[CLASSIC] n°32 DORNIER Do 217 A COMBAT AND PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD IN LUFTWAFFE SERVICE 1941 – 1945 **LIKE NEW**
Prix régulier 39,00 € TTC 6%
Characteristics
Book cover finish | Hardcover ( square back binding ) |
Condition | Like New |
Number of pages | 184 |
Published date | First published in 2022 |
Language | English |
Size | 23 cm x 31 cm |
Author | Chris Goss |
Editor | Crécy Publishing Ltd. |
Description
The Dornier Do 217 represented the refinement of German twin-engined bomber design and a progression of the earlier Do 17, the so-called 'Flying Pencil'. From 1941, the Do 217 became the mainstay of the Luftwaffe's bomber arm in the West, equipping just four Gruppen for operations over Britain. It carried out day and night attacks on British shipping, coastal targets, towns and industrial centres, 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. This was not, necessarily, a reflection of the aircraft itself, which for a machine of its size and weight, was remarkably manoeuvrable, but rather a measure of the strength of opposition it encountered in the RAF's nightfighter squadrons, improved radar and anti-aircraft defences.
But the Do 217 proved itself remarkable in the flexibility of its airframe and it underwent several changes in both its design and its tactical deployment. As the demand from Germany's battlefronts grew from early 1942, so the Do 217, albeit in very limited numbers, was developed into a radar-equipped nightfighter. The aircraft also underwent a redesign of its cockpit to introduce vision and crew accommodation improvements, and in the Mediterranean it was used as an effective maritime strike aircraft, launching highly developed stand-off bombs and remotely-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 while its use as a bomber over Britain continued into the Luftwaffe's 1942 'Baedeker Blitz' and the 1944 'Steinbock' bombing campaigns though by the latter, the Do 217 had all but been replaced by newer bombers.
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 before published, as well as specially commissioned colour artwork.