Osprey - COM 139 - Dornier Do 217 Units of World War 2 By Chris Goss Conv.pdf

(38895 KB) Pobierz

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND INTO ACTION

CHAPTER TWO

NEED FOR CHANGE

CHAPTER THREE

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

CHAPTER FOUR

MAXIMUM EFFORT, MINIMUM RETURNS

CHAPTER FIVE

DECLINE AND DISAPPEARANCE

APPENDICES

COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY

CHAPTER ONE

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND

INTO ACTION

t the end of September 1938, the idea of a modernised Dornier Do 17 was

first raised by the Luftwaffe. Full production of the Junkers Ju 88 had yet to

be achieved, while much effort was now going into the Heinkel He 177 long-

range heavy bomber programme. The larger Dornier was designed in

response to Specification 1323, released at the beginning of 1938, which

called for a twin-engined bomber capable of long-range missions. The

aircraft was to be powered by the highly promising Daimler-Benz DB 601B

engine. Basing its new bomber on the tried and tested Do 17, Dornier

proposed an aircraft with a wider cockpit and a larger bomb-bay capable of

carrying 1500 kg of bombs. Compared to the Do 17M (which was just

entering production in 1938), the Specification 1323 design had a wingspan

that was a metre larger – the wings also boasted dive brakes.

The fourth Do 217 prototype, V4 Wk-Nr 690 is seen here at Friedrichshafen. Allotted the code

CN+HL, the aircraft was powered by Jumo 211A-1 and then B-1 engines. It is fitted with an

MG 15 machine gun in the nose

Although the new aircraft was designed principally as a level bomber, it

was anticipated that it could also be used in the maritime attack role and as a

heavy fighter. The specification, therefore, had the aircraft fitted with floats,

having a range of 1500 km and a solid nose with four fixed guns. However,

arguments between the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine as to whether the aircraft