Dwight, You might be just a little pedantic. No, just kidding . The point is well taken, and a radar equipped ME 110 makes more sense. I think some earlier night fighters might have been ME 109�s. But using the MK 10 eyeball instead of radar.
Of considerable interest is Christopher Ailsby�s comments. I never did get the full inscription or the dagger�s maker, but am looking into bomber raids and like activities over the German homeland in the time frame he specified. And more specifically in the general area where Solingen is located.
In peacetime there is a lag between when something is ordered and it�s finally ready for delivery to the customer. But in wartime with the enemy on the continent, and obviously intent on invading Germany itself, what kind of time might have been involved to create a unique presentation dagger?
From dated items from Solingen in that time frame we know that they ran out of ordinary materials and that factory manufacturing standards were dropped considerably. But what then about the specialized tools/equipment needed to make the dagger? Chemical baths for instance have a finite life and take up valuable factory space. And besides the chemical baths there is other specialized equipment. Were workers pulled off factory military production lines to procure the necessary materials and set up the equipment for a special production run?
The factories were under the nominal control of the German Army. I have always been amazed that series civilian (non Wehrmacht) production was allowed as late as early 1942. Could this be a mid to late 1944 example of same?
The answer may be in the photographs and documentation. Which we will hopefully see sometime soon. FP
. The point is well taken, and a radar equipped ME 110 makes more sense. I think some earlier night fighters might have been ME 109�s. But using the MK 10 eyeball instead of radar.