Three digit number on Do 17P

[Rune Rautio]

I have a photo showing a Do 17P of 2.(F)/22 in autumn 1940, carrying the number 163 on the fuselage, near the nose. The number is painted in white or yellow and is very visible. What kind of number is this?

Rune

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

I guess its the W.Nr. I have seen this practice in other aircrafts too.

[Rune Rautio]

Hello Sergio,

WNr was also my first thought as I have also seen the same on other aircraft, but when consulting my records I could not find examples of Do 17P with three digits WNr, but only four digits. Therefore I just wonder if Luftwaffe sometimes also used production line numbers (Sequence Numbers) on their aircraft, like we often see on US aircraft. I have indications about such number system on some Ju 88s.

Rune

[Pawel Burchard]

Maybe these are just three last numbers of W.Nr.

Pawel

[Rune Rautio]

Hello Pawel,

I have considered that option too, but seriously doubt it cause the four digit Serial Numbers on Do 17P seem to cover the entire span from 1000 to 9999. Removing first digit therefore does not make sence as it could mix up aircraft,

Rune

[fsbofk]

To identify individual planes within a squadron, a 3-digit number often was painted in white on the fuselage of USMC Corsairs in the Pacific - the numbers were the last 3 numbers of the US Navy Bureau number for that aircraft (equivalent to a serial number). I think the chances were pretty slim that you'd get 2 or more aircraft in a squadron with the same last 3 numbers.

[Jim P.]

As I recall the Do 17Ps were generally in the 4xxx range, and possibly 1xxx or 5xxx.