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Do 217N-1 Paint Scheme


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Help me, oh All-Knowing Modelers; you're my only hope...

 

I need some help on painting a Do 217N-1, NJG 1.  I am using the Koster conversion to make the P-M Do 217E into the N-1 nightfighter with the Benz motors.  This is the version that retained the defensive guns, NOT the N-2 without the turret.  The kit comes with decals and instructions for a paint scheme of overall RLM 76 base with RLM 75 blotches on the upper surfaces.  I have scoured my not insignificant references and the internet and failed to find an image of a Do 217N-1 with such a paint scheme. 

Can anyone offer any evidence (images, additional drawings, etc.) to support this paint scheme?  I'm certain that Bill Koster had good evidence to support the scheme.  I am only trying to get a better feel for the pattern, size, shape and density of the blotching before I paint the model.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

Jeff "Mongo" Cramer

Do 217N1 Koster 2(425x338).jpg

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I have more photos of 217Js than 217Ns.  The photos I have of 217N-1s are of NJG 4 and NJG101 machines, and in the former case the fuselage sides are more-densely mottled (although not the nose, most of it remains RLM 76).  The spinners are pale.  There are a number of photos of Oblt. Konzack's WNr.51570, 3c+IP, which ran out of fuel 2.May 1944 and landed at Basel-Birsfelden.  There's a nice overhead photo of an N-2 of 7./NJG 4, "3c+HR" which shows the uppersurfaces to be covered in a fine 'scribble' camo.  I try not to make pronouncements about color, but TO ME, it looks like it may have been RLM 75 as the base color, with tight RLM 76 'scribbling.'  I say this because an overhead photo of an unmodified fresh-from-the-factory WNr.51407 (still wearing its Stammkennzeichen, GG+YG) shows plain RLM 76 carried high up the fuselage sides in a straight demarcation line, and a medium-dark monochrome color above (RLM 75).

 

But Konzack's incident is almost a year later than your subject, WNr.51462 of the 4./NJG 1, G9+FM, lost on the night of 29./30.May 1943 after Lt. Johannes Hager landed it, on fire, at Florennes after claiming his second (Stirling EH881 of 75 Sq.) of an eventual 48 Abschuße.  This Staffel had several 217N-1s (G9+BM, G9+FM, G9+HM, G9+JM), but I don't know of a photo of his machine.

 

The Do217N-1 in service: a few served with the 4./NJG 1 ("G9+"), some with the NJG 3 ("D5+") but by far most served with the NJG 4 ("3C+"), a few with the NJG 5 ("C9+") before being passed-along to the NJG101 ("G3+").  Despite being a training unit, its instructor crews claimed 200 day and night victories.  The Dornier's only advantage was in its endurance, otherwise it was lumbering and unsuited for nightfighting.  It appeared in the spring of 1943 when the expanding demands on the Nachtjagd meant a shortage of Bf 110G-4s, by the late autumn most were with NJG101 (and a few other miscellaneous units).

 

Good luck in your build, GRM

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  • 3 months later...

Hi
I saw your post mentioning that you had pictures of Do217N-1s. I am doing a bit of a flying diorama of the 217 that shot down my uncles Lancaster over Schwienfurt Germany in 1944. Trying to find any info about Walter Borshiens( i believe was his name) who shot down the plane and was also shot down my my uncle in his Lanc. Just trying to find what the paint scheme would have been like for the Do 217N-1 for that year and time.
Thanks

 

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Hello Bruster,

 

Perhaps the Luftwaffe pilot was Walter Borchers?  If you can let me know the date of your uncle's loss, it may help, but if it's 1944 Borchers' flying a Dornier seems unlikely (they were mostly-relegated to training units and secondary fronts, in 1944 Borchers was Gruppenkommandeur III/NJG 5, then later Kommodore of the NJG 5).  As both it and the more-commonly-used Bf 110 have twin tails, a misidentification at night would not be a surprise.

 

GRM

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Hi GRM
Here is a document i found and have others which verify it as well. I have other info if you need it. I was going to go to Durnbach when i was in Holland for the remembrance services in April/May and visit my uncles grave but it was 8 or 9 hour drive and i only had 2 days free.
Thanks

Bruce

Uncle Bill shoots down Walter.txt

Bornschein joined the Luftwaffe on 1 modded.docx

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Bruce,

I wasn't able to view the two documents.

I confess, Bornschein would never have occurred to me as he spent most of his career with the KG 2 (a bomber unit).  According to Theo Boiten's work, he was KIA in a Ju 88, three of which belonging to the Führer-Kurierstaffel (of which he was the Staffelkapitän) were sent into action that night (26./27.April 1944).  He crashed near Weissenfels/Saale. Lancaster ND853 of 106 Sq. was his first and only aerial victory.  Jochen Kaiser's recent two-volume work, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger says he was flying a Do 217N-1 (but no other details to confirm this), and provides the crew names: radio operator Sthfw. Wilhelm Steurer, who had been with Bornschein in the KG 2, and Fw. Josef Schmitz, flight engineer.

Unfortunately 'more' data does not necessarily lead to clarification.

 

GRM

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Hi

The one document is just a text file and the other is a word document. And you are correct and confirm these confim that which you just sent. Bornshien and 2 others were killed in a mutual shoot down of my uncle Lanc.(ND853) which had 2 survive, both who were POWs and one who eventully wrote a book on his time as a POW.
Here is the text file.

 

Bornschein joined the Luftwaffe on 1/11/1935 as a three-year volunteer. He was initially trained as a bomber observer and on 15/12/1937 was assigned to I./KG 153 at Merseburg. There he was promoted to Leutnant with an effective date of 1/1/1938. An observer with 4./KG 2 when war broke out, Bornschein flew his first combat missions over Poland and participated in the destruction of three trains. During the campaign against France he and the rest of his crew shot down two Morane 406 fighters and took part in low-level strikes against artillery positions, motorized columns and airfields. On one of his first missions against England, on 11/7/1940 the Do 17 Z (U5 + GM) in which he was flying was shot up by Hurricanes near Harwich. Bornschein, radio operator Ofw. Werner Borner and flight engineer Fw. Friedrich Lohrer were all wounded. The bomber’s pilot, Joachim Genzow, who later won the Knight’s Cross, escaped injury. After recovering from his wounds, Bornschein was sent to Flight Training School A/B 3 at Guben, where he trained as a pilot. Promoted to Oberleutnant on 1/11/1940, in autumn 1941 he returned to 4./KG 2, which by then had converted to the Do 217 E. In the months that followed, Bornschein distinguished himself in numerous missions against England, attacking industrial targets, port facilities and shipping. In this period he sank two merchant ships totaling 9,000 GRT. He led 4./KG 2 as Staffelkapitän from 15/6/1942 to 15/2/1943, and he was promoted to Hauptmann with a seniority date of 1/12/1942. In mid-February 1943 Bornschein was temporarily taken out of action and was assigned to Flight Training School A/B 3 as a company commander. Then on 27/5/1943 he was transferred to the Führer-Kurierstaffel as Staffelkapitän. In April 1944 the unit was based in southern Germany. The unit also carried out night-fighter sorties and recorded a number of successes. On the night of 26-27 April 1944 Bornschein took off in a Do 217 N-1 to intercept British bombers attacking Schweinfurt. Near the target he succeeded in shooting down a Lancaster, however his machine was hit by return fire and also went down. Bornschein was killed, along with his radio operator Stbfw. Wilhelm Steurer (who had been a member of Bornschein’s crew in KG 2) and flight engineer Fw. Josef Schmitz. Bornschein’s mission total could not be determined, a miminum of 150 combat missions against England are verifiable. He shot down at least 3 enemy aircraft.

 

 This is the other document that was translated.

 

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Born on 07.04.1914 in the settlement Obergreysslau, 30 km south-west of Leipzig. From his youth, Walter Bornshayn fond of drawing and dreamed of becoming a professional artist in the future. However, in November 1935, he joined the Luftwaffe and after the flight training of 12/15/1937 arrived in I./KG153. In October 1938 he was promoted to lieutenant. The beginning of the Second World War, he met in the composition of 4./KG2. Flying on the Do-17Z, Bornshayn in September 1939 during the Polish campaign, in addition to other purposes, destroyed three trains. September 28 he was awarded EKII. In May 1940 he participated in the battles in France, including the May 11, along with the other eight crew of his squadron during a raid on the airfield Frua, 29 km south-east of Reims, destroyed all the "Blenheim" 114 Sqdn. RAF. Then, on May 31 Bornshayn received EKI. Later he made raids on the territory of England. The morning of July 11, he as a navigator on the Do-17Z 4./KG2 commander lieutenant Gentsova Joachim (Joachim Genzow) took part in the raid on Harwich. Over the Channel Tunnel "Dornier" was attacked "Hurricane" the Mk. I R2716 «VY-K», which was piloted by Commander 85 Sqdn. RAF skvadren leader Peter Townsend (Peter W. Townsend). Englishman bomber attacked several times, but could not knock it down, "Dornier" got more than 200 hits, and three crew members, including Bornshayna, were wounded. On the other hand, bortstrelkam Do-17 managed to get into the oil cooler "Hurricane." As a result, the fighter engine stalled when the English coast to the left twenty miles. Townsend bailed out and was then picked up by a British trawler. The bomber was able to hang on to their airfield in Arras, where landed "on the stomach." November 1 Bornshaynu given the rank of Lieutenant. In April 1941, he participated in the campaign in the Balkans. Then the squadron re-equipped Do-217E and she continued raids on England. 07/02/1942 Bornshayna was awarded the DK-G, and then on June 20, he headed 4./KG2. He distinguished himself during the August 19 attack British ships, which are part of "Operation Jubilee" was planted and covered the landing near the town of Dieppe, France. Then the bombers sank several transports and two direct hits heavily damaged destroyer "Berkeley", which was soon left the team, and sunk by a torpedo fired from another destroyer. Subsequent missions Bornshayn sank two transport a total tonnage of 9,000 GRT and 24 September received RK. 02.01.1943. he was awarded the rank of Hauptmann and 16 February have withdrawn from the front and was appointed commander of the training company in FFS A / B3, is located in the town of Guben, 31 km north-east of Cottbus. Already on May 17 the same year led Bornshayn Führer-Kurierstaffel. The squadron was based at the Berlin airport Shtaaken and regularly shuttled between him and the rate of the Fuhrer in Rastenburg. 26/04/1944 evening, he was at the airport Riem, 2 km from the eastern outskirts of Munich. Learning that the British bombers approaching Schweinfurt, Bornshayn flew to the Ju-88G, equipped with on-board radar. At 02.25 on April 27, he 15 km southwest of Schweinfurt found and then to just above the town shot down "Lancaster» Mk. I ND853 «ZN-J» 106 Sqdn. RAF. However, the response fire tail bortstrelka Canadian Sergeant Stevens (W. G. Stevens) was struck and "Junkers". Bornshayn was immediately killed, received a bullet hit the heart. The plane went into a dive and crashed into the ground near the outskirts of Schweinfurt. Together with the pilot killed the radio operator shtabsfeldfebel Shtoyr Wilhelm (Wilhelm Steur) and flight engineer Sergeant-Major Josef Schmitz (Josef Schmiz). Of the seven crew members of the "Lancaster" we had to jump on the only two parachutes. Later Bornshayna remains were found and buried in his native village Obergreysslau.


 I also have a picture of Bornshien if you would like a copy.
Thanks

Bruce

 

Edited by Bruster
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