The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a standard German Luftwaffe single seat fighter for nearly a decade. It is believed that more than 33,000 Bf 109 fighters were produced between 1936 and the end of World War II. During the war, the Bf 109 fought on every front in which the Luftwaffe was engaged. The Bf 109 first saw actual combat during the Spanish Civil War where it proved to be an effective weapon against the Russian Fighters of the Republic forces. The Bf 109 was considered an excellent fighter since it handled well and possessed excellent low speed control response. The Bf 109s were produced in quantity right up to the end of the war in 1945.