Do17P-1 KB+TA or XB+TA

[Krzysztof Pawlowski]

I am looking for service history details of Do17P-1 KB+TA or XB+TA (there are some doubts regarding the first letter of Stkz). Any bit of information will be welcome.
K

[Tom1UK]

Hi Christof

The Stkz should read as KB+TA. The sharp curvature of the fuselage gives the appearance of the letter being 'X'

Regards

Tom Willis

[Krzysztof Pawlowski]

Thanks Tom, I have posted the same query on the LEMB and the responses are in line with yours. Any comments on the little chessboard sign on the fin?
K

[Pawel Burchard]

Largest photograph of KB+TA I have seen so far has been published by Chris Goss. Also the checkerboard is similar to that seen here on Do 217 nightfighter - http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=8025

Pawel

[obdl3945]

Hi, Krzysztof...

The book Luftwaffe Emblems 1939-1945 by Barry Ketley and Mark Rolfe (Hikoki Publications) states that the chequered flag emblem was the standard Wehrmacht symbol identifying a Flieger or Armeekorps command, and was often seen on the tailplane area of aircraft used for liaison duties by senior officers. Maybe the machines you are enquiring about was used in such a role.

Regards

[Krzysztof Pawlowski]

obdl3945 thanks for the reference, Pawel thanks for Kammhuber's 'Do217J photo. I think we are moving in the right directon.
I have posted the Do17P-1 photo on LEMB under Stammkenzeichenn Database heading. The picture was downloaded from the net years ago and the quality is not great. There some other signs painted on the fin but beyond recognition. Werknummer is in its place but illegible.
In the background there is a Ju88A parked which made me believe that at the time the picture was taken it was past its prime.
K

[Kari Lumppio]

Do 17 KT+BA

This plane is recorded six times in Finnish 7. Iv.K logs between March 25th, 1944 to May 17th, 1944 flying from Tallinn, Estonia.
(7. Ilmavalvontakomppania - 7th Air Observation Company)

During the time period there is alltogether 18 flights by sole Do 17 from Tallinn and I find it very likely it was KB+TA in all the cases. The Do 17 flew mainly target flights for German AAA at Tallinn, but also one over Helsinki (quite likely target flight for Finnish radars).

In Brian Philpott's book German Bombers over Russian (World War 2 Photoalbum nr 8 ) on page 83 there is low quality photo of the KB+TA but most importantly it gives the photo identification: BA-MA 724/149/15

A friend IIRC commented that KB+TA has flame damper exhausts (similar to Do 17Z?). I am not knowledgeable over Do 17 myself.

The photo location might be Riga Spilve. The airfield had silmilar hangars with round roof. See this excellent homepage:
http://www.latvianaviation.com/Aero_Riga.html The main page for Latvian Aviation is at: http://www.latvianaviation.com

The checkered flag was Luftflotte HQ sign on tactical maps, in this instance that would be Luftflotte 1. I do not know what type of flying units were attached to that HQ and Holm's site is of no help here. Lfl 1 HQ was at Malpils, Latvia during the time KB+TA was recorded at Tallinn. Riga (Spilve) may have been the closest bigger airfield.

The missions flown from Tallinn by the Do 17 (at times recorded as KB+TA) are work of a Zielflieger unit. I do not know what Zielflieger units worked for Luftflotte 1, if any.

I would be nice to know the Werke Nummer as it seems possible that it could be pressed out from the original photo. In my opinion this photo is taken during March-April 1944 when Narva sector was THE hotspot of Eastern Front. Lots of PK material seems to have been shot during this time, both stills and news films plus of course PK articles.


It looks like there was Do 17 PH+NW for similar tasks at Tallinn before KB+TA. Anyone knows about that plane? At date February 16th, 1944 pair of Ju 88s and one Do 17 are reported patrolling over Gulf of Finland apparently on night fighter duties.

Cheers,
Kari

PS It took three days to find the one A4 sheet with my handwritten notes for KB+TA! Am I the only one with such sloppy archiving system? My system is called "chronological sedimenting".

[Krzysztof Pawlowski]

Kari,
Photos of hangars at Spilve airfield on the Latvian aviation site were taken possibly some 10 years apart and I am not positive of the locations. Thanks for Estonian / Finnish connection for KB+TA.
K