they could be mistaken for German 109’s. The markings were not very prominent.
Those appear to be “Emils” in the lower photo as well. I can see how they could be mistaken for German 109’s. The markings were not very prominent.
It does, perversely the later insignia could be misidentified with the allied Invation stripes…so in thet way the aircraft could be also targeted involuntary by german pilots and AAA, the work of being a neutral Bf-109 definately sucked in those days. :rolleyes:
I have met on several occasions Hans-Peter Baumann, founder of Pro Tell, who was a Swiss pilot in the war. He is reputed to have said to one of my friends were to the effect of " I used to shoot down Germans, which they didn’t like very much. Especially as I was also flying a Messerschmitt."
That reminds me of a piece that I read about Gordon Levett (UK) an ex-RAF volunteer pilot that flew an S-199 Messerschmitt in Squadron 101 (first squadron of the Israeli Air Force) during the 1948 Middle-East War.
http://101squadron.com/101real/people/levett.html
Levett’s report was far more verbose:
As Doyle and I climbed into the sun I remembered a rumour that ex-Luftwaffe aces had joined the Egyptian Air Force. It would be a bizarre fate for an Englishman in a Messerschmitt to be shot down by an ex-Luftwaffe pilot flying a Spitfire. A dog-fight at last! I was excited but not afraid. Most pilots in combat feel it is the other chap who will die. To think otherwise would be a self-fulfilling prophecy…
http://101squadron.com/101/101.html
http://101squadron.com/101/people.html
One of the disincentives to invade Switzerland was the expected loss of Swiss hydro generated electric power. Power from Swiss dams would instantly be cut off to German industry. Unless the dams & generators were instantly captured intact by commandos a critical ammount of electric power would be lost for indefinate time. Worst case it would require several years to restore full electric power. There were similar issues with the railroad bridges, tunnels and cuts through the mountains. Not much point in capturing Switzerland if it takes three years to restore rail traffic. There may have been similar issues with the Swiss chemical industry.
While the German commando units were good there werre not enough to guarantee capture of even a quarter of the critical targets in Switzerland.
