The twin-engine Messerschmitt Bf110 heavy fighter served in the Luftwaffe throughout WWII, despite pilots bemoaning its lack of agility in the air. Later in the war, however, it found a niche when it was developed into a successful night fighter. Indeed, it served as the backbone of Germany’s Nachtjagdgeschwader, with the first night-fighting units operating as early as 1940. Bf110 aircraft had a sizable hand in claiming 2751 RAF bombers shot down in 1943 alone. In a single dramatic night in August/September 1943, night fighters destroyed no less than 123 RAF bombers. This shows the effectiveness of the Nachtjagdgeschwader, which seriously blunted Allied bomber raids over Germany. However, it came at a cost – for example, 15% of crews were killed within the space of three months in 1944. The top night-fighting ace was Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, who claimed 121 victories while flying Bf110s. The Bf110D was a long-range heavy fighter or fighter bomber, while the improved and up-armored Bf110E was designed primarily as a fighter bomber.