Copyright ©2004-2006 Joe Kudrna.

What started out covertly as a simple fast mail plane became one of the most famous and successful bombers of the Luftwaffe and desired by many smaller nations for their airforce, spawning a number of combat aircraft firsts, and a name change from 17 to 215 (although being the same thing).

THE BIG LIE

The "offical" history of the Do-17 goes like this:
In early 1933 Lufthansa asked the world famous aircraft company and designer Claude Dornier to make a fast 6 person mail plane.   Using the racing airplane fashion of the time and latest metal structure technology, a very streamlined svelte aircraft was born.   Too svelte!   Lufthansa deemed the cabin much too small for 6 passengers, and although very fast, it was not cost effective for mail service.   The 3 prototypes where stuck in a hanger in Lowenthal.

During the development of this new fast aircraft, the Luftwaffe was secretly created, because at the time the Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from ever having an airforce.   It was not long before the 3 prototypes where discovered and excited the fledgling Luftwaffe, for here was an airplane that could potentially fulfill their dreams of a "Schnell bomber", a bomber so fast and maneuverable it did not need defensive armament! (Although, wisely a top-rear gun was installed)   Indeed, when the first bomber version entered service, very few combat aircraft could best it, fighters included.

The reality was it was indeed designed as a bomber from the start! It is one of the best kept secrets of WW2!
Read on about the truth!

The story of the development of the Do-17 is of a failed transport, put in storage, discovered, and converted to a successful military machine.   While a nice story and perpetuated in book after book over the decades, is a lie!   Some authors have even written how like a bomber the 17 prototype was; yet still succumb to the deception of its supposed transport origins.   The simple truth is, the Do-17 was built with the primary purpose to be a bomber! The truth was always in existence, but only recently has the truth been investigated!

The false story is perfect for the movies.   "During the height of the Great Depression (early 1930's) when many other fledgling aircraft companies shut their doors, one would gamble its survival to build on its own expense not one, but three high-speed passenger and mail transport prototypes, fail, and almost go bankrupt, but miraculously find a savior!" 

The truth is, in the 1930's it was practically unheard of for an aircraft company to design and build a new aircraft without some sponsorship or pre payment.   More importantly Dornier was best known for its flying boats, and its land based aircraft where far from successful.   In fact, of 11 aircraft made by Dornier from 1930 to 1936, only 2 where land based, the rest where sea planes!   On top of that, another "transport" aircraft had a history of accidents.   Everything was against Dornier to build a new high-speed transport aircraft.   It was suicidal!

On top of that, 3/4 of those aircraft where built for military purposes!   Obviously Dornier had a long and strong association with the military (not just Germany), and was well known in that respect.   It was also well known that both Junkers (Ju-86) and Heinkel (He-111) also made bomber in the guise of transports, but in those cases they did well as transports.

More proof exists of the truth and the deception, but the anecdotal evidence mentioned is more then enough to question the perpetuated falsity.   Research is ongoing to further solidify the truth of its bomber origins.   Ask this author for additional information on the development of the Do-17.

THE 17E and 17F SERIES

Although it first flew a months ahead of the He-111 prototype, its conversion to a bomber and reconnaissance was protracted, so it did not enter service until summer of 1936.   It was the fastest of the bombers then in service (He-111b, Ju-86, and Do-23). The high speed and high altitude abilites prompted the producetion of the reconnasence P varient, slightly faster with 3 cameras. Several hundered of the E and F's was ordered, both using the BMW VI 7.3 upright V-12 engines.   A number of these where used in the Spanish Civil War, and as expected they had no real opposition, nothing the opposing side had could catch it!   The "Schnell Bomber" theory was vindicated!   At least for a little while, for faster fighters where showing up, but Dornier was already hard at work to make a better version, and other countries started to take intrestest in purchasing it, namely Yugoslavia.

The 17K SERIES

The Spanish Civil War was rageing, and a large number of aircraft was sent by Germany, including the 17's. Combat reports resulted in modifications and improvments, and Yugoslavia also asked for changes in its purchase. A 17E bomber was taken off the line and used for the prototype K series for the Yugoslavians. It was also during this time the Do-17M prototype was being developed, and some exchange of ideas occured, incluidng the installation of the 17K's long nose on the famous 17MV1 racer (read on).
The DB engines where not available for the 17K, so the Yugoslaves instead used French Gnome-Rhone 14 cylinder engines. The long nose of this varient was used to house a Hispano 404 20mm cannon and a FN-Browning 7.7mm MG. This could have been the first time the Do-17 was considered as a heavy fighter or ground assault aircraft. The Yugoslavian airforce purchased 36 directly from Dornier and license to build 100 more, but only some 34 more where completed before production stopped. Ironically they where used to battle the Germans 4 years later! They equiped the 3rd Bomber Regiment in Petrovac (Skopje), commanded by Colonel Z. Gorjup.
During the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Germans, 2 17K's escaped to Heliopolis carrying a huge bounty of gold! These 2 famous bombers where pressed into RAF service for a few months afterward.

The 17M and 17P SERIES

An improved version of the 17E was made. When it was finished when the decision was made to enter it in the Zurich Internation Airshow. The BMW engines where replaced with more powerful Daimer-Benz 600A engines, and the prototype 17K nose was installed, possibily to give it a unique, sleeker, speedier look.
The famous Do-17 MV1 (aka V8) flew in 1937 at a remarkable 425kph (264mph) and left all the aircraft, fighters included, in its wake by a good margin of speed. "The Flying Pencil" (Der Fliegende Bleistift) was the talk of the air circuit!  
But like the 17K, the desired DB engines of the 17MV-1 was unavailable, so Dornier settled on the BraMo "Fafnir" 323A 9 cylinder radial engines. Other changes included a fully enclosed dome top MG position, another MG forward for pilot, and one facing downward.
A recon version of the 17M was proposed, possibly initially designated the 17N, however the fuel hungy 323A limited its range, so different engines where chosen, the BMW 132N, and the 17P was created. Both began productin late in 1937 and a few also participated close to the end of the Spanish Civil War, and the improved performance kept these out of trouble for the most part, but its one time speed edge was eroding.  
But more changes where still in the works.

THE 17z IS BORN

The newer 17M and 17P where still not good enough, it need to be better.   Dornier built the 17R prototype based on an 17M with Daimler-Benz 600 series engines and it had an astounding performance, 532 kph (330 mph)!   Another issue was the cramped cockpit and worthless lower aft defensive gun, so a whole new cockpit was created.   The three 17S were the first with the new roomier and better, but heavier, cockpit.   This led to 16 more of a special command bomber with extra radio equipment, the 17U.   Performance was reduced from the 17R, but markedly better then the older 17M, unfortunately, the DB engines were ear marked for fighter production not available.   While the new cockpit stayed, the DB engine did not.

(Do-17z-0 3 view)

Lacking the desired DB engine, Dornier was forced to use the less powerful (though highly reliable) BraMo 323A, but with its new cockpit the 17Z series was born!   The first small run of 17z-0 and 17z-1 suffered anemic performance until the more powerful BraMo "Fafnir" 323P engine restored its performance, and the famous Do-17z-2 swelled the ranks of the Luftwaffe. With the new engines where more features, including more defensive weapons (beam mounts), including 15mm and 20mm cannons. Entering service in the fall of 1939, some 500 where built, and combined with older 17 versions, accounted to about a third of the Luftwaffes total tiwn bomber strenged, and second only to the He-111 in total numbers.

The quintesential Do-17z-2, with its 6 defensive guns, and circular antenna replaced with a tear drop design.

But the 17 now had competition. Junkers was given a contract to make its superior Ju-88, and the Do-17's was unable to match its range or bomb load, although it could nearly match its speed.   But Dornier was already working on a totally new design a year earlier in 1938, using everything it learned with the 17 for a new but similar looking model, the impressive Do-217. But the 17 still had a lot of life left.

THE 215, the ÜBER-17

Early in 1939, before the war started, Sweden and Yugoslavia was interested in purchasing number of the new Do-17z's.   The Luftwaffe ministry insisted Dornier give a new designation for the export version, thus the 'Do-215' was created, although it was exactly the same aircraft!   However Yugoslavia wanted better performance, and insisted on DB 601 engines, thus the Do- 215 was put into production with the DB's. Ironically the actions of another country restored the engines that Dornier wanted, making it as fast as the new Ju-88A-1's.   The first batch was ready to ship to Sweden when the war started, and the Luftwaffe confiscated the production.   The Luftwaffe continued production, until exactly 101 where built, and although it was just another variant of the '17' series, it retained the '215' designation.

Do-215B-3 in flight. Note the inline engines with extended nacelles extending past trailing edge of wing.
The bulge under the cockpit is the aerial camera.

WAR

In Poland, the 17's where all but un-stoppable, their speed still gave them a defensive edge, and carrying 20 of the 50kg bombs was more then enough to decimate the fairly primitive Polish army.   During the Battle of France and the Blitzkrieg, they still proved hard to shoot down, being surprisingly resilient to the 7.9mm machine guns used in most fighters.   It was still a nimble airplane for its size, and could give any attacker a difficult time.   The tables turned in the Battle of Britain, for all the bombers, not just the 17.   The RAF had succeeded in rapidly modernizing their forces with fast, heavily armed fighters in large numbers with radar guidance.   It has been said the 17's suffered more, but a look at casualty statistics will show all the Luftwaffe bombers suffered equally heavily.   What RAF pilots do acknowledged is 17's where hard to shoot down, and many 17's returned to safety with dozens, even hundreds, of holes in them.
Production of the 17/215's stopped in the early summer of 1940 to make way for the entirely new Do-217 (arguably a massively improved 17/215).   This, and not the Ju-88, may have been the reason for cessation of production.   Do-217's first combat sortie was late in 1940 and had a successful career (in contrast, planed replacements for the He-111 and Ju-88 were slow to materialized).   With no new aircraft and parts rapidly dwindeling, it would not be long before they were to few to use in the Gruppen. However the 17/215's were never decomissioned from the Luftwaffe, being in constant service use till wars end.
Gruppen primarily equiped with Do-17's (but not limited to these), list in order of which was first converted out first, by 'Q'uaters of year:
KG 76 (eventually replaced 4Q/1940 with Ju-88, then Ar-234 (jet bomber!), survived unitl wars end)
KG 77 (eventually replaced 4Q/1940 with Ju-88, disbanded 7/1944)
KG 3 "Blitz" (eventually replaced 2Q/1941 with Ju-88, last as late as 3Q/1941! disbanded 8/1944)
KG 2 "Holzhammer" (eventually replaced 3Q/1941 with Do-217, later a small number of Ju-188 and Me-410, dissolved 2/1945)

THE Do-17 and Do-215 Nachtjäger (NIGHTFIGHTER)

Often over looked during the Battle of Britain is the valiant attempts by the British RAF Bomber Command to counter the German Luftwaffe bombing with its own raids.   Suffering as heavily as the Germans, they switched to nighttime bombing as a way to avoid fighters.   Indeed, it was an accidental night bombing raid by the RAF bombers that saved England from defeat!   The Luftwaffe needed something to stop RAF bombers at night. They chose the Bf-109D, Me-110C, and Do-17z's. This choice is a strong affirmation of the 17's potential as a nimble and fast fighter (passing over the Ju-88C for some reason), creating arguably the first custom built (rather then simple modification) night fighter!   These 'bombers' now became the test beds and foundation for all future nightfighter designs; anything used by "Nachtjäger" squadrons was first tested on a 17z or 215b-5.   The first 17z-6 "Kazu" (Screech Owl) conversions ironically used an Ju-88c nose section, but was this was awkard and quickly changed to an original design, and renamed the 17z-7.   Their is a report of a Do-17p also being pressed into this roll. Still not satisfied with the performance, a new design built from experiance with the early prototypes was created, resuting in the successful 17z-10 "Kazu II". These were stripped of all excess weight and all but one defensive MG15, and then armed with 4x MG17 7.92mm machine guns and 2x MG/FF 20mm cannons and a first of its kind "Spanner-Anlage" Infrared searchlight and Detector (modern day FLIR).   The first 2 nightfighter kills made by the new "Nachtjäger" force are credited to Do-17z's shooting down 2 Wellingtons on 23 July 1940 (the day after NJG1's offical creation).   After perfecting the designs with the 17z's, the Luftwaffe then modified at least 20 of the faster 215's toward the end of 1940 (it is belived).   Airborne radar was not available until mid 1941, so the first non-radar equipped 215B-5 "Kazu III" could top 500kph (310mph), faster then most Ju-88's!   The leading night ace who flew 17's and 215's during this time was nicknamed "Dr. Night"; Ludwig Becker tallied 46 kills before he himself was shot down (in a ill planned daylight attack using Bf-110).   A 17z-10 "Kazu II" was also used in developing airborn radar and the "Schrage Music" weapon system which was soon installed in 215B-5's, but that reduced its top speed to around 485kph.   The Do-17/215 night fighters served nearly two years before replaced by other aircraft types (Me-110, Ju-88c, Do-217, He-219).
17Z-6 = questionable if it was a nightfighter, but whatever its use it was converted from a Z-3.
17Z-7 = Kauz I' 1 or 2 converted from Z-2.
17Z-10 = Kauz II' about 9 converted from Z-2; at least one had radar, possibly a Schrage Music testbed!
215B-5 = Kauz III' 20 converted from B-1 and B-4's; radar installed sometime later.
"Kauz" means "screech owl" in English.

TO THE END

Early 1941 began the Russian campaign, and once again the 17 proved its worth, bombing the Russian forces with near impunity and great success!   But with no more in production and spares running out, and new Ju-88's and Do-217's replacements, it was removed from front line service by 1942, then serving with allies such as Rumania, Croatia, and Finland. KG 3, III. Gruppe was the last KG to have a full Gruppen of Do-17's which was well into early 1942! After that, Do-17's where used for various other duties, including training. However, the Luftwaffe never decommissioned the type or removed them from duty.   Luftwaffe records show that right up to the end of the war as long as they where flyable, 17's and 215's where still in service, being used for all sorts of rolls, including occasional combat support. Two reports of note; one is a Dornier 215 crash (or emergency-landed) on the 7th of April, 1944 at 00.45 hrs somewhere between the small Dutch villages of Stevensbeek and Overloon. Another is the May 8th, 1945 order to Hptm Klaus-Dieter Reich in Hohenmauth to blow up his 17's (and others) to prevent them from being captured intact, a few days before a Germany's surrender.
Also of note, Do-17v9, an 17E prototype, was still in use almost to the end, 8 years after it was built.

Unique photograph of all three bombers! L to R: Ju-88a-4, He-111, Do-17z

After the war nearly all went to the scrap yard, but their is some noteable post war survivors.
In 1942 Reichmarshel Göring of the Luftwaffe gave 15 Do-17z's to their ally Finnish Air Force. At least five (some say nine) of the Do-17z's survived harsh conditions and enemy fire to serve in peace to keep the peace, performing recon duties for the Finnish Airforce. Unfortunatly, they too were scrapped, one as late as the early 1950's.

HISTORY OF THE Do-217
This section will be expanded on in the future, please check back from time to time.

TODAY only fragments of Doniers 17's and 217's exist. In fact, of all the Dorniers built before 1945, only one Do-335 (in the Smithsonian, but not on display), and a few Do-24's exist worldwide. Of about 1600 Do-17/215's and 1600 Do-217, very few large parts exist. Below are pictures of the few intact parts from Do-17's , and a propeller from a Do-217.
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