Quick and dirty list from Wiki:
Units that used the 217:
Nachtjagdgeschwader 1
Nachtjagdgeschwader 2
Nachtjagdgeschwader 4
Nachtjagdgeschwader 5
Nachtjagdgeschwader 6
Nachtjagdgeschwader 100
Kampfgeschwader 2
Kampfgeschwader 6
Kampfgeschwader 40
Kampfgeschwader 100
Kampfgeschwader 200
6 nightfighter squadrons and 5 bomber squadrons. Ignoring the NJG units, since this topic is about the 217 as a BOMBER... Let's dig into that list.
The following units and gruppen used the Do217. I have skipped the gruppen that did NOT use it, as no KG used it exclusively and had other planes in use in various other gruppen.
KG2: KG2 was one of the first to convert to the 217, but even so it didn't last.
- Stab./KG2 had less than 40 of those and lost almost half, and had too many losses in 1942 and were withdrawn to vichy France to simply help "occupy" the country or some such. I think it was a down time to regroup and reorganize, but this is just guessing. They never had more than 20 Do217s at peak in 1942, and after that barely had 3 or 4 for the rest of the war.
- I./KG2 apparently had about 36 early in 1942 at peak, and it drops to the 20s until April 1944 when it disappears, replaced by the Ju188 completely. I cannot find out ANYTHING about I./KG2's particular mission, just that they used them. Given the dates and other gruppen in KG2 it's likely used in mixed level bombing of coastal targets and minelaying/maritime patrol.
- II./KG2 had already migrated to Ju188s in fall 1943, and they continued on in predominantly anti-shipping roles with minelaying and maritime patrols. They carried on the tasks that the 217s had already been doing. In short, mostly maritime patrol. No doubt there was some conventional bombing, but it doesn't seem the main task. At peak they barely had 30 planes, give or take, and in 1943 often much less.I have read the following: After Dieppe, in which KG2 lost 1/4 of its forces, most raids were nuisance raids, on coastal shipping or targets (yes that means level bombing) but only in pairs and under radar to avoid detection. That continued for most of a year, until they re-equipped with 217Ks and Ms in 1943. Now, I don't know if that is correct but seems to be close. That's pretty low usage for most of a year.
- III./KG2 flew them without much impact on the history books until mid 1944 when it was dissolved into a night fighting unit intended to fly Do335s. At peak in 1942 they had 35 planes on hand, but through most of 1943 with the Ks and Ms they often only had numbers in the teens. By summer 1944 they could barely field 10 airframes.
KG6 apparently had some Do217s on hand in the single digits (never more than 10, often less), but was predominantly flying Ju88s and 188s in every major combat I could find reference to. The only references I can find is a single gruppe of KG6 was sent to re-organize for Do217 pathfinders in mid 1943. These single-digit airframes may have been training craft for this purpose. By this time they were mostly flying Ju188s and a mix of late-model Ju88s, but also some Heinkels. So, they sent pilots from 1 gruppe to re-organize. They didn't field the Do217 in combat themselves. That negates this KG on the list of units that used it.
KG40 was the primary maritime patrol unit of the Luftwaffe in WW2. No mystery what their role was. They started out simply as recon, radioing ship locations to wolfpacks (u-boats), and then later attacking them directly. They also fielded other bomber types ranging from He177s to Fw200s, but all in the same anti-shipping and recon role.
- II/KG40 formed in May 1941 to use Do217s, but did so alongside Heinkels as well. They converted to Me410s and He177s after May 1943 give or take, and no 217s were used after that. IV./KG40 MAY have fielded Do217s, but there was a large reorganization and many different gruppen swapped names and designations and others were consolidated to re-form different gruppe. From what I can understand and gather, it seems a number of II./KG40s Do217 gruppen were the same as those in IV./KG40. For any given month in the war (according to ww2.dk, if it is to be believed) II./KG40 never had more than 30 of any 217 variant on hand, and never had more than 40 COMBINED variants (Es and Ks mixed), and IV./KG40 had none at all during any month, so I don't think IV./KG40 used them. Seems to be predominantly maritime patrol using guided missiles, as they also upgraded to He177s using more guided bombs and missiles as the war continued, and a number of Me410s were converted for maritime patrol with surface radar to search for enemy ships.
KG100 photographic evidence shows they used a mix of night fighters and normal variants.
- Stab/KG100 was formed in 1941, but didn't get Do217s until April 1943 give or take. They continued to use these late into 1944 before being totally disbanded as a squadron, but never exceeded single-digit use of the plane.
- Part of II./KG100 was absorbed along with other parts of other squadrons to use He111s and Do217Es along with Hs293 guided missiles specifically. At peak in 1943 it had mid-40s on hand, but by early 1944 they often had only numbers in the teens on a month by month basis. After April 1944 none are shown on the order of battle.
- III./KG100 used Do217Ks and Fritz X guided bomb combinations from mid 1943 until disbandment in 1944, although at the end they only had a single-digits of planes of ANY type by that time.
- IV./KG100 started showing Do217s on roster in June 1943, with some 53 total, but by the next month were down to some 23 or so. After that initial spike they rarely had more than 20 combined from all types and in 1944 all 217s are almost nonexistent on thier roster.
KG200: And finally we come to KG200, which among other things was responsible for dropping special agents behind enemy lines on covery missions, for flying captured allied planes around to unit to teach axis pilots how better to attack and identify them, and also was formed from 2 test squadrons into a single unit and was NOT a frontline bomber unit. They had extensive recon operations (mostly using Ju86s, though). This unit was NOT using the Do217 for any conventional purposes.
So, 6 night fighter squadrons and 5 KG squadrons, of which 2 of those didn't even use it. So that leaves 3 KG squadrons, of which I've broken down the very basic use on a gruppen-by-gruppen basis.
Of those 3 we have KG2, KG4, and KG100, of which KG40 and KG100 appear to be almost exclusively maritime patrol and anti-shipping (with maritime recon thrown in).
That means only KG2 really used them for conventional bombing of cities or targets, and only 3 gruppen (plus a small number in the Stab), of which one of the gruppen was out of action for most of a year.
To sum up, 2 gruppen in 1 Kampfgeschwader used this plane regularly, and even counting the 1 gruppe that was out for most of 1942, they STILL only fielded 100 planes during any given month. After Dieppe, make that 2 gruppen fielding 70 planes. That's at peak. Going by later dates in 1942 you've got some 40 planes between the lot, and less if you get into early 1943!
