Dornier Do 24 Units Book Review
By Rachel E. Veres
| Date of Review | July 2015 | Title | Dornier Do 24 Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Peter de Jong | Publisher | Osprey Publishing |
| Published | 2015 | ISBN | 9781472805706 |
| Format | 96 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $22.95 |
Review
Rugged and reliable, Dornier's Do 24 flying boat saw widespread World War II and postwar use.
Now it's the subject of a stimulating study, Dornier Do 24 Units – number 110 in Osprey's popular "Combat Aircraft" series.
Do 24s flew maritime patrol, reconnaissance, anti-shipping, bombing and rescue missions. They also undertook transport, humanitarian relief, special operations and, in the surprising case of Dutch machines, air-defense roles.
Do 24s received their baptism of fire during the April 1940 invasion of Norway. And author Peter de Jong starts his saga there.
Contents then course through design and development, Dutch combat use in Southeast Asia, and German "sea emergency" units engaged in maritime rescue tasks on the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea and Baltic. Tales of "flightless" Do 24s limping back to base with broken tails, wings and struts attest to the design's durability.
Notes on Do 24s with KG 200 provide a fascinating, but curious coda to Nazi German coverage. A concluding chapter recaps the seaplanes in Australian, Swedish, Soviet, Norwegian, British, French and Spanish service.
Dozens of photos, 30 color profiles, appendices, a selected bibliography and an index augment the absorbing account.
Recommended!
My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!