WWII

Daimler Benz DB 601 – The German Workhorse

Developed by the German automaker Daimler Benz, the DB 601 was one of the most significant aircraft engines to play a part in the Second World War. It powered several aircraft within the Nazi Luftwaffe, most famously the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and played a significant role in enabling Luftwaffe pilots to establish greater air superiority in Europe during the early stages of the war.

Its features were both revolutionary and highly influential on other engine designs.

Contents

Origins

The origins of the DB 601 date back to 1930 when Daimler Benz responded to new engine guidelines issued by the German Reich Ministry of Transport.

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The guidelines called for the development of a new aero engine and Daimler-Benz began research into a liquid-cooled inverted V12 Vee-type engine which was provisionally named the F4.

DB 600A in a Heinkel He 111B
DB 600A in a Heinkel He 111B

Three F4 prototype engines were produced at Daimler Benz’s plant for bench testing before the improved F4B unit was produced based on initial test results.

The F4B formed the basis for the DB 600 engine, the direct predecessor to the 601. The 600 was a thirty-liter engine powered by a V12 cylinder format and produced an excess of a thousand horsepower.

In 1933, the Reich Ministry of Transport awarded Daimler Benz a contract to produce more of the DB 600 in anticipation of new fighter and bomber designs. Production on the 600 models started in December 1935 and it was first fitted to German-built aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and the Heinkel He 111 bombers. Over two thousand DB 600 units were built in total.

Engines from the DB 600 series were used in many aircraft.
The DB 600 series was found in a variety of aircraft, including the Bf 110 heavy fighter. Image by Bundesarchiv CC BY-SA 3.0 de.

Development

Although the DB 600 had proved itself to be reliable in service, Daimler Benz began working on an improved version of the engine to see if more power could be produced.

With the rise of the Nazi Party to power and the rollback of the terms under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany began to resume extensive research and development in aerospace engineering.

Around this time, German aircraft and engine manufacturers began to establish themselves as at the forefront of fuel injection engines and the Luftwaffe sought to exploit this developing technology to their advantage.

Daimler Benz took the existing DB 600 and kept the twelve-cylinder configuration but began to make further modifications to the existing unit. The most notable update was applying new fuel injection technology with a mechanical fuel injection system design to keep a reliable and constant fuel flow into the engine to prolong flight time.

The Daimler Benz DB 601A.
The Daimler Benz DB 601A. Photo credit – Kogo CC BY 2.5.

The new engine was heavier than the DB 600 weighing 1,540 lbs but produced more horsepower with 1,360 in total. The increased power enabled an RPM of 2,600.

Daimler Benz named the new creation the DB 601 and its test run on a factory bench was completed in 1935.

Satisfied with the results, serial production was given the go-ahead in 1937 with the DB 601A-1 being the first unit to be produced and applied to aircraft.

Service

Like its predecessor, the DB 601 was fitted to the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and later the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter and Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber.

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The BD 601’s main competitor was the Junkers Jumo 210, but the DB 601 was deemed to have superior speed and performance in the air. Even though Junkers responded with the updated Jumo 211, the DB 601 had already established itself as the go-to engine for the Luftwaffe.

The Me 210 was one of many vehicles to use the later DB 601.
The Me 210 was one of many vehicles to use the later DB 601.

With the outbreak of the Second World War and subsequent Nazi invasions of neighbouring European countries, the DB 601 would play an important role with the Luftwaffe and help Germany to gain an initial edge on air superiority over Allied air forces.

The DB 601’s reliable and powerful supercharger enabled Luftwaffe pilots to operate their planes at higher altitudes where other engines would typically fail or have their performance blunted.

This was a critical advantage for German fighter planes during dogfights in the earlier stages of the war, as it allowed them to fly in the upper atmosphere where pilots could take advantage of their superior speed and manoeuvrability to attack Allied formations from above.

By contrast, the earlier variants of the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine fitted to most Royal Air Force planes featured a carbureted system which in aerial battle was found to be prone to cutting out or losing performance at higher altitudes once the carburettor bowl ran dry.

The Bf 109's removed wings with the DB 601.
The DB 601 was designed to be easy to work on. The 109 aided this having full access to the engine with the aircraft sat on its undercarriage. Photo credit – Alan Wilson CC BY-SA 2.0.

In addition to the remarkable abilities it afforded Luftwaffe pilots, the DB 601 was also known for its reliability and durability. This was largely credited by pilots and engineers to its robust construction and the use of high-quality materials, such as aluminium alloys and high-strength steel.

The engine was designed by Daimler Benz to be easy to maintain and repair, even when repairs had to be made at airfields near the frontline, which was considered important for Nazi aircraft that were often performing sorties in demanding environments or seeing extensive use in combat.

The DB 601’s inverted V12 configuration allowed for a more compact design within the engine casing that was less vulnerable to damage from ground small arms fire.

The advanced fuel injection system also ensured that the engine received a constant supply of fuel even during aggressive aerobatic turns. This was crucial for fighter planes, as it allowed them to maintain power and speed even during high-G turns and other demanding manoeuvres.

The licence built DB 601 built by Aichi Atsuta.
The licence-built DB 601 built by Aichi Atsuta. Photo credit – Kogo GFDL.

Due to its initial success, permission was given for the DB 601 to be built under license by other Axis powers. In 1942, Japan began producing two licensed variants of the engine the Aichi Atsuta and the Kawasaki Ha40 for the Imperial Japanese Navy.

It powered the Kawasaki Ki-61 fighter and the Aichi M6A. In Italy, the DB 601 was reproduced by Alfa Romeo as the R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone and was used to power the Breda Ba.201 dive bomber prototype and the Macchi MC202 fighter.

Despite its strong performance, the DB 601 was found to have certain weaknesses in combat situations. While its high power and allowance for manoeuvrability gave it an advantage in dogfights, it resulted in thirsty fuel consumption. This made it more difficult for Luftwaffe pilots to operate in long-range missions and it required larger fuel tanks to be fitted to the aircraft.

A second problem encountered by aircrews and mechanics was the engine’s complexity, despite Daimler Benz’s intention that it could be maintained in any environment, which made it more difficult to mass produce and keep maintained compared to more simpler designs.

The engine also powered the Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore.
The DB 601 also powered the Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore.

This proved to be a major challenge for the Nazi war effort as the conflict progressed and Allied forces began to modify their engine designs, especially as the demand for aircraft engines far exceeded the available supply.

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The DB 601 was also relatively expensive to produce, which added further pressure to the German economy during the Second World War when supply chain issues impacted all forms of industrial production.

In the later years of the war, the DB 601 began to face increasing competition from newer and more advanced engines, such as the updated Junkers Jumo 213 design and the BMW 801. These engines were deemed more powerful and efficient and began to gradually replace the DB 601 as the standard engine for German fighter and bomber aircraft.

Supply issues brought on by Allied bombing campaigns also somewhat hampered DB 601’s production.

The Luftwaffe began to demand an updated version of the engine to counter Allied advances in the air. Daimler Benz updated the DB 601 into the more powerful 606 (essentially two 601 units joined together) and 610 which were able to yield over two thousand horsepower and featured another modified fuel injection system.

Rudolf Hess's engine from his BF 110.
Rudolf Hess’s engine from his BF 110. Photo credit – Rommel6600 CC BY-SA 4.0.

Although a substantial update to the engine, the 606 and 610 were mocked by Nazi military chief Hermann Göring as “welded together engines.” The 606 and 610 also became notorious for spontaneously combusting and catching fire due to fuel leakage issues.

During trial runs in a Heinkel He 177, a 606 unit caught fire and completely destroyed the aircraft. Heinkel blamed the fault on the manufacturers placing the oil lines too close to the hot exhaust tubes.

Production of the DB 601 ended in 1943 to make way for newer replacements with nineteen thousand of all DB 600 series variants produced in total by Daimler Benz.

Fate

Despite the flaws in the later modified variants, the DB 601 remained one of the most important aircraft engines of the Second World War, and it played a crucial role in key aerial battles in the earlier stages of the war.

It powered some of the most advanced aircraft that were feared in battle by Allied forces. The engine and the aircraft it powered were instrumental in the early successes of the Nazi war machine, and they dominated the skies over Europe during the early years of the conflict.

Despite its eventual decline and fire issues with the later variants, the Daimler Benz DB 601 remains one of the most significant aircraft engine designs of the twentieth century. Its impressive performance, reliability and durability helped to shape the early course of the Second World War and it was regarded as a symbol of German engineering prowess and innovation after the Nazis resumed military production in the 1930s.

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Today, military historians have remembered it as one of the most advanced aircraft engines of all time.

The DB 601 also inspired many modern aircraft engine designs that followed in its footsteps in other Axis nations and the wider world following the end of the war.