Beginning from 1943 the daylight bombing of Germany was gradually increasing in both number of bombers and frequency. Inevitably, some of the Flying Fortresses were shot down by German interceptors or by anti-aircraft guns. But the B-17's were so sturdy that the crews sometimes were able to crash-land without doing much damage to the bombers. Eventually, the Luftwaffe captured enough of these American bombers that they formed a special unit, I/KG200, which flew captured Fortresses in German markings to drop secret agents by parachute and keep them supplied while they performed tasks like the construction of a chain of clandestine airstrips and fuel dumps in the West. As part of the cloak and dagger act, these aircraft were known as Dornier Do-200. Some B-17s were taken to Orly Airport, Paris. These B-17s was placed in the hands of ZS-1, Zerstörer Schule I (Destroyer School I) to be used to train German figher pilots in how to attack the B-17. Fortresses without swastikas or other German markings were also used to join bomber formations and radio information to attacking German fighters. This trick worked very well. The Germans also did this with captured Short Stirling bombers too to trick the British. Plans were made to begin construction of a wooden version of captured P-51s to be built by Espenlaub Flugzeugbau; however, they were busy so the initial order in 1945 went to the Kholba Werke which specialized in wooden decoy aircraft. Germany surrender before any could be manufactured! Pics below of captured B-17s (aka Do-200), a Stirling, and the P-51...

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