World War II Database

1.  BILL says:
19 Mar 2009 01:13:34 PM

Finish Dornier Do 17Z of LeLv 46. Reich Marschall Hermann Goring donated 15 Do 17Z, aircraft, and over 300,000 kgs of bombs to the Finish Air Force in November 1941. The aircraft arrived in January 1942.

2.  Bill says:
1 Oct 2010 11:50:36 AM

'SCHNELL BOMBER'

The Dornier Do 17, named the 'Flying Pencil' the aircraft was developed during the 1930's
and was advanced for its time.
It was the predecessor of the Do 217 series
of bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, the Do 17 first flew on November 23, 1934 as a
high-speed mail and passenger aircraft, but
Lufthansa rejected it, and the prototypes
were stored, only to be discovered a few years later, and seen as a fast bomber to be
used by the Luftwaffe.

By 1938 the Luftwaffe had 579 Do 17's, and by 1939-1940 another 475 Do 17Z's. Used by
the Luftwaffe throughout WWII However by 1941
it was retired from front-line service, and
replaced by advanced models of the Dornier series bomber.
It continued to be used as a transport
glider tug, research and trainer aircraft.

The Do 17 was armed with 7.92mm machineguns
with 3,300 rounds of ammo carried in 44 drum
magazines. Some crews during the Battle of Britain carried as many as 8x7.92mm MG's plus
20mm cannons.
Powered by both liquid-cooled and air-cooled
radial engines, and was able to carry 500kg
(1,100lb), 250kg (550lb) and 50kg (110lb)
bombs depending on the mission.

During the Battle of Britain Do 17 losses
were high in August and September 54 were lost and another 20 written-off due to accidents and battle damage. By October 1940
another 36 were lost, and Do 17 crews carried
as many as 8x7.92mm machineguns, plus 20mm
cannons for defense against RAF fighters.
Do 17 losses during the Battle of Britain
were between 132 to 171 the Do 17 had the
lowest loss rate of the three German bombers used.

TRICK'EM WHEN YOU CAN:

During the Battle of Britain, the Germans
modified the Do 17's with smoke pipes, to
give the impression the aircraft was damaged
trailing smoke, hoping the British pilot would stop his attack, and give the bomber
a few seconds to dive and head for France.

NEW LEASE ON LIFE

Do 17's were modified into night fighters and
carried 7.92mm machineguns w/3,000 rounds
and 20mm cannon w/400 rounds.
Some aircraft carried even more firepower
in the nose to bring down British bombers on
night raids over the Fatherland.

The Do 17 was also used by:
Finland, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia,
Romania, Hungary, Spain and Switzerland.

At the end of WWII a number of the bombers
survived many were scrapped by the Allies.

Did You Know...

The USAAF used one Do 17E and named her
'Axis Sally'

One was used by Switzerland after the bomber
was interned in 1940.

Turkey operated two bombers.

Finland scrapped its last Do 17 in 1952.

Spain retired its Do 17's in the late 1940's

In September 2007 a Do 215 was found intact
in shallow water in the Netherlands.

3.  Bill says:
29 Nov 2010 10:41:02 AM

Dornier Aircraft Company GmbH.

Founded by Claudius Dornier (1884 -1969)
Designed all-metal aircraft and flying boats
and built aircraft during WWI.
In 1932 the company was established as the Dornier-Werke GmbH., building flying boats
and land-based aircraft.

Supplied bombers and seaplanes to the German Luftwaffe. Designed the advanced twin-engine
fighter Do 335. After WWII Dornier moved to
Switzerland and returned to Germany in 1954.

Dornier was reestablished and continued to
work in the Aircraft industry. Designed the
STOL Do 27 and Do 28 aircraft.
In 1974 the company worked with France to
develope and design the Alpha Jet, a twin-engine jet trainer and strike aircraft for
NATO Air Forces.

In 1996 Dornier was acquired by Fairchild
Aircraft, forming Fairchild-Dornier besides
its aerospace projects, Dornier also builds
medical equipment, and related technology.

What Does ( GmbH. ) Stand For.

Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftpflicht
means: Limited Liability Company.

4.  Bill says:
30 Dec 2010 06:34:38 PM

In the 1950s Claudius Dornier established a
design office in Madrid, Spain under the
Spanish aircraft company CASA.
Dornier worked with the Spanish, until the
post-war embargo on aircraft manufacture was
lifted in W.Germany.
The Dornier Do 27 Sky Servant, twin-engine
12 passenger light transport was Dornier's first post-war production aircraft to be built in W.Germany.

5.  Bill says:
11 Mar 2011 10:04:36 PM

File photo:

Do17Z Finnish Air Force aircraft DN-64 was
handed over by the Luftwaffe, and survived WWII and was one of the last four Do17s in the world. In Finnish service,ten Do17s were lost between January 1942 to January 1945 it
was scrapped in 1952.