Re: Why were inverted V12s popular with the Germans?
'Specific to the 109 it also allowed a 20/30mm motorcannon to fire through the hollow crank and for two 151 to be placed above the flat deck of the "sump".'
Minor point, the cannon didn't fire through the hollow crank, because several times a second there's a con-rod passing through the axis of rotation. It did go through the centre of one of the gears in the camshaft drive drain and between the two banks of cylinders before passing out the centre of the prop, which wasn't directly attached to the crankshaft due to the need for reduction gearing.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
