Dornier Do 217
The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful version of the
Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift (German: "flying pencil"). Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy
bomber, its design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940. It entered service in early 1941
and by the beginning of 1942 was available in significant numbers. The Dornier Do 217 had a much larger bomb
load capacity and had much greater range than the Do 17. In later variants, dive bombing and maritime strike
capabilities using glide bombs were explored in depth with considerable success in the later role.
Early Do 217 variants were more powerful than the Heinkel He 111 and Junkers Ju 88, having a greater speed, range
and bomb load. Owing to this it was designated a heavy bomber rather than a medium bomber. The Do 217 served
on all fronts in all roles. On the Eastern Front and Western Front it operated as a strategic bomber, torpedo
bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. It also performed tactical functions, either direct ground assault or
anti-shipping strikes during the Battle of the Atlantic and Battle of Normandy. The Do 217 was also
converted to become a night fighter and saw considerable action in the Defense of the Reich campaign until
the last day of the war.
The type also served in anti-shipping units in the Mediterranean, attacking Allied Convoys and Sea power during
the campaign. It was in the Mediterranean that the Do 217 became the first aircraft in military aviation
history to deploy a form of precision-guided munition, in the form of the Fritz-X radio-guided, free-fall bomb
in combat which led to the sinking of the Italian battleship Roma in 1943. After the end of the war, at least
one Dornier Do 217 continued in active military operational service with the Swiss Air Force until 1946.
Sources:
Gunston, Bill - The Encyclodepia of the Worlds Combat aircraft, 1976, Chartwell Books, Inc., New York
Brown, Eric, Captain - Wings of the Luftwaffe, 1979, Airlife Publishing Ltd., Shrewsbury
Gunston, Bill & Wood, Tony - Hitler's Luftwaffe, 1977, Salamander Books Ltd., London
Donald, David - The Complete Encyclopedia Of World Aircraft, 1997, Brown Packaging Books Ltd., London
Wikipedia - Dornier Do 217
Gunston, Bill - The Encyclodepia of the Worlds Combat aircraft, 1976, Chartwell Books, Inc., New York
Brown, Eric, Captain - Wings of the Luftwaffe, 1979, Airlife Publishing Ltd., Shrewsbury
Gunston, Bill & Wood, Tony - Hitler's Luftwaffe, 1977, Salamander Books Ltd., London
Donald, David - The Complete Encyclopedia Of World Aircraft, 1997, Brown Packaging Books Ltd., London
Wikipedia - Dornier Do 217