The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German: "Swallow") was the world's first operational turbo jet fighter aircraft. It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in 1944 as a multi-role fighter/bomber/reconnaissance/interceptor warplane for the Luftwaffe. German pilots nicknamed it the "Turbo," while the Allies called it the "Stormbird." The Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war due to its late introduction, with 509 claimed Allied kills (although higher claims are sometimes made ), against more than 100 Me 262 losses.