Luftwaffe Drop Tanks

[gruad]

We all know about the failure of the Lw to use drop tanks for their 109s in the BoB, but I notice photographs of Lw aircraft with drop tanks post 1943, in particular Fw190s

Were drop tanks used in defense of the Reich to allow interceptors long loiter time or were these for Jagd bombers?

What materials were the tanks made of? Did they use Allied papier mache design. The ones in the photos IIRC look metal.

Thanks in anticipation of your answers.

 

[Capt. Vick]

They were definately metal and had return to local Luftwaffe base markings on them.

 

[EwenS]

The Luftwaffe introduced fittings for a 300 litre drop tank on the Bf109E-7 which entered service at the end of Aug 1940. The necessary fittings were retrofitted to earlier variants from Oct. As an alternative a bomb could be carried. 458 E-7 produced. Subsequent versions also had the drop tank option.

 

[rprosperi]

What is the best source for details on these? While it's nowhere near as deep a rabbit's hole as most topics here, I'll assume (being German and all) it's more complex than the 3 or 4 types that seem to be common in most photos of Luftwaffe a/c with drop tanks.

Web-page?
Book?
Thread here?