Few aircraft designations cause as much recurring confusion as the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Wartime documents, pilots' accounts and modern histories sometimes call the fighter the “Bf 109” and sometimes the “Me 109.” Why?
Why Bf 109 Is the Official Designation
The fighter was developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke—Bavarian Aircraft Works—before the company was reorganized and renamed Messerschmitt AG in 1938. German aircraft type designations generally retained the manufacturer's prefix assigned when a design originated. For that reason, the official designation remained Bf 109.
The same history explains the Bf 110 designation. Aircraft developed after the corporate change, such as the Me 210, Me 410 and Me 262, carried the later “Me” prefix.
So Is “Me 109” Wrong?
It is historically less precise as the formal designation, but it is not a modern invention. “Me 109” appeared in wartime usage and became widespread in Allied reporting and postwar writing because Messerschmitt's name was so closely associated with the fighter.
For cataloging, captions and historical writing, Bf 109 is the preferred designation. When “Me 109” appears in period material, however, it should be understood as a contemporary alternative usage rather than a different aircraft.
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