An enlarged version of the Do.17, the 217 first flew in August 1938. Following production of a limited number of A and 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 and higher-capacity bomb bay. The E-4 variant - featuring BMW 801C engines and, often, wire cutters to get it past barrage balloons - was heavy and tricky to fly yet was a mature warplane: it was used extensively on the western front to bomb both ground targets and 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.
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