Do 217 Photo Book

[Chris Goss]

Typical-two out at the same time. If anyone is interested, they are offering £5 off:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dorn...rdback/p/50763

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

Typical-two out at the same time.

Well, if you will insist on writing so many …!

[Chris Goss]

They keep stacking up! Another 3 books with 2 different publishers hence I am not doing any more until these are out. Much prefer article writing though!

[Harry64]

Hello Chris,

are the 2 books:

Dornier Do 217: From Bomber to Night-Fighter: Rare Wartime Photographs
and
Dornier Do 217 1941-1945: A Combat and Photographic Record in Luftwaffe Service 1941-1945

similar in content and presentation?

[Chris Goss]

Nope. Former is a (cheaper) photo book with some new photos, latter is the bigger and more expensive book with text and appendices

[Chris Goss]

Errata: A member of LRG who I believe frequents this Board kindly listed 9 pages of corrections, errors and additional information (thank you). In respect of corrections and further information, the following are in my opinion the most pertinent:


N = Nitpick, C = Correction, E = Expansion
The Do 217 was manufactured in three different locations:
DWF = Dornier-Werke GmbH Friedrichshafen (final assembly plant at Friedrichshafen-Löwental)
DWM = Dornier-Werke München GmbH (final assembly plant at München-Oberpfaffenhofen)
NDW = Norddeutsche Dornier-Werke GmbH (Seestadt Wismar) [named Dornier-Werke Wismar GmbH until 1940] (final assembly plant at Wismar-Haffeld, later at Flugplatz Perleberg)
DWM and NDW were categorized by Dornier and the RLM as Serienwerke (dedicated series production plants) and DWF – responsible for all design and development – was called the Stammwerk.

Chapter 1 - 1940-41
p.15 N Wk Nr 1033 is TC+ZG
p.18(tp) N Wk Nr 1145RH+ES delivered as an E-2 when this photo was taken.
p.29(tp) N Do 217 E-1 Wk Nr 1044 TC+ZR, 44th and final E-1 delivered by DWF.

Chapter 2 - 1942
p.54 E The dorsal turret standardized for the Do 217 was the DL 131/1 A (Drehringlafette = rotary ring mount) with a MG 131 A2 (the A indicating that the belted ammunition was fed from the left side).
p.82 Typo Wk Nr 5532 was shot down on 16 Feb 43.
p.83(tp+btm) C Wk Nr 1251 was delivered by DWF as the first series production Do 217 J-1, but while being repaired following an accident was fitted with FuG 202 to become the Do 217 J-2 Musterflugzeug (pattern aircraft) which is seen here. Subsequently it was transferred to the Regia Aeronautica by which time it had reverted to the J-1 configuration.
p.106(tp) C PE+AW Wk Nr 51705 from DWM was built as a series production Do 217 N-1 and then modified into the Do 217 N-2 Musterflugzeug in 1943.
p.106(btm) C None of the three (not ten) Do 217 N-0 were ever built. This aircraft is actually the sixth (hence Wk Nr 1406, bearing nose number of 6 from the initial block of ten N-1s built by DWF), after which all Do 217 N production was transferred to DWM. Stkz was GG+YF.
pp.107 & 108 C Seventh (hence the nose number of N7) from the initial block of 10 N-1s built by DWF so Wk Nr 1407 GG+YG.
p.110 C KE+JA is one of three Do 217 N-0 built at DWF and assigned Wk Nr 1231 to 1233. Being the first of these three K-0s Wk Nr 1231 bore the nose number K 01.

Chapter 3 - 1943
p.115 E K-1 VIP Fast Transport, Wk Nr 4463 was repaired since it was reported recovered from Trapani and railed to DWR (Dornier-Reparaturwerft G.m.b.H. Oberpfaffenhofen), by Bergegruppe Sizilien.
p.118 E Do 217 K-1 Wk Nr 4406 RD+JE from NDW with maritime scheme. Although reported as KGrzbV 21 this was actually Lehr-und Erprobungskommando 21. 4406 (the sixth K-1 from NDW) was retrofitted with Kehl IV
p.119 (Typo) Mäander.
p.121(tp) E Possibly RC+IR Do 217 E-2 Wk Nr 5240 from DWM.
p.128 E Wk Nr 4484 from NDW.
p.129(tp & bottom) (Typo) III./KG 2 not II./KG 2
p.138 E Nose number 174 is Wk Nr 52174 a late-production Do 217 N from DWM. The fixed MGs are MG 15s not the MG 81s
p.144 (typo) Chartres
p.149(btm) E Nose number 126 was M-1, Wk Nr 56126 CL+UA from DWM. When it was lost on the night of 24 Feb 44 it was U5+EL of 3./KG 2, another Do 217 transferred from I./KG 66 to KG 2 when the former was upgraded to the Ju 188.
p.151 (Typo) U5+DH.
p.153 E Do 217 K-2 Wk Nr 4564.
p.160 C It is now believed that seven J-1 and eight J-2 that were made available to the Regia Aeronautica, although one of the J-1s was written off in a crash while still in Germany.
p.161 E U5+JK
p.162 E Do 217 M-1 transferred to KG 2 from I./KG 66.
p.182 C Athens-Kalamaki not Zante
p.185(tp) C KE+JA the first Do 217 K-0 Wk Nr 1231 and not the first NDW series production K-1 Wk Nr 4401, assigned Stkz. KE+JD.
p.187 C Do 217 M-1

Chapter 4 – 1944-45
p.195(btm) C Do 217 N-1, NH+CM as Wk Nr 52091.
p.197 C Do 217 N-2 as seen by the long wooden fairing on the fuselage bottom over what had been the C-Stand defensive gun position.
p.199 E In July 1943 I./KG 66 transferred 10 Do 217 E-4s to other units, in return receiving eight Ju 188 E-1 and two Ju 88 S-1. The finish of this aircraft points to it being one of the six 217s take on charge by II./KG 2
p.201 C Do 217 N-2. Nose number 10 identifies Wk Nr 52010 from DWM.
pp.202/3 E The full Wk Nr is 51570
pp.204/5 Typo Do 217 K-1.
p.207 & p.216 C The correct Wk Nr was 326343, an M-1 from DWM.
p.208(btm) C Do 217 J-1 as no FuG 202 radar is fitted. CG+KW was assigned to Ju 88 A-4. Most Do 217 Js had been lost or otherwise written off by March 1944, and amongst the survivors, KG+MM Wk Nr 1315 looks more likely. KG+MM was reported 30% damaged with Nachtjagdschule 1 on 15 Mar 43, and was then again reported 30% damaged with Fl.ÜG 1 on 11 Jul 44.
p.210 Typo Kalamaki, Greece
p.216 Typo K7+HM
p.221 E Do 217 N-1, Wk Nr 51509 from DWM.

Postscript
p.226(tp) E Do 217 Wk Nr 4407 RD+JF from NDW.
p.226(btm) E Usually identified as the Do 217 K-03, Wk NrKE+JC. However, this aircraft clearly carries the nose number of K-3 which would point to the third NDW-built K-1 Wk Nr 4403 probably RD+JB.
p.233 E Delete Wk Nr
p.234 typo Insert ‘was’ into the last sentence.

[leonventer]

Hi Chris,

Thanks very much for posting that info here, and for presenting it in a very digestible format.

Regards,
Leon

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Leon-the least I can do for those who buy my books. Errors will always creep in and how 3 proof readers missed Kalamaki (thanks Editors!) is a mystery. I had this before when I was asked by an editor had a Fw 200 taken off from an airbase in Sweden when in fact I had written Norway! There were two places with the same name............