4th October 1940

Dornier Do 17 Z (WNr. 2832 - code 2F+BA)
St.St./St.G.3
Dinard
(contributors : Claude Archambault, Frédéric Hénoff)

Dornier Do 17Z, France, 1940 - Photo © Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-345-0784-14A - Photographer Gentsch

THE STORY

We know little about this aircraft. It made a forced landing in Dinard on October 4, 1940, during a local flight and was 40% damaged. 

However, an excerpt from "Dive-bomber and Ground-attack Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945: a Reference Source: Units, formation and redesignation, commanders, key operations, codes, emblems. By Henry L. De Zeng & Douglas G. Stankey · 2009 - Volume 1" reveals :

[...] August 13, 1940 : the Geschwaderstab and the Stabsstaffel are now in Bretigny, 28 km south of Paris, under the command of IV. Fliegerkorps/Luftflotte 3, for the beginning of the main phase of the Battle of Britain. The Stabsstaffel lists four Dornier Do 17 Zs, one Do 17 M, and two Heinkel He 111 Hs in its inventory. Most of these aircraft originally belonged to the Geschwaderstab of K.G. 28. For a few weeks or months, the Stabsstaffel's aircraft carried the code (2F+), which had been used by the Stabsstaffel's aircraft of K.G. 28. On August 18, all units equipped with Stukas were withdrawn from daytime cross-Channel operations due to heavy losses. Shortly after this date, the Stab and the Stabsstaffel reportedly returned to Dinard. On October 4, a damaged Do 17 Z landed at Dinard. On October 7, a Do 17 Z-3 made a belly landing on the runway at St. Michel in Brittany. December: order to leave Dinard for Trapani/Sicily to be assigned to the X. Fliegerkorps, the staff personnel and the aircraft of the Stabsstaffel arriving there gradually between 2 and 9 January 1941. [...].

APPENDICES

♦ Archive document listing Luftwaffe losses : it shows, dated October 4, 1940 (red arrow), the emergency landing ("Bruchlandung") of the Dornier Do 17 Z at Dinard with a damage rate of 40%.

Source : Das Bundesarchiv - Freiburg