An enlarged version of the Do 17 the 217 first flew in August 1938 Following production of a limited number of A & C versions the first mass-produced version the Do 217E only started coming off the factory lines in 1940 it differed from its predecessors largely on account of the deeper fuselage & higher-capacity bomb bay The E-4 variant
- featuring BMW 801C engines & often wire cutters to get it past barrage balloons
- was heavy & tricky to fly yet was a mature warplane it was used extensively on the western front to bomb both ground targets & shipping The E-4 was also used to lay mines along allied shipping routes The Do 217 continued to evolve for some years yet it was the E version that proved to be the most memorable specialised bomber