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- Dornier Do 217 1941-1945
The Dornier Do 217 represented the refinement of German twin-engine bomber design, a progression from the earlier Do 17. From 1941, the Do 217 became the mainstay of the Luftwaffe's bomber arm in the West, equipping four Gruppen for operations over Britain. It carried out day and night attacks on British shipping, coastal targets, towns and industrial centers, both in formation and in lone attacks known to the German crews as 'Pirate' operations. These missions, though achieving some success, were undertaken at considerable cost to the crews of the Do 217s, a measure of the strength of opposition it encountered in the RAF's nightfighter squadrons, improved radar and anti-aircraft defenses.
As the demand from Germany's battlefronts grew from early 1942, the Do 217, albeit in very limited numbers, was developed into a radar-equipped nightfighter. In the Mediterranean it was used as an effective maritime strike aircraft, launching highly developed stand-off bombs and remote-controlled glide-bomb weapons in the form of the 'Fritz X' and Hs 293 which accounted for the destruction or damage of several notable warships. It was also used as a night reconnaissance aircraft on the Eastern Front and over Britain in the Luftwaffe's 1942 'Baedeker Blitz'.
Following extensive research, including interviews and correspondence with former aircrew and their families, renowned Luftwaffe historian, Chris Goss, has documented the operational history of the Do 217 and offers the most comprehensive account so far published in the English language. The story is complemented by hundreds of rare photographs, many never published, as well specially commissioned color artwork.
Pages: 184
Size: 9 X 12 (inches)
Format: Hardback
Illustrations: 350 photos
Publisher: Crecy Publishing
ISBN: 9781906537586
Product Code: CP758
Chris Goss
Born in South Wales in 1961, Chris Goss became interested in aviation history from an early age and as a teenager began to actively research World War Two aircraft crashes, contacting both German and RAF aircrew. After a successful career in the RAF, retiring early with the rank of Wing Commander, in 2014 he began to write about and research aviation history full time. This is his sixth title for Classic Publications, a roster which includes books on the combat histories of the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 and Dornier Do 17.
More titles by this author
- The Luftwaffe's Blitz: The Inside Story November 1940 - May 1941
- Luftwaffe Fighter-Bombers over Britian: The Tip and Run Campaign, 1942-1943
- Bloody Biscay: The History of V Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40
- Luftwaffe Fighters' Battle of Britain
- Focke-Wulf Fw 200: The Condor at War 1939-1945
- Dornier Do 17: The 'Flying Pencil' in Luftwaffe Service - 1936-1945