Deployment
First contact of the German
and Yugoslav official’s about delivery of combat planes held in Alterheim in
Switzerland, in September 1935. Two months later, Yugoslav commission had tested
one of the first prototype of Do17, powered with BMW engines. Yugoslav officials
held a negotiation with Dornier of the delivery of Do17 and Do22 in total amount
of 2.000.000 RM but Herman Goring had influence as his opinion was that
solutions was too good for Yugoslavs. But information that Yugoslav could got
credit for military planes from France disturbed German side and after continued
negotiation contract was sighed at November 1936. for delivery of twenty Do17.
By the proposal, first plane should be ready and delivered at May 9. 1937.
Yugoslav sent a commission whose task was to accept new produced planes. Regarding to their reports, by the end of August 1937. no one planes were in stage of final assembly as well proposal state first to be delivered in May. Command of the Yugoslav Aviation did not want to ask for penalty as well that could make administrative troubles. Yugoslav officials also refuse German offer to equip planes with armament and aiming devices. In the meantime a group of Yugoslav workers and technicians came into Dornier for manufacture training.
Maiden flight of
the leading plane was at 6. October 1937 and first sample were deliver at
October 25. 1937. The rest of the planes were delivering in the first months of
1938. During the delivery one plane, No.17 was lost and it was later replaced
with the other one. At March 12. 1938 was signed new contract of delivery 14 new
planes of the type and two of new model. Total Yugoslavia pay 7.139.995 RM for
delivery of 36 Do17K from Germany. Also was made contract for license production
of the plane in Yugoslavia and more 1.829.825 RM was pay for spare parts and
materials. From the report dated on February 6. 1939 could be noted that only
ten planes from second contract was ferry to Yugoslavia and rest was in final
stage of assembly or flight tests.
In total 36 planes was
imported from Germany, from autumn 1937 to the beginning of 1939, in three
versions. All of them was accepted and armed in VTZ Kraljevo and then preceded
to the operational unit. Sole operator of the type was 3. vazduhoplovni puk [air
regiment] with HQ base in Skoplje, South Serbia. The same unit had two groups.
Crew was highly trained even for night operation. There were planes for unit to
fly on shown widely in Europe but beginning of WW 2 stopped that idea. During
the peacetime operations several accidents happen with completely lost of two
planes. In the meantime revision was made on the German produced samples and in
many times armament was changed.
DFA factory in
Kraljevo start with production of Do17K in May 15. 1939 and by the end of March
1940 fourteen planes was finished. First ten samples had the original French
engines while the rest had domestic license built powerplants. In general three
subtypes were built in DFA and till the April 1941 30 samples were built and
deliver to the Yugoslav aviation. More three was delivering during the war and
three was later rebuilt and deliver to the Croatia.
