Initially designed as a high-speed mail aeroplane and airliner, the Do 17 first made an appearance as a military aircraft in the Spanish Civil War, both as a bomber and in reconnaissance roles. In the early stages of World War II, it, together with the Heinkel He 111, formed the backbone of the German bomber arm over Poland, France, Belgium and the Low Countries, and saw action in almost every major campaign in this period. However, by the start of the Battle of Britain, the Do 17's limited range and small bomb load meant that it was ripe for replacement by the Ju 88. Though it performed well at lower altitudes, the model suffered heavy losses during raids, particularly during the Blitz and were increasingly phased out. This fully illustrated study uses detailed full-colour artwork and authoritative text from an expert author to tell the full operation story of one of Nazi Germany's best light bombers from the early years of World War II.

Chris Goss is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer who specialised in the 1939-45 air war over northwest Europe and Luftwaffe air operations. He owns a collection of original wartime material and photographs as a result of interviews with veterans and their families. Chris has written more than 25 books that have been critically acclaimed for their research and been published in Swedish, Hungarian, Spanish and Czech as well as in English. He has written three books for Osprey.

1936-39 - Spain /1939 - Poland and the Phoney War /1940 - Battle of France /1940-41 - Battle of Britain and the Blitz /Balkans and the Mediterranean /Action on the Eastern Front and Replacement /Appendices /Colour Plates Commentary /Index