The twin-engine high-wing bomber Dornier Do 217 was widely employed by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Versatile and flexible, it was capable, in its various versions, of carrying out bombing missions, attacks against surface targets, and night fighter operations. In particular, the Do 217 J1/J2 Nachtjäger version was developed to effectively perform night interception missions against Allied bombers. The aircraft was equipped with the Lichtenstein radar, necessary for target identification, and was heavily armed with 20 mm cannons and 7.92 mm machine guns mounted in the forward nose section. Luftwaffe pilots considered it less manoeuvrable than other night fighters, but extremely reliable and robust. It could reach a maximum speed of 500 km/h.