Dornier Do 17 emergency exits

[stona]

As per the title, does anyone know where the emergency exits were on the Do 17. I'm specifically looking for parachute exits. I imagine that the underside door, used for normal ingress and egress might be jettisoned in an emergency, but I don't know, and there may have been other options.

There were four or five men to get out in a hurry!

Thanks for any infos.

Steve

 

[Airframes]

As far as I know Steve, the belly hatch, and the rear canopy section, could be jettisoned. I have read accounts of crew members exiting from the rear cockpit area, via the jettisoned canopy, and sliding off the wing before deploying their 'chutes, but the belly hatch would be the preferred method.

 

[Juha3]

From a decade old message to a British aviation historian:
DN-61 [a Do 17Z of the FiAF] of Pommituslentolaivue 46. Time around 14:00 at Kivennapa.
Pilot: luutnantti GRUNDSTRÖM...
Observer: vänrikki HOLMBERG...
W/O: alikersantti KOLPPO...
Gunner: alikersantti TERVO,...

In Hyvönen's book duties of Kolppo and Tervo are other way round as in Hämälänen's book lost list but because in Hämäläinen's book Tervo says that he was the gunner and Kolppo the W/O and also according to Hyvönen's book it was Kolppo who jumped from upper hatch (the way out for W/O, others used the lower hatch) I decided to put them to given positions.

Just before bombing the plane got several hits and fuel tanks caught fire. Pilot pulled the plane to steep climb and smoke filled the cockpit and some flames penetrated from the left wing into the cockpit. When W/O Kolppo opened the upper hatch as preparation for his jump flames filled the upper part of the cockpit. Tervo tried to open the lower hatch but it was stuck. Observer Holmberg came to help, he pulled the handle when Tervo jumped on the hatch. It opened and Tervo fell out. Both Kolppo and Tervo landed near each other between the lines...Grundström and Holmberg didn't get ot and died when the Dornier crashed.

 

[stona]

Thanks chaps, so definitely the belly door could be jettisoned (you would never be able to swing it down into the airstream), and some part of the upper canopy.

 

[Airframes]

Steve, I have some pics, in various books, showing the rear canopy section jettisoned on belly landed aircraft, and the section lying on the wing or fuselage spine. I can post some, with the relative acknowledgements, but I'm in Norfolk at the moment, and probably back home on the weekend.

 

[Juha3]

Here, the middle right photo shows the upper hatch

 

[stona]

Thanks again!

@ Airframes, anything you can send would be most helpful, thanks v much.