Do17P a/c with Part of WNr. written on both sides of the nose

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Trying to short out the Do17Ps with the W.Nr. on the nose as a small white 3-digit number. From the FB of Uffz Josef Engler, we know that the ones like "123" need only a "4" added to the front to get the W.Nr., ie. 4123. 4147, etc. These appear to me to be factory-applied numbers and all of these Do17P-1s came from the same factory, unknown to me. based on photo evidence. Some units retained these numbers when the plane was assigned and some painted them over.

I know about six or seven of these, but one, with the two-digit number "07" I have not been able to ID, although several views of it after a forced-landing have appeared on eBay. One suggests May 20th, and at least one shows a WC fuselage cross, so the plane almost certainly force-landed during the May-June, 1940, period somewhere in Belgium or France. However, none of the photos of "O7" show either the tail, where I believe the full WNr would be displayed (4007 ?) or unit codes. Can anyone provide the unit codes and specifics of the FL of this a/c, or have a photo showing the tail with the full W.Nr. to confirm 4007? Anybody know the factory that produced these?

As always, thanks for your help with the EOE Project.

Regards,

[edNorth]

Hi Larry

Just a note to paragraph #1 in your post abowe. Your statement of all of them Do 17 P-1´s from "the same factory" may not be true.

According to "Lieferplan 11" (1.4.39) the "Do 17 P (2 x BMW 132 N)" was made by FOUR factories : SDW (8 actual made by 31.3.39) no more planned, Hs (100 actual made by 31.3.39) no more planned, BV (88 actual made b.s.d.) total of 149 planned to 1.10.39, SFH (73 actual made b.s.d.) no more planned.

But this is just part of the problem I see on your research. Same factories also made some Do 17 Z´s (all finished by 31.8.39) and likely in same W.Nr´s series from each, and then there were the earlier versions. Unfortunately I have not studied the Do 17 production at all (probably should have) but the answer may already be known (in some Do 17 "expert files).

ed

[INM@RLM]

A somewhat belated answer.

Available production/delivery details for the Do 17 P are:
73 Do 17 P-1 assembled by Siebel Flugzeugwerke KG at (I believe) Schkeuditz, assigned W.Nr. 1052 > 1124.
8 Do 17 P assembled by Dornier-Werke GmbH Friedrichshafen (DWF) at (I believe) the Friedrichshafen-Löwental plant, assigned W.Nr. 2419 > 2426.
100 Do 17 P-1 assembled by Henschel Flugzeug-Werke AG at Werk I, Berlin-Schönefeld, assigned W.Nr. 3501 > 3600. Delivered May-38 to Jan-39 (per Materna, 2010).
149 Do 17 P-1 assembled by Abteilung Flugzeugbau der Schiffswerft Blohm und Voss at (I believe) Hamburg-Wenzendorf, assigned W.Nr. 4030 > 4178. Delivered Jan-38 to Sep-39 (per Vajda + Dancey, 1998)
It seems to have been a shared characteristic of the B&V batch to carry the last three digits of the W.Nr. in white, mid-height on the forward port side of the aircraft's nose.
As you can see the only fit between these sequences and '07' is the Henschel batch.

Excepting the Do 17 Z sequences assembled by Henschel and the final DWF sequence the Werk-Nummern given on pages 307/8 of Vajda+Dancey seem pretty reliable.

[edNorth]

Well, I see 1107, 3607 and 4107. Besides there are numerous cases of SFH Ju88A-4´s with last two of the W.Nr´s painted in White on fins and noses. But it´s just my two pennies.

[INM@RLM]

Ooops! In fact, Yes, of course, it could have been either of W.Nr 1107 or 4107. Although that'll be W.Nr. 3507 (3607 was a Do 17 Z-3).

[edNorth]

Ok. No problem. Yes, meant 3507. Although this not tying it down, it certainly could help solve the problem, if all them numbers fates ending on ´07 can be traced. I will speculate no further.

Only adding I think FWH (Siebel) perhaps did their Do 17 assembly in the same hangar as they did their Ju88A-1 final mounting. This I have as "single hangar located on side of Leipzig/Mockau Airfield". I think possibly the Schkauditz location possibly only came into use later (doing Ju88A-4´s for shure) but I am not entierly shure on what airfields in that area were(are)/or what names they did go by in what period. Thanks for the W.Nr.´s blocks anyway.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Interesting

From unknown sources I have Wnr 2250 listed as first prod Do 17P and also WNr 4013 as being one. Now if none were Do 17P, what ín fact were they?

Cheers
Stig

[INM@RLM]

W.Nr. 2250 was a DWM-assembled Do 17M; one of the unique batch of 200 Do 17Ms (only batch of this model built by any manufacturer) with assigned W.Nr 2149 > 2348.
W.Nr. 4013 was a B&V-assembled Do 17F-2; one of a batch of 29 Do 17F-2 with assigned W.Nr. 4001 > 4029 (= the first batch of Do 17 assembled by B&V).

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks INM

Actually read your previous answer a bit later regarding the Do 17M WNr batch.

Cheers
Stig