Dornier The Yugoslav Saga 1926 – 2007

Published on
February 20, 2022
Review Author(s)
Book Author(s)
: Djordje I. Nikolić and Aleksandar M. Ognjević
ISBN
978-83-66673-61-8
E-Book ISBN
8366673618
Other Publication Information
Square Softbound, A4 (8.25” x 11.75”), 336 pages
MSRP
$46.95
Company: Kagero Publishing - Website: Visit Site
Provided by: Casemate Publishers - Website: Visit Site
Cover

Based in Central Europe Kagero Publishing House is the biggest publisher and exporter of English-written publications about military history, release nearly 60 titles every year. Kagero was founded in 1995, and began by delivering military titles in Polish. Their success led Kagero to start releasing books in English in 1998. Authors from Poland, Canada, USA, Australia and Great Britain, who were invited to cooperation, gave a beginning to a new range of products, which have put them on a position of one of the most recognized publishers on the market. Kagero has released more than 550 publications. Kagero is managed by Damian Majsak and his wife Joanna.

Djordje I. Nikolić was born coincidentally on Aviation Day in Belgrade, Serbia. He graduated from the University of Applied Sciences in Anachen, Germany with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His interests are primarily in the Royal Yugoslav Air Force between World War I and World War II. His collection includes numerous photographs, documents, pilot logbooks, and other memorabilia. He is also an avid airplane modeler. He is the author and co-author of five aviation related books to date.

Aleksandar M. Ognjević has devoted the last years to studying and researching the history of the Army and Naval Air Forces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He has appeared as a guest on several television shows dedicated to the Royal Yugoslav Army and Naval Air Forces with the aim to rectify injustice brought on its members by the communist regime. He is a member of the Bristol Blenheim Society (1718), Serbian Military Pilot’s Club Mach 2+, an enthusiastic air archaeologist and explorer of crash sites where airplanes of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia crashed in the April 1941 war. He is an awarded modeler and is the author and co-author of eight aviation history related books to date.

Kagero’s Dornier: The Yugoslav Saga 1926 – 2007, is one of the latest in their Connoisseur's Books series. This edition is in their standard 8.25” x 11.75” format square-back softbound publication that is 336 pages (excluding covers). The front cover features Dornier Do-17K W.Nr. 2382 Br.2 during one of the factory test flights prior to flying to Belgrade. The second front cover photograph is Dornier Wal/J 256 moored off a beach showing off its Gnome-Rhone Jupiter engines. I counted 526 black and white period photographs (including period drawings) and 48 color photographs. Vojislav Carevic contributes 26 color side profiles along two scrap views of upper wings. Vojislav S. Stankov; and Oleksandr Boiko contribute 56 pages of 1/72 and 1/144 line drawings. Additionally, there are two large sheets of 1/72 drawings that fold out to 19” x 26 ½” format, printed on both sides. The first sheet has the first side marked as letter A and displays a 3 view line drawing of a Do. Wal/j and a Wal/Y. The reverse side shows a 3-view line drawing of a Do-Y and a Do-17Ka-2. The second sheet first side marked letter C displays two 3-view line drawings of the Do-17Ka-3. The back side marked letter D again shows a 3-view of the Do-17Ka-3 and a 3-view of the Dornier Do-22.

Djordje I. Nikolić and Aleksandar M. Ognjević initiates this tome with a short biography of Claude Dornier. Born and raised in Bavaria, Claude attracted the attention of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin with his design studies in light metal sections. This led to the Zeppelin-Lindau D.I which was the first stressed skin all-metal aircraft to enter production. Of course, the focus of this book is Dornier designs that served in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Each aircraft design is treated with a design development history along with a service history in Yugoslavia.

The first Dornier design discussed is the Dornier D, designed as a torpedo and/or bomber on floats. Page 28 shows this to good effect with a Dornier D hoisted on to the seaplane tender Zmaj. If you look closely at the photograph at the top of the page, you may notice a Dornier D behind the pretty lady with the parasol. A Dornier Wal nose gun turret is well depicted at the top of Page 98, although the gun is not mounted. The three engine Dornier Do Y bomber displays its nose glazing for the bombardier on Page 126.

The Dornier Do 17 service history includes the April 1941 war where German Dornier Do-17s faced Yugoslavia Dornier Do-17s. A nice close up of the Yugoslavia Dornier Do 17Ka-1, Br.2, is shown on Page 216 during its factory test flights in Germany. The final Dornier aircraft addressed is the Dornier Do-28D-2 Skyservant which was developed in the mid 1950s as a Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft. As with the earlier Dornier aircraft of World War II, the Skyservant also say war time service with the 1991 Yugoslavia Civil War.

The sections include:

  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • Dornier –Werke Gmbh History
  • Key Characteristics of the M-71 and M-82 Engines [Table]
  • Key Characteristics of Gudov Gu-82 (1st Prototype) [Table]
  • Designation Conventions of the M-82 Engines [Table]
  • Key Characteristics of the Yakolev Yak-7 M-82 [Table]
  • Dornier Do D
  • Development
  • Introduction Into Service
  • W.Nr. Escadrille No. Assignments [Table]
  • Accidents
  • Escadrille No. Accidents [Table]
  • April War
  • Construction Features
  • Technical Specifications
  • Technical Specifications Do D (1st Series) [Table]
  • Technical Specifications Do D (2nd Series) [Table]
  • Camouflage and Markings
  • 1/72nd Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do D 204
    • Dornier Do D 222
    • Dornier Do D 210
    • Dornier Do D 211
  • 1/144th Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do D 204
    • Dornier Do D 222
    • Dornier Do D 210
    • Dornier Do D 211
    • Dornier Do Wal
  • Development
  • Introduction Into Service
  • W.Nr. Escadrille No. Assignments [Table]
  • Do Wal at 1.HK 3.HG 26.HE Overview from 31 January 1941 [Table]
  • Do Wal at 2.HK Workshop Overview from 31 January 1941 [Table]
  • Do Wal at 3.HK 2.HG 21.HE Overview from 31 January 1941 [Table]
  • Accidents
  • April War
  • Do Wal Order of Battle on 6 April 1941 [Table]
  • Construction Features
  • Technical Specifications
  • Technical Specifications Do Wal “BMW” (Do Wal/B) [Table]
  • Technical Specifications Do Wal “Hispano” (Do Wal/H) [Table]
  • Technical Specifications Do Wal “Jupiter” (Do Wal/J) [Table]
  • Technical Specifications Do Wal “Kestrel” (Do Wal/K) [Table]
  • Camouflage and Markings
  • 1/72nd Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do Wal/B 200
    • Dornier Do Wal/J 256
    • Dornier Do Wal/B 257
    • Dornier Do Wal/H 260
  • 1/144th Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do Wal/B 200
    • Dornier Do Wal/J 256
    • Dornier Do Wal/B 257
    • Dornier Do Wal/H 260
    • Dornier Do Y
  • Development
  • Introduction Into Service
  • Do 15
  • Two More Enter Service
  • April War
  • Construction Features
  • Technical Specifications Dornier Do Y W.Nr. 232 and 233 [Table]
  • Technical Specifications Dornier Do Y W.Nr. 555 and 556 [Table]
  • Camouflage and Markings
  • W.Nr. Escadrille No. Assignments [Table]
  • 1/72nd Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do Y W.Nr. 232 and 233
    • Dornier Do Y W.Nr. 555 and 556
  • 1/144th Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do Y W.Nr. 232 and 233
    • Dornier Do Y W.Nr. 555 and 556
    • Dornier Do 22
    • Do 10, Do C3, and Do C2A
  • Technical Specifications Do C2A and Do C3 [Table]
  • Do 22 Prototype
  • Climbing Time [Table]
  • From Prototype to Production
  • Introduction to Service
  • Do 22 25.HE and 20.HE. Flights as of January 1941 [Table]
  • April War
  • Do 22 Order of Battle [Table]
  • 20.HE Combat Mission Flight Time [Table]
  • Egypt Exile – 1941 to 1942
  • Escadrille No. Crews [Table]
  • Timetable of Royal Yugoslav Do 22 Retreat to Egypt [Table]
  • Do 22 British Codes [Table]
  • Flights by Month [Table]
  • 1941 Missions by Month [Table]
  • 1942 Missions by Month [Table]
  • Post War
  • Construction Features
  • Armament [Table]
  • Technical Specifications Dornier Do 22 Prototype W.Nr. 259 [Table]
  • Technical Specifications Dornier Do 22 Kj W/Nr. 753 - 790 [Table]
  • Camouflage and Markings
  • W.Nr. Escadrille No. Assignments [Table]
  • 1/72nd Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do 22 Prototype
    • Dornier Do 22
    • Dornier Do 22 Kj
  • 1/144th Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do 22 Prototype
    • Dornier Do 22
    • Dornier Do 22 Kj
    • Dornier Do 17K
  • Development
  • Do 17 for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
  • DFA – Drzavna Fabrika Aviona
  • Dornier Version W.Nr. [Table]
  • Do 17 Production Buildings [Table]
  • DFA Produced Do 17Ka-3 [Table]
  • Peace Time Use
  • Accidents
  • 1941 April War
  • Do 17K Order of Battle [Table]
  • VVKJ Do-17s in Foreign Service
  • Construction Features
  • Technical Specifications Do 17Ka-1/2/3 [Table]
  • Camouflage and Markings
  • 1/72nd Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do-17Ka-1 W.Nr. 2382 (Br.2)
    • Dornier Do-17Ka-2 (Br.22)
    • Dornier (DFA) Do-17Ka-3 EvBr. 3362
    • Dornier Do-17Ka-3 (Br.36)
    • Dornier (DFA) Do-17Ka-3 EvBr. 3363
  • 1/144th Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do-17Ka-1 W.Nr. 2382 (Br.2)
    • Dornier Do-17Ka-2 (Br.22)
    • Dornier (DFA) Do-17Ka-3 EvBr. 3362
    • Dornier Do-17Ka-3 (Br.36)
    • Dornier (DFA) Do-17Ka-3 EvBr. 3363
    • Dornier Do 28D-2 Skyservant
  • Development
  • Introduction Into Service
  • War in the Former Yugoslavia
  • 1999 NATO Aggression
  • Retirement
  • Construction Features
  • Technical Specifications Do-28D-2 in Yugoslav Service [Table]
  • Camouflage and Markings
  • 1/72nd Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do-28 D-2 “Skyservant” No. 70501
  • 1/144th Line Drawings
    • Dornier Do-28 D-2 “Skyservant” No. 70501
  • Appendices
    • Appenidx 1. Maps of Kingdom of Yugoslavia
    • Appendix 2. Air Force and Navy Rank Comparison
    • Appendix 3. VVKJ Unit Structures
    • Appendix 4. Abbreviations
  • Selected Bibliography
  • Color Side Profiles

The Chapter on the three engine Dornier Y bomber caught my attention as I had not seen much on this design before. Design work began in 1930 with first flight achieved in October 1931. The Dornier Y aircraft did not participate much in the April 1941 war with Germany due to their obsolescence. They did serve as decoys for USAAF fighters and bombers however at Rajlovac airfield in 1944.

Djordje I. Nikolić and Aleksandar M. Ognjević have delivered a great history of Dornier aircraft that served in Yugoslavia from 1926 to 2007. Each of the six Dornier types are covered with period clear, well captioned period photographs. Several first person accounts are included and are quite illuminating. Modeling wise, kits are available for the Dornier Wal, Do 17K, Do 22, and Dornier Do-28. The Dornier D and Y will be more of a test of your scratch-building skills. If you have any of their previous books in the Connoisseur's Books series, you know how great a value this book is. Highly Recommended!

My thanks to Casemate, Kagero, and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great book.

Highly recommended!

Frank Landrus, IPMS# 35035

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