Let Let Let – Warplanes

Power on take of was 770 HP and 850 HP at 3850 m height. Engines had one clock and the other clockwise rotation. Total weight of both engines was 1900 kg but recce version weighted 1940 kg. Propellers were three blades metal constant speed VDM, 3, 3 m in diameter. Engines used 87 octane fuel and total of 1880 l could be carried. Armament differs from production blocks. All of the planes delivered from Dornier had defense armament consisted of two Darne 7, 7 mm machine guns and two of the same type fixed in nose for attack. Yugoslav built samples had all FN machine guns. First block DFA had four 7, 9 mm cal of them but later block had in the cockpit 13, 1 mm cal gun. Many of statements direct that 20 mm cannon were installed in nose of some DFA produced planes. Offensive load on Dornier planes could be carried on two internal Maga 4/85 bomb racks and external P.V. 125 racks. Total of eight internal bombs could be carried. There was Stankovic cal. 106 used. On the external pylons could be load 106 or 200 kg bombs. That was identical bomb load for first block from DFA but later was introduced two cluster racks UD 32 with 32 bombs cal 12 kg. Later that was converted to carry more bombs. Also was version with twelve 90 bombs. In recce missions bombs are not to be used and one 55 kg camera was placed in the nose.

do17ka1-drawings

Sole Yugoslav operator of the type was 3. vazduhoplovni puk ( air regiment) with staff headquarter in Skoplje, South Serbia. This unit foresees aggressor role with targets in Bulgaria and possibly Albania. Unit was highly trained and only two planes were lost before the war. There war also few of air accidents but all damages were repaired. Three samples were in Combat weapon school in Mostar.

Yugoslavia enters Second World War on April 6. 1941 when Axis power attacked them. Do17K led an massive attack on Bulgaria (Sofia and airfields around) and a number of group attack on German armored units with highly destructive effects. After of brilliant activities Do17K find new operators after the fall of Yugoslavia. Two samples were used by RAF in Africa. Hungary had one sample used as a fast reconnaissance plane until 1944. Bulgarians handed from Skoplje six damaged planes while new established Croatian state took eleven samples. Second World War survived no less then nine planes but all of them were scraped until fifties.

Dornier Do17K in its several versions was almost all of them served in 3. bomber regiment while one was in training squadron and two were in combat weapon school in Mostar. First were arrived in 1937. and became operational in 1939.

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Do17K were produced by Dornier and DFA and top surface of both had three color patterns of German export colors. Germans and first two blocks from DFA were silver on the underside while the last block from DFA featured grey underside . In total four camouflage pattern were used. Peacetime insignia were applied on all German purchase but DFA released only first block in this livery. On the fuselage were applied triangles and circles in red or light blue color, regarding to the units but that practice was not referred to the domestic built Do17K. First block delivered from DFA had wing insignia in four positions, second block had reduced visibility with one insignia on the bottom of the port wing and the other smaller on the top of the starboard wing. Final produced block had one larger insignia had on the bottom of the starboard wing and one smaller on the top of the port wing. Last two block was delivered with narrow flag on the rudder. National insignia was outlined in mid blue color.

Do17K in attack- art by Srecko Bradic

At all 73 Do17K were made, 37 in Dornier plant and 36 in Yugoslavia. In DFA plants was finished and purchased 33 samples and last three was finished in “Ikarus” in Belgrade and delivered to Croatia so late in 1943.

Srecko Bradic

Photo credit- Dornier Archiv, Petar Bosnic, Srecko Bradic, family Mijuskovic, Tadeush Dobroviecky, family Burzan

Note- author have publish more material in the book “Kraljevski avioni” [Kraljevo 1995], magazine Avions [France 1997, issues 54, 55 and 56] and magazine SAFO [USA 2000, reprinted issue from April 2000]. There could be found more images, drawings as well color profiles.

Related posts:

1. Dornier Do 215
2. Stankovic bomb 106 kg
3. Judgment day
4. Dornier Do D
5. Camouflage and markings of Yugoslav Kingdom warplanes

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