Dornier Do.215B-1 in Aufkl.Gr.Ob.d.L. service

[Alessandro Nati Fornetti]

Dear All,
A picture in Ledowoch, "Dornier 215", Widawnictwo Militaria 2007, page 12 top, shows a Do.215 in Gela (Sicily) in 1941. The picture is small and grainy, but the aircraft seems to be RLM65 overall with white spinners: quite uncommon for a '215...

Any more pictures around? Or maybe a better version of the same?

Thank You, and Cheers!

ANF

[Mikael Olrog]

I've not seen any other photos of this peculiar aircraft. The emblem doesn't really fit the emblems displayed on Aufkl.Gr.Ob.d.L. aircraft.

Does anyone have an idea of which emblem it is?

I wouldn't trust the photo captions in that book (they contain many incorrect statements) which means that I'd be open to other operators than Aufkl.Gr.Ob.d.L. as suggested in the captions. An option could be a stab transport aircraft.
/Mike

[Alessandro Nati Fornetti]

I agree those captions aren't too reliable...
It was the emblem which caught my attention first, though it's really hard to tell from such a small pic.
Unfortunately the best description is "a dark (black?) shield with two light (white?) somethings": not much to work on! Just went through Ketley/Rolfe, "Luftwaffe Emblems", but I had no ispiration.!

I'm not sure the place is Gela, I'm trying to understand what's the pagoda-like structure on the right is.

Here it is, anyway



from: Ledowoch, "Dornier 215", Widawnictwo Militaria 2007.

Alessandro

[Chris Goss]

I have a number but taken in Russia and none of them show any badge or a pale scheme

[Graham Boak]

I would check the possibility of it being a Luftdienst scheme, similar to the He111 captured in Algeria or the Ju188 that was supposedly Milch's personal transport. RLM76 over RLM65?

[Alessandro Nati Fornetti]

Actually that's the first '215 in light colors I see... Weren't there some recon Ju.88s in RLM65 overall with white theater markings operating in the Med area? From the picture I SEEM to guess a white fuselage band and wingtip.

[Mikael Olrog]

There were a number of Do 215 used by high ranking officers in addition to Milch. Kesselring is known to have used one on visits in Italy as can be seen on the website www.luftarchiv.de. The aircraft is quite pale as shown in this colour photograph.

http://www.luftarchiv.de/flugzeuge/d...do215_alps.jpg

I'd say that the aircraft in the photo is not Milchs aircraft but possibly Kesselrings or someone else's. One should also take in to account that there were more than one Do 215 used by Kesselring or they must have frequently repainted the aircraft. :-)

[Alessandro Nati Fornetti]

Kesserlring's 215 (or more than one) has been photographed often around Italy - it was definitely 70/71/65.

I will check with some picture collectors in Italy to see if something more emerges.

Thank You, and Cheers

Alessandro