I have an intersting story to share with you about a Messerschmitt that may well have been the only one to serve four countries at the same time and eventually crashed in the USA. It all starts on Nov 22nd 1939 when two ME-109 of 1/JG76 (Aspern) are downed by French Moranes. The first one , an E-3 code 1251 forced landed near Metz and was recovered by the French who exhibited it in Paris on the Champs Elysées. I suppose it was recycled by the Germans after 1940. The second one, coded 1304 and flown by Condor veteran Karl Hier, forced landed in Alsace. (Hier was taken Pow, but realeased in June 1940, only to die in combat a few months later) . The Me-109 was in a fairly good condition and by using spares from other aircrafts it could be repaired by the French and flown to the Bricy test base. There it was tested, used and flown for several months. Then in June 1940 the Me-109 was taken to England at the last moment so that the Bristish allies could also have a chance to study the aircraft. This they did extensively at Farnborough. In 1942 the aircraft was getting worn , but the U.S.A. who had just entered the war requested they could try it out too. So it was sent to Dayton Ohio and it did not last long because it desintegrated, either during landing or taking off. so this German aircraft flown by an Austrian, was used by the French, the British and the Americans! Quite an unique story isn't it! By the way if anybody has details about this aircraft while it was in Farnbourough or at Dayton, I would love to have some more details.
