Vergniaud was a French semi-dreadnought battleship of the Danton-class. Launched on 12 April 1910, she was commissioned into the Marine Nationale on 18 December 1911.
On 16 August 1914, Voltaire participated in the Battle of Antivari along with a large Fleet of British and French ships. She participated in the sinking of the Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser Zenta.
For the remainder of the First World War, she helped blockade the Straits of Otranto and the Dardanelles to prevent German, Austro-Hungarian and Turkish warships from breaking out into the Mediterranean.
Post-war, Vergniaud was laid up in reserve, but found to be in poor condition. Stripped of armament, she was used as a target ship. She was listed for disposal in 1927 and sold for scrap in 1928.
VergniaudVergniaud at ConstantinopleVergniaudVergniaudVergniaudVergniaud
Voltaire was a French semi-dreadnought battleship of the Danton-class. Launched on 16 January 1909, she was commissioned into the Marine Nationale on 1 August 1911.
On 16 August 1914, Voltaire participated in the Battle of Antivari along with a large Fleet of British and French ships. She participated in the sinking of the Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser Zenta.
For the remainder of the First World War, she helped blockade the Straits of Otranto and the Dardanelles to prevent German, Austro-Hungarian and Turkish warships from breaking out into the Mediterranean. On 10 October 1918, while returning to Mudros following an overhaul, she was torpedoed by the German U-boat UB-48. Although struck by two torpedoes, she was able to make temporary repairs at Mudros and then sail to Bizerte for permanent repairs.
She was modernised post-war from 1922 to 1925, being used as a training ship from 1927. She was condemned in 1937 and scuttled in Quiberon Bay (France) on 31 May 1938 for long-term use as a target. The wreck was sold in December 1949 and broken up from March 1950 onwards.
Voltaire being launchedVoltaire in ToulonVoltaireVoltaireVoltaireVoltaire during the review of September 4, 1911Voltaire in Toulon 10 September 1916Voltaire in Toulon HarbourVoltaire in Toulon HarbourVoltaireVoltaireDrawing of Voltaire
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.
Two Do 215 B-3 reconnaissance aircraft were sold to the USSR. Hungary operated ten Do 215s, three B-1 and seven B-4s. They were only used for a short time before being relegated to training units towards the end of 1942.
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 and operators.
DornierDo 215 A-1
Designation of original 18 aircraft built for Swedish Air Force order.
Dornier Do 215 B-0
Three aircraft of A-1 version re-equipped for Luftwaffe with FuG 10 and operated for bomber/reconnaissance duties.
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.
In 1942, the Royal Hungarian Air Force received ten used Dornier Do 215 aircraft for use as reconnaissance aeroplanes. These consisted of three B-1 and seven B-4s. They were only used for a short time before being relegated to training units towards the end of 1942.
The Soviet Union purchased two Dornier Do 215 B-3 long range reconnaissance aircraft for evaluation. Originally ordered as Do 215B-2s by the Luftwaffe, which had cancelled its order in favour of the Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 177, they were redesignated Do 215B-3s. They were not equipped with either defensive armament of cameras when delivered.
