I'm researching the crash of the RAF Handley Page Hampden AE185 bomber on August 18th 1941 in Haren, Netherlands.
This aircraft was shot down by Ludwig Becker who was flying the Dornier Do 215 B-5 G9+OM, and that was the first German night fighter equipped with the Lichtenstein 202 B/C radar. In fact the Hampden was the fourth victim of this aircraft.
Becker noted in his pilot log that he met heavy resistance from the Hampden, and that he even lost his left engine.
All of the Do 215 B variants had a perspex nose and a 4 men crew, except for the B-5. It did not have a perspex nose, and it had a 3 men crew. The non B-5 variants had two defensive machine gun positions, one in the rear of the cockpit, and one under the belly of the fuselage, also pointing to the rear. Youtube has a video of the latter, and it doesn't look very effective.
I would like to know if the B-5 variant also had this under-the-belly machine gun position. I can't find a clear photo of the Do 215 B-5 that shows if the machine gun position is there. I have seen quite some drawings of the Do 215 B-5, many with and some others without that machine gun position.
it seems to me that the bomb-aimer who was not present in the B-5 variant would also have manned the machine gun under the belly, so I doubt if this machine gun was there in the B-5. Am I right?
What colours might the G9+OM have had? I've seen all kind of colour schemes for the Do 215 B-5, so I wonder what the colours for this particular aircraft were.
This aircraft was shot down by Ludwig Becker who was flying the Dornier Do 215 B-5 G9+OM, and that was the first German night fighter equipped with the Lichtenstein 202 B/C radar. In fact the Hampden was the fourth victim of this aircraft.
Becker noted in his pilot log that he met heavy resistance from the Hampden, and that he even lost his left engine.
All of the Do 215 B variants had a perspex nose and a 4 men crew, except for the B-5. It did not have a perspex nose, and it had a 3 men crew. The non B-5 variants had two defensive machine gun positions, one in the rear of the cockpit, and one under the belly of the fuselage, also pointing to the rear. Youtube has a video of the latter, and it doesn't look very effective.
I would like to know if the B-5 variant also had this under-the-belly machine gun position. I can't find a clear photo of the Do 215 B-5 that shows if the machine gun position is there. I have seen quite some drawings of the Do 215 B-5, many with and some others without that machine gun position.
it seems to me that the bomb-aimer who was not present in the B-5 variant would also have manned the machine gun under the belly, so I doubt if this machine gun was there in the B-5. Am I right?
What colours might the G9+OM have had? I've seen all kind of colour schemes for the Do 215 B-5, so I wonder what the colours for this particular aircraft were.
