The Dornier Do 215 was designed as an export version of the successful Do 17 bomber. Three prototypes were built: The V1 was essentially the same as the Do 17Z ans ws powered by Bramo 323 Fafnir radial engines; The V2 was powered by Gnome-Rhône 14-NO radial engines, while the V3 was powered by Daimler-Benz DB 601 Ba inline engines. With the more powerful engines, the V3 was faster and attracted interest from Sweden, who ordered 18 aircraft.
Due to deteriorating international conditions leading up the Second World War, Germany embargoed the Swedish aircraft and they were used by the Luftwaffe, where they were designated Do 215 B-1.
Official figures indicate that 105 Do 215s were produced between 1939 and 1941 by Dornier. The last machines were retired in late 1944.
Click on the links below to go see photos of the different variants used by the Luftwaffe.
Night fighter version called Kauz III. 20 aircraft converted from B-1 and B-4 versions with Do 17 Z-10 “Kauz II” nose-equipped with IR searchlight for the Spanner infrared detection system. Do 215 B-5s were armed with four 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns grouped above the IR light and two 20 mm MG FF cannon in the lower nose. The Spanner system proved to be useless and the Lichtenstein 202 B/C radar was installed on some aircraft starting from the middle of 1942.
Dornier Do 215 B-1Dornier Do 215 B-1Dornier Do 215B-1Dornier Do 215B-1 PK+5HDornier Do 215B-1 NO+TBDornier Do 215B-1 NO+TB 1940Dornier Do 215B-1 NO+TBDornier Do 215B-1 NO+TBDornier Do 215B-1 N+TBDornier Do 215 B-1Dornier Do 215 B-1Dornier Do 215 B-1Dornier Do 215 B-1
Dornier Do 215B-2
Dornier Do 215B-2
Dornier Do 215B-4
Dornier Do 215B-4Dornier Do 215B-4 PK+EMDornier Do 215B-4
Dornier Do 215B-5 Nightfighter
Dornier Do 215B-5Dornier Do 215 B-5 of NJG 2 in 1942Dornier Do 215B-5Dornier Do 215B-5 KD+MZDornier Do 215B-5
Unidentified
Dornier Do 215Dornier Do 215Dornier Do 215Dornier Do 215Crashed Dornier Do 215Dornier Do 215 engineDornier Do 215 cockpit
As part of Nazi Germany’s support for the Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War, an air component of volunteer crews was established as the Legion Condor. Initial Legion Condor bomber strength was composed of Junkers Ju 52. However these proved vulnerable to Republican Polikarpov I-16 fighters. In response, Germany sent some of its latest bombers to provide a more effective attacking force. This consisted of four Dornier Do 17s, four Junkers Ju 86s and four Heinkel He 111Bs.
The He 111s combat debut was on 9 March 1937 and by October, deliveries of new machines enabled the whole of Kampfgruppe 88 to be equipped with them. As the newer He 111E model became available, B models were passed on to the Spanish Nationalist Air Force, who used them to equip Grupo 10-G-25 in August 1938.
During the Spanish Civel War, the Legion Condor received a total of 94 Heinkel He 111s. Of these 21 were lost to enemy action, 15 to accidents and one more to sabotage. The remaining 25 He 111B and 33 He 111Es were left to the new Spanish Air Force at the end of the war.
Late in 1939 Spain received three He 111Js and three He 111Hs which were used for weather reconnaissance. An additional H model was received as a pattern aircraft for the license production by CASA. CASA built 256 H-16 bombers as the CASA 2.111.
He 111B models continued operating as bombers until 1952, with the E models being retired in 1956. They continued to be used as trainers until 1958 when the last one was retired. Although mostly retired during the 1960s, some CASA 2.111s continued as transports into the early 1970s.
Heinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF 1.K88 25×14 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B 25-15 of K88 Legion Condor Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B-1 Condor Legion 1.K88 25×15 named Holzauge 1937Heinkel He 111 B-1 Condor Legion 1.K88 25×15 named Holzauge 1937Heinkel He 111 B-1 Nationalist AF 1.K88 25×27 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF 1.K88 25×28 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B coded 25-29 Legion Condor Spain 1936Heinkel He 111 B Nationalist AF K88 25×34 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B Nationalist AF K88 25×35 SpainHeinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF K88 25×37 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF 2.K88 25×45 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B Nationalist AF K88 25×46 Operation Neptune Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B Nationalist AF K88 25×46 SpainHeinkel He 111 B 25-49 WNr-2332 Spain June 1954Crashed Heinkel He 111 B-2, coded 25-51 of Legion Condor 1936Heinkel He 111 B-2 25×57 Legion Condor, Spain 1936Heinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF K88 25×92 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF K88 25×96 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF K88 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 B-2 Nationalist AF K88 Condor Legion Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 Pedro 1 of the Legion CondorHeinkel He 111 of the Legion CondorHeinkel He 111 B-2 of the Condor LegionHeinkel He 111 E Nationalist AF K88 25×79 with Dornier Do 17 P Spain 1938Heinkel He 111 E of 113 Grupo 25×54 at Son San Juan Spain 18th Aug 1941Heinkel He 111 E of 110 Grupo 25×86 at San Javier SpainHeinkel He 111 E-1Heinkel He 111 E 25×61 WNr 0020 Spain June 1954Heinkel He 111 E of 110 Grupo 25×77 at Agoncillo La Rioja Spain 1941Ground crew of Legion Condor poses with aerial bombs. Heinkel He 111 B in the background
Initially operated under the nae Martlet, the Fleet Air Arm would eventually receive nearly 1200 Grumman Wildcat fighters. The Martlet name was replaced by January 1944 with Wildcat, in common with the US Navy and Marine Corps. Wildcats were operated from shore bases as well as aircraft carriers, and the types first victory in FAA hands was on 25 December 1940 when a land-based Martlet destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 bomber over the Scapa Flow.
Grumman Wildcat of 832NAS landing on HMS BegumOne of 832 squadron’s Wildcat fighters bounces on landing and probably suffered damage to its propellerHMS Begum serving with the Eastern Fleet in 1944. Avengers and Wildcats of 832 Squadron are on deckHMS Begum serving with the Eastern Fleet in 1944. Avengers and Wildcats of 832 Squadron are on deck
HMS Fencer deck crew sit below a Wildcat while the pilot gains cover beneath a sunshade 30 Jun 44Divine service on the flight deck of the escort carrier HMS Fencer. providing a strange background to the scene, a Wildcat fighter with pilot in the cockpit ready to go into actionA Wildcat being catapulted from HMS Fencer with HMS Trumpeter in the background. October 1944Grumman Wildcat accident on HMS Fencer
The flight deck party folding the wings of a Martlet (Wildcat) which has just landed on HMS Formidable Sep 1942Martlet fighters on the flight deck of HMS Formidable Sep 1942Martlet fighters on the flight deck of HMS FormidableMartlet fighter warming up on the flight deck of HMS FormidableMartlet (Wildcat) fighter on HMS Formidable Sep 1942Martlet (Wildcat) fighter on HMS Formidable Sep 1942Martlet (Wildcat) fighter on HMS Formidable Sep 1942Martlet (Wildcat) fighter on HMS Formidable Sep 1942Martlet (Wildcat) fighter on HMS Formidable Sep 1942. The crew are watching HMS Rodney firing.Martlet (Wildcat) fighter on HMS Formidable Sep 1942Martlet (Wildcat) fighter on HMS Formidable Sep 1942A Grumman Martlet of No 888 Squadron taking off from HMS Formidable in the Mediterranean.
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Royal Navy official photographerGrumman Wildcats of No 888 Squadron on HMS FormidableMartlet (Wildcat) fighters on HMS Formidable Sep 1942Grumman Martlet (Wildcat) Mk. II of No. 888 AJ148 from HMS Formidable on an airfield at Oran Algeria in Dec 42
Grumman Martlet aboard HMS IllustriousMartlet IV’s Fairey Barracudas and Supermarine Seafires on the flight deck of HMS Illustrious in the North Sea July 1943
Grumman Wildcats taking off from HMS Pursuer during the invasion of Southern France August 1944Grumman Wildcat fighters on the deck of HMS Pursuer off the northern coast of Norway April 1944Grumman Wildcat fighters on the deck of HMS Pursuer off the northern coast of Norway April 1944Grumman Wildcat being moved out of the way after becoming unserviceable on HMS Pursuer during the invasion of Southern France August 1944Grumman Wildcat on HMS Pursuer of 881 Sqn having a 250 lb bomb fitted for the invasion of Southern France 15 August 1944Grumman Wildcat being readied on HMS Pursuer during the invasion of Southern France 14/15 August 1944Grumman Wildcat being readied on HMS Pursuer during the invasion of Southern France 14/15 August 1944Wildcat on HMS PursuerA Fleet Air Arm Grumman Wildcat Mk.V of No.896 Squadron based aboard the escort carrier HMS Pursuer (D73)A Wildcat fighter coming in to land on HMS Pursuer
Hellcats of 800 Squadron (HMS Emperor) and Wildcat V’s of 882 Squadron (HMS Searcher) overfly the escort carrier HMS PursuerHMS Searcher’s Fighter Pilots of 822 Sqn July 1944Wildcats Onboard HMS SearcherWildcat Landing on HMS SearcherWildcats Onboard HMS SearcherWildcats Onboard HMS Searcher
Grumman Avenger and Wildcat Aircraft 11 Jul 1944Wildcat Mk. VIs of a fighter flight attached to 853 Sqn aboard HMS Tracker, in May 1944
HMS Trumpeter
Grumman Wildcat fighters on HMS Trumpeter prior to a strike on enemy shipping 9 Dec 1944 Implacable in the backgroundGrumman Wildcat taking off HMS Trumpeter for a strike on enemy shipping 9 Dec 1944Grumman Wildcat pilots who took part in the strike on enemy shipping 9 Dec 1944 HMS Trumpeter Grumman Wildcat damage from a strike on enemy shipping 9 Dec 1944 HMS Trumpeter Grumman Wildcat fighters on HMS Trumpeter during a convoy to Russia 1945Vought Corsairs flying over HMS Trumpeter with Wildcats of 846 Squadron parked on deck
Land Based Grumman Wildcats
Grumman Martlet Mk.I NXG2
FAA Grumman Wildcat in North Africa
Grumman Martlet Mk.I NXG7Grumman Martlet Mk.I AX733Grumman Martlet Mk.II AM958Grumman Wildcat Mk.II (F4F-3) AM965 and AM964Grumman Wildcat Mk.II (F4F-3) AM970Grumman Wildcat Mk.II (F4F-3) AM966Grumman Martlet III 3876Grumman Martlet fighter used by the British Fleet Air Arm on the ground at Lee-on-Solent Fleet Air Arm StationGrumman Wildcat Mk.IV at a storage unitGrumman Martlets in SEAC camouflage BurmaGrumman Martlet on an Eastern Fleet Aerodrome
