Do 217 M-11 night fighter?

[Richard Aigner]

Jerry Scotts, in Warpaint Series No. 24 "Dornier Do 217", p.17: "It was intended that this version would carry an FX 1400 or Hs 293 semi-recessed under the fuselage, but in the event many of the Do 217 M-11 airframes were converted to night fighter configuration rather than bombers."
Are there any other sources to corroborate this statement? Any photos or drawings?
Cheers, Richard

[ArtieBob]

Based on the C-Amts-Monatsmeldung for 1944 only new Do 217 M-1 and N-1 types were built in 1944. 27 M-1s were listed from January through May, bringing the total M-1 production to 258. During the same period, 23 N-1s were listed, bringing the total N-1 production to 315. During that period, No Do 217 Umbau activity was listed.
I do not have the rebuild numbers for that period. The rebuild numbers for June, July, and August appear to be 38 bombers and 8 night fighters, no sub-types given. After August, there appears to be no further Do 217 activity in 1944 through March 1945, the last month I have documentation for all of LW production.

Like almost all LW documentation, this may not be definitive, if you find different documentation, the numbers might vary. I have no less than 5 primary sources for Ju 88 production numbers and almost none agree exactly. But, the differences are not great. So even if the numbers I present may be off, based on other primary sources, the differences would probably be small maybe 2 or 3 per month.

What does appear clear, is RLM interest in 1944 Do 217 production was low, and the dribble of Do 217s delivered in early 1944 was the end, the slow pace of the closeout perhaps reflecting the difficulty in obtaining DB engines when other types had higher priority. Apparently, no new Do 217 M-11s were delivered off the production line, so a few might have been modified during rebuild, the records in my hands do not have enough detail to make that determination.


Best Regards,


Artie Bob

[Chris Goss]

By 1944, the numbers of Do 217s in operational service were dropping in favour of better types. Furthermore as a nightfighter, the 217 was lacking and unpopular with many pilots and as a result it was being used more in the training role. I can therefore see no benefit or even appetite in converting the M-11 to a nightfighter but as always stand by to be corrected

[Nick Beale]

Adding to what Chris says, III./KG 100 was the Do 217 missile unit in 1944 and was only at about half strength at the beginning of August. It had M-11's as well as K-3's, so I don't think that there were any of the former surplus to requirements.

[ArtieBob]

I did a little more looking around and found Umbau Lieferplan 225 dated 1.12.43 (in effect during early 1944). This indicated a projection of 150 Do 217 converted to Do 217 M-10 (Umbau Kehl) and these were to be converted from series production M-1s by Dornier Friedrichshafen. None had been delivered by 1.11.43 and there was no indication of a monthly output schedule. This document did not show any planning for conversion of M-1 bombers to night fighters.


ArtieBob

[Chris Goss]

I am afraid that some of the late & respected Jerry Scutts statements are without evidence

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

The M-11 conversion was done in Schwäbisch-Hall in April 1944. Initially the plan was to convert 35 aircraft. I have information that 23 were converted and went mostly to III./KG 100 and 2 to KG 2. They were for FX 1400 carriage under the fuselage. The bomb doors were modified to allow for more ground clearance.

[Martin388]

Thanks, very interesting yet unrevealed information on M-11 conversion, Plan & IST at April 44, Herr Schuchbauer. If I may ask, from which source, a Dornier monthly report?

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by Norbert Schuchbauer

I have information that 23 were converted and went mostly to III./KG 100 and 2 to KG 2.

FWIW Cescotti talks about the M-11 in his memoir 'Langstreckenflug'

http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2012/0...-roderich.html

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Martin,
the source document is a sequence of teletypes between BAL and Dornier.