Junkers Ju 87
Type	Dive bomber
Manufacturer	Junkers
Designed by	Hermann Polmann
Maiden flight	17 September 1935
Introduction	1936
Retired	1945
Status	Retired
Primary users	Luftwaffe Regia Aeronautica
Number built	5,752

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug or "dive bomber") was a two-seat (pilot and rear gunner) German ground-attack aircraft of World War II. A dive bomber is a Bomber aircraft that Dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1936: Events February British Marine Aircraft Ltd This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1945: Events January January 1 - the Luftwaffe begins targeting The Royal Air Force ( Regia Aeronautica) was the name of the Italian Air Force established as an independent service from 1923 until the A dive bomber is a Bomber aircraft that Dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of Tail Gunner is a monochrome vector arcade game created by Vectorbeam in 1979 Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Designed by Hermann Polmann, the Stuka first flew in 1935 and made its combat debut in 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Condor Legion (Legion Condor was a unit composed of "volunteers" from the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) which served with the Nationalist The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of The aircraft was easily recognizable by its inverted gull wings, fixed spatted undercarriage and its infamous Jericho-Trompete ("Jericho Trumpet") wailing siren^[1], becoming the propaganda symbol of German air power and the Blitzkrieg victories of 1939-1942. The gull wing is an aircraft configuration with a prominent bend in the Wing somewhere along the span, generally near the Wing root. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi A siren is a loud noise maker The original version would yield sounds under water suggesting a link with the Sirens of Greek mythology Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Air power redirects here for electrical and mechanical energy supplied by air movement see Wind power Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war" is a popular name for an Offensive operational-level Military doctrine which involves an initial However the Ju 87 was vulnerable to modern fighter aircraft. Its poor manouvreability, speed and defensive armament caused the Stuka to require heavy protection from German fighters. The Ju 87s flaws became apparent as early as the Battle of Britain, when it was withdrawn from service after unacceptable and unsustainable losses. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and The Stuka operated with further success after the Battle of Britain, and its potencey as a precision ground attack aircraft became valuable to the German war effort in the Balkans Campaign, the African and Mediterranean Theatres and the early stages of the Eastern Front campaigns where Allied fighter resistance was disorganised and in short supply. The Balkans Campaign was the Axis Powers ' invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia during World War II. The African Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre of World War II encompasses naval land and air campaigns between Allied and Axis forces However, once the Luftwaffe had lost Air superiority on all fronts the Ju 87 once again became easy targets for enemy fighter aircraft. Air superiority is the dominance in the Air power of one side's air forces over the other side's during a Military campaign. However inspite of this, and lacking a successor, the type continued to be produced until 1944. By the end of the conflict the Stuka was largely replaced by ground attack versions of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, but some units, like Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" operated the Ju 87 to the last day of the war. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber - wing of World War II.

General description

A Kette of Ju 87s circa 1939-40

Nazi propaganda poster - Air victory over Poland

Junkers Ju 87 G-2 (Royal Air Force Museum Hendon)

Junkers Ju 87 G-2 (Royal Air Force Museum Hendon)

The Stuka's design included several innovative features, including automatic pull-up dive brakes under both wings to ensure that the plane recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high acceleration, and a wind-powered siren under its nose (later mounted to the front upper section of each fixed landing gear strut) that wailed during dives to frighten its victims. Organization of the Luftwaffe: The German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) of World War II had a distinct organization and command structure Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAF Museum) is a Museum dedicated to the history of Aviation, and the British Royal Air Force in particular The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAF Museum) is a Museum dedicated to the history of Aviation, and the British Royal Air Force in particular A dive bomber is a Bomber aircraft that Dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of g-force (also G-force, g-load) is a measurement of an object's Acceleration expressed in g s These were named Jericho-Trompeten, or "Trumpets of Jericho", by Junkers and were a form of psychological warfare. The Battle of Jericho also known as the Siege of Jericho is described by the Book of Joshua, and is prominent among cultural references to the Bible. The US Department of Defense defines psychological warfare ( PSYWAR) as" The planned use of Propaganda and other Psychological actions Its rugged fixed undercarriage allowed it to land and take-off from improvised airstrips close to the battlefront, giving close support to German ground forces. 5,752 Ju 87 of all versions were built between 1936 and August 1944.

Although sturdy, accurate, and very effective, the Stuka suffered from a relatively low maximum speed and poor maneuverability, with little defensive armament, making it highly vulnerable to enemy fighters. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed The Germans learned during the Battle of Britain that air superiority must be obtained before ground-attack aircraft could be effectively used. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and Air superiority is the dominance in the Air power of one side's air forces over the other side's during a Military campaign. After the Battle of Britain, the Stuka was little used on the Western Front, but it remained effective in the Mediterranean where Allied fighters were in short supply, most notably in the battles of Crete, Malta and Leros. The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, The African Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre of World War II encompasses naval land and air campaigns between Allied and Axis forces The Battle of Crete ( German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II The Siege of Malta was a significant Military event in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II that occurred between 1940 and 1943 on the island The Battle of Leros (Μάχη της Λέρου was the central event of the Dodecanese Campaign of the Second World War, and is widely used as an alternate

Stukas were used in vast numbers on the Eastern Front, although the steady rise in Soviet airpower as the war progressed meant that Stuka squadrons suffered very heavy losses by the final stages of the war. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign

Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the most notable Stuka ace, and the most highly decorated German soldier of World War II. Hans-Ulrich Rudel ( July 2, 1916 – December 18, 1982) was a Stuka dive-bomber pilot during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy Aircraft during aerial combat (Hermann Goering was awarded the Großkreuz des eisernen Kreuzes, but not for achievements in battle. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross was a decoration intended for victorious generals of the Prussian Army and its Allies. )

Operational History

Condor Legion and the Spanish Civil War

Among the many German aircraft designs that participated in the Spanish Civil War, a single Ju 87 A-0 was allocated serial number 29-1 and was assigned to the Vj/88, the experimental Staffel of the Legion's fighter wing. The Condor Legion (Legion Condor was a unit composed of "volunteers" from the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) which served with the Nationalist The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of The aircraft was secretly loaded onto the Spanish ship Usaramo and departed Hamburg harbor on the night of 1 August 1936, arriving in Cadiz five days later. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The only known information pertaining to its combat career in Spain is that it was piloted by Unteroffizier Herman Beuer, and took part in the Nationalist offensive against Bilbao in 1937. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Battle of Bilbao was part of the War in the North, during the Spanish Civil War where the Nationalist Army captured the city of Bilbao Presumably the aircraft was then secretly returned to Germany. ^[2]

In January 1938 three Ju 87 A-1s arrived. Several problems became evident - the spatted undercarriage sank into muddy airfield surfaces, and the spats were temporarily removed. In addition, the maximum 500 kg (1100 lb) bombload could only be carried if the gunner vacated his seat, and the bombload was therefore restricted to 250 kg (550 lb). These aircraft supported the Nationalist forces and carried out anti-shipping missions until they returned to Germany in October 1938. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers

The A-1s were replaced by five Ju 87 B-1s. With the war coming to an end they found little to do and were used to support Heinkel He 111s attacking Republican positions. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Second Spanish Republic was the system of government in Spain between April 14 1931, when King Alfonso XIII left the country As the Ju 87 A-0 had been, the B-1s were returned discreetly to the Reich.

The experience of the Spanish Civil War had been invaluable - air and ground crews perfected their skills, and equipment was evaluated under combat conditions. However, the Ju 87 had not been tested against numerous and well-coordinated fighter opposition, and this lesson was to be learned later at great cost to the Stuka crews.

Poland

On 1 September 1939 the Wehrmacht invaded Poland triggering World War Two. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including At exactly 0426 hours a Kette of Ju 87s of 3. /StG 1 led by Staffelkapitän Oberleutnant Bruno Dilly carried out the first bombing attack of the war. Staffelkapitän is a Luftwaffe position (not a rank that is the equivalent of Royal Air Force / US Air Force Squadron Leader. Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The aim was to destroy the Polish demolition charges wired to the bridges over the Vistula River. Demolition is the opposite of Construction: the tearing-down of Buildings and other Structures It contrasts with deconstruction However, the mission failed and the Poles destroyed the bridge before the Germans could reach it.

A Ju 87 achieved the first air victory during World War II on 1 September 1939, when Rottenführer Leutnant Frank Neubert of I. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. /StG 2 "Immelmann" shot down a Polish PZL P.11c fighter piloted by Captain Mieczysław Medwecki, who was killed in the engagement. Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber - wing of World War II. The PZL P11 was a Polish Fighter aircraft, designed in the early 1930s by PZL in Warsaw. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed ^[3]

The Luftwaffe had a few anti-shipping naval units such as 4. (St)/TrGr 186. This unit performed effectively, sinking the 1540-ton destroyer ORP Wicher and minelayer ORP Gryf of the Polish Navy. For the other warship of the Polish Navy named ORP Wicher see ORP Wicher (Smielyi class History The ship was built at History Built from 1934 at French Shipyard Chantiers et Ateliers A

On one occasion six Polish divisions trapped by encircling German forces were forced to surrender after a relentless four-day bombardment by StG 51, 76 and 77. Employed in this assault were the 50-kg fragmentation bombs which caused appalling casualties to the Polish ground troops. Demoralized, the Poles surrendered. The Stukas also participated in the Battle of Bzura which resulted in the breaking of Polish resistance. The Battle of the Bzura (or Kutno or Battle of Kutno - German name was a battle in the opening campaign of World War II during the 1939 The Sturzkampfgeschwader alone dropped 388 tonnes of bombs during this battle. Organization of the Luftwaffe: The German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) of World War II had a distinct organization and command structure ^[4]

Once again, enemy air opposition was light, the Stukawaffe (Stuka force) losing just 31 aircraft during the campaign. ^[5]

Norway

Operation Weserübung began on 9 April 1940 with the invasions of Norway and Denmark, Denmark capitulated within the day whilst Norway continued to resist with British and French help. Operation Weserübung was the codename for Nazi Germany 's assault on Denmark and Norway during World War II and the opening operation Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe

The campaign was not the classic Blitzkrieg of fast moving armoured divisions supported by air-power as the mountainous terrain ruled out close Panzer/Stuka cooperation. Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war" is a popular name for an Offensive operational-level Military doctrine which involves an initial Instead the Germans relied on Fallschirmjäger (paratroops), airborne troops transported by Junkers Ju 52s and specialised ski troops. (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from the German Fallschirm "parachute" and Jäger, "hunter WikipediaWikiProject Ski warfare, the use of ski -equipped troops in War, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus The strategic nature of the operation made the Stuka essential. The Ju 87s were given the role of ground attack and anti-shipping missions. The Stuka was to prove the most effective weapon in the Luftwaffe's armoury carrying out the latter.

On 9 April StG 1 caught and hit the 600-ton Norwegian torpedo boat Aeger in the engine room. The Aeger was rung aground and scuttled. ^[6] The Stukageschwader were now equipped with the new Ju 87R, which differed from the Ju 87B by having increased internal fuel capacity and two 300l underwing drop tanks for more range.

The first Stukas took off at 10. 59 hours from occupied airfields to destroy Oscarsborg Fortress, after the loss of the heavy cruiser Blücher which caused disruption of the amphibious landings in Oslo through Oslofjord. Oscarsborg Fortress ( Oscarsborg festning) is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the small city of Drøbak. The heavy cruiser was a type of Cruiser, a naval Warship designed for long range high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 8in in calibre Design The Hipper class were built to a design that flouted the Washington Naval Treaty, to which major maritime (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. The Oslofjord (Oslofjorden is a Bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses

The Stukas however had numerous successes against Allied Naval vessels. HMS Bittern was sunk on 30 April. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule The French super-destroyer Bison was sunk along with HMS Afridi by Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 on 3 May 1940. Ships Bison - built by Arsenal de Lorient completed 10 October 1930 Construction She was ordered from the Newcastle-upon-Tyne yards of Vickers-Armstrong on 10 March 1936 under the 1935 Build Programme Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[7]

France and the Low Countries

The Stukawaffe had learned some lessons from the Polish and Norwegian campaigns. The failures of Poland and the Stukas of I. StG 1 to silence the Oscarborg fort ensured even more attention was paid to pin-point bombing during the Phoney War period. This was to pay off in the Western campaign.

When Fall Gelb began on 10 May 1940 the Stuka helped swiftly neutralise the fortress of Eben Emael. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Eben-Emael was a Belgian fortress between Liège and Maastricht, near the Albert Canal, defending the Belgian-German border The HQ of the Commander responsible for ordering the destruction of the bridges along the Albert Canal was stationed in the village of Lanaeken (14 km to the north). The Albert Canal (Albertkanaal Canal Albert is a Canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. However the Stuka demonstrated its accuracy when the small building was destroyed after receiving four direct hits. As a result only one of the three bridges was destroyed allowing the German Army to rapidly advance.

The Sturzkampfgeschwader were also instrumental in achieving the breakthrough at Sedan. The Stukawaffe flew 300 sorties against French positions, with StG 77 alone flying 201 individual missions^[8].

The Luftwaffe also benefited from excellent ground-to-air communications throughout the campaign. Radio equipped forward liaison officers could call upon the Stukas and direct them to attack enemy positions along the axis of advance. In some cases the Stukas responded to requests in 10-20 minutes. Oberstleutnant Hans Seidemann (Richthofen's Chief of Staff) said that "never again was such a smoothly functioning system for discussing and planning joint operations achieved"^[9]. Hans Seidemann ( 18 January 1901 - 21 December 1967) was a World War II Luftwaffe general The chief of staff is the chief aide to the Commander of larger military Formations and Units It is sometimes the case that the chief of staff is more directly

During the Battle of Dunkirk 89 merchantmen (of 126,518 grt) were lost, and the Royal Navy lost 29 of its 40 destroyers (6 sunk, 23 damaged and out of service), mostly at the hands of the Ju 87s^[10]. The Battle of Dunkirk was the defense and evacuation of the British and Allied forces that had been separated from the main body of the French defenses by the German advance The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Enemy airpower was ineffective and disorganised, and as a result the Stuka losses were mainly due to ground fire. Some 120 machines, one-third of the Stuka force, were destroyed or damaged to all causes^[11].

Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain proved for the first time that the Junkers Ju 87 was vulnerable in hostile skies against well organised and determined fighter opposition. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and

Steady losses had occurred throughout their participation in the battle. On 18 August, a day known as the 'hardest day' as both sides suffered heavy losses, the Stuka was withdrawn after losing 16 of its number and numerous others damaged^[12]. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. The myth of the Stuka was shattered.

North Africa and the Mediterranean

In response to the Italian defeats in Greece and North Africa the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ordered the deployment of some German forces to these theatres. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Amongst the Luftwaffe contingent deployed was the Geschwaderstab StG 3 which touched down in Sicily in December 1940. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. In the next few days two Gruppen - some 80 Stukas were deployed under X. Fliegerkorps. The first task of the Korps was to attack British shipping passing between Sicily and Africa. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Ju 87s first made their presence by subjecting the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to heavy attack. Service Illustrious joined the fleet in August 1940 Her first assignment was in the Mediterranean, where she was used to provide Convoy cover The crews were confident that they could sink it given the flight deck spanned approximately 7,000 square metres.

On 10 January 1941 the Stuka crews were told four direct hits with 500 kg bombs would be enough to sink the carrier. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. The Ju 87s delivered six and three damaging near-misses^[13]. But the ships engines remained untouched and it made for the dubious sanctuary of Malta. The Siege of Malta was a significant Military event in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II that occurred between 1940 and 1943 on the island

Many ex-Luftwaffe Ju 87s were handed over to their Italian ally, the Regia Aeronautica and re-named the Picchiatello. The Royal Air Force ( Regia Aeronautica) was the name of the Italian Air Force established as an independent service from 1923 until the Some of the Picchiatelli saw action in the opening phase of the Italian invasion of Greece in October 1940. The Greco-Italian War ( Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος Ellēnoїtalikós Pólemos or Πόλεμος The number was ineffective and the Italian forces were quickly pushed back. By early 1941 the Greeks had pushed into Italian occupied Albania. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Once again Hitler decided to send military aid to his allies.

In March the pro-German Yugoslav government was toppled. A furious Hitler ordered the attack to be expanded to include Yugoslavia. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Operation Marita commenced on 7 April. The Battle of Greece (also known as Operation Marita, Unternehmen Marita was a World War II battle that occurred on the Greek mainland and in southern Albania The Stuka once again spearheaded the air assault with a frontline strength of 300 machines. Yugoslav resistance in the air was minimal. As a result the Stukas fearsome reputation returned. Operating unmolested the Stukas took a heavy toll of ground forces. The light losses incurred were a result of ground fire. The effectiveness of the dive-bombers helped bring about Yugoslav capitulation in just ten days.

The Stukas also took a peripheral part in Operation Punishment - Hitler's retribution bombing of Belgrade. Belgrade (Београд Beograd is the Capital and largest city of Serbia. The dive-bombers were to attack airfields and known anti-aircraft gun positions whilst the level bombers struck civilian targets. Belgrade was badly damaged, and a reported 15,000 people were killed or injured.

In Greece, despite British aid, little air opposition was encountered. The Stukas were able to roam the skies and attack targets unmolested. As the Allies withdrew and resistance collapsed the Allies began evacuating to Crete. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the The Stukas proved effective in inflicting severe casualties to Allied shipping. On 22 April the 1,389 ton destroyers Psara and Ydra were sunk. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. In the next two days the Greek Naval base at Piraeus suffered the loss of 23 vessels to Stuka attack^[14]. Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a

As the Battle of Crete drew to a close the Allies began yet another withdrawal. The Battle of Crete ( German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II The Stukas and their crews once again proved exceptional against enemy warships. On 21 May HMS Juno was sunk, on the 22 May the battleship HMS Warspite, and the cruiser HMS Gloucester were damaged . Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. HMS Juno (F46 was a J class Destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Early career Warspite's first commanding officer upon commissioning in 1915 was Captain Edward Montgomery Phillpotts. Service in the Indian Ocean and South Africa On 7 April 1939 Gloucester left Malta to take over the East Indies station as flagship of the 4th Cruiser The Ju 87s also crippled HMS Fiji that morning, (she was later finished off by Bf 109 fighter bombers) whilst destroying HMS Greyhound with a single hit. Early career Fiji was built by John Brown and launched on 31 May 1939 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout HMS Greyhound (H05 was a G-class Destroyer laid down by Vickers Armstrong Naval Construction Works at Barrow-in-Furness on 20 On 23 May the Royal Navy also lost HMS Kashmir, HMS Kelly sunk followed by HMS Hereward on the 26 May. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) See also Service Home Waters (1939 On the afternoon of 14 December 1939 the tanker ''Atheltemplar'' struck a mine laid by German destroyers off HMS Hereward (H93, named after Hereward the Wake, was an H-class Destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by the High Walker Yard of Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place HMS Orion and HMS Dido were also severely damaged^[15]. History She was built by Devonport Dockyard (Plymouth UK Vickers-Armstrong (Newcastle-on-Tyne UK History After working up was completed early November 1940 Dido became a member of the 15th cruiser squadron deployed in blockading the approaches to the Bay of Biscay

The Sturzkampfgeschwader faithfully supported Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel's Deutsches Afrika Korps in its two year campaign in North Africa, helping it achieve considerable success. Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ( 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) (also known as the " Desert Fox " Wüstenfuchs The German Afrikakorps ( German: Deutsches Afrikakorps DAK) was the original German blocking force (Sperrverband = Armored Blocking Force in Libya However as the tide turned and Allied airpower grew in the Autumn of 1942, the Ju 87 became little more than cannon fodder. The old frailties emerged and losses were heavy. The entry of the Americans into North Africa during Operation Torch made the situation far worse. Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the British - American invasion of French North Africa in World War II The Stuka became obsolete in what was now a fighter-bomber's war. The Bf 109 and Fw 190 could at least choose to fight on equal terms after dropping their ordnance whereas the Stuka enjoyed no such option. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout An example of the Junkers' vulnerability was demonstrated on 11 November 1942 when 15 Ju 87Ds were all shot down by USAF P-40Fs in minutes^[16]. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

By 1943, the Allies enjoyed total air superiority in North Africa. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Ju 87s ventured out in Rotte strength only, often jettisoning their bombs at the first sight of enemy aircraft and making "a run for home".

The dive-bombers continued to support operations in Southern Europe; after the Italian surrender in September 1943, the Ju 87 helped Germany achieve the last campaign-sized victory over the Western Allies. The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. The Greek Dodecanese Islands had been occupied by the British. The Dodecanese ( Greek Δωδεκάνησα Dodekánisa 'twelve islands' are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean The Luftwaffe reacted by committing 75 Stukas (of StG 3 with bases in Megara and Rhodos) to recover the Islands. With the RAF bases some 500 km away the Ju 87 helped the German landing forces achieve a rapid conquest of the Islands.

After the Battle of Leros the I. Group of StG 3 was transferred to the Eastern Front (Dorpat). The remaining Stuka units continued to operate during the Italian campaign, but mainly at night to avoid Allied fighters.

Eastern front

On 22 June 1941 the Wehrmacht commenced Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Luftwaffe order of battle of 22 June 1941 contained four different Sturzkampfgeschwader. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Fliegerkorps VIII under the command of General der Flieger Wolfram von Richthofen was equipped with units Stab, II. , and III. /StG 1. Also included were Stab, I. , II. , and III. of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann. Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber - wing of World War II. Attached to Fliegerkorps II, under the Command of General der Flieger Bruno Loerzer, were Stab, I. Bruno Loerzer ( 22 January 1891 - 23 August 1960) was an officer in the German Luftstreitkräfte during World , II. , and III. of StG 77. Luftflotte 5, under the command of Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, operating from Norway's Arctic Circle, were alloted IV. Luftflotte 5 (Air Fleet 5 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. Hans-Jürgen Stumpff ( June 15, 1889 - March 9, 1968) was a German general of the Luftwaffe during the Second Gruppe (St)/LG 1^[17].

The first Stuka loss on the Soviet-German front occurred early at 03. 40-03. 47 in the morning of the 22 June. While being escorted by Bf 109s from JG 51 to attack a fortress at Brest, Oberleutnant Karl Führing of StG 77 was shot down by a I-153^[18]. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Sturzkampfgeschwader had suffered only two losses on the opening day of Barbarossa. As a result of the Luftwaffe's attention, the Soviet Air Force in the Western Soviet Union was nearly destroyed. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The official report claimed 1,489 Soviet aircraft destroyed. Göring ordered this checked. After picking their way through the wreckages across the front, Luftwaffe officers found that the tally exceeded 2,000^[19]. In the following two days the Soviets reported the loss of another 1,922 aircraft^[20]. Soviet aerial resistance, whilst it continued, ceased to be effective, and the Luftwaffe maintained air-superiority until the end of the year.

The Ju 87 took a huge toll on Soviet ground forces, helping to break up counter-attacks of Soviet armour, eliminating strongpoints, and disrupting the enemy supply lines. An example of the Stuka's effectiveness occurred on 5 July when StG 77 knocked out 18 trains and 500 vehicles^[21]. A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another As Panzergruppe 1 and 2 forged bridgeheads across the Dnieper river and closed in on Kiev the Ju 87s again rendered invaluable support. For the rocket see Dnepr rocket. For other uses see Dnieper (disambiguation. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the On 13 September Stukas from StG 1 destroyed all the rail networks in the vicinity as well as inflicting heavy casualties on escaping Red Army columns - for the loss of a single Ju 87^[22]. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Days later, on 23 September, Hans-Ulrich Rudel (who to become the most decorated serviceman in the Wehrmacht) of StG 2, sank the Soviet battleship Marat, during an air attack on Kronstadt harbor in the Leningrad area, with a hit to the bow with a 1,000 kg bomb^[23]. Hans-Ulrich Rudel ( July 2, 1916 – December 18, 1982) was a Stuka dive-bomber pilot during World War II. Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber - wing of World War II. A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were Kronstadt (Кроншта́дт also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt (Krone for Crown and Stadt for City) is a Russian Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Also during this action Leutnant Egbert Jaekel sank the destroyer Minsk, while the destroyer Steregushchiy and submarine M-74 were also sunk. Ships All ships were named after Cities The Stukas also crippled the battleship Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya and the destroyers Silnyy and Grozyashchiy in exchange for two Ju 87s shot down^[24]. Development The ship was laid down on 3 June 1909 in the Admiralty Shipyard at St

Elsewhere on the Eastern front the Junkers assisted Army Group Centre in its drive toward Moscow. From 13-22 December 420 vehicles and 23 tanks were destroyed by StG 77, greatly improving the morale of the German infantry, who were by now on the defensive^[25]. StG 77 finished the campaign as the most effective Sturzkampfgeschwader. It had destroyed 2,401 vehicles, 234 tanks, 92 artillery batteries and 21 trains for the loss of 25 Ju 87s to hostile action^[26].

At the end of Barbarossa, StG 1 had lost 60 Stukas in aerial combat and one on the ground. StG 2 lost 39 Ju 87s in the air and two on the ground, StG 77 lost 29 of their dive-bombers in the air and three on the ground (25 to enemy action). IV. (St)/LG1 operating from Norway lost 24 Ju 87s, all in aerial combat^[27].

In early 1942 the Ju 87s were to give the Germany Army (Heer) yet more valuable support. The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( On 29 December 1941 the Soviet 44th Army landed on the Kerch Peninsula. Cimmerian Bosporus redirects here For the ancient state see Bosporan Kingdom; for its rulers see Kings of Cimmerian Bosporus. The Luftwaffe was only able to dispatch meager reinforcements of four Kampfgruppen (note: not Kampfgeschwader) and two Sturzkampfgruppen, belonging to StG 77. With air-superiority the Ju 87s operated with impunity. In the first ten days half the landing force was destroyed, while sea supply lines were cut off by the Stukas inflicting heavy losses on Soviet shipping. The Ju 87s effectiveness against Soviet armour was not yet potent. The later models of the T-34 could withstand Stuka attack, in general, unless a direct hit was scored. The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1941 to 1958 It is widely regarded as having been the world's best Tank when the Soviet Union However the Soviet 44th Army had only obsolecent types with thin armour; this resulted in a rapid loss of virtually the entire armoured force^[28].

During the Battle of Sevastopol the Stukas mercilessly bombed the trapped Soviet forces. Some Ju 87 pilots flew up to 300 sorties against the Soviet defenders. Luftflotte 4's StG 77 flew 7,708 combat sorties dropping 3,537 tonnes of bombs on the city. Luftflotte 4 (Air Fleet 4 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. Their efforts help secure the capitulation of Soviet forces on 4 July^[29].

For the German summer offensive, Fall Blau, the Luftwaffe had concentrated 1,800 aircraft into Luftflotte 4 making it the largest and most powerful single air-command in the world^[30]. Case Blue ( Fall Blau) was the German codename used by the German Armed Forces ( Wehrmacht) for its 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern The Stukawaffe strength stood at 151^[31].

During the Battle of Stalingrad Stukas flew thousands of sorties against Soviet positions in the city. The Battle of Stalingrad is a commonly used name in English sources for several large operations by Germany and its allies and Soviet forces conducted with the StG 1, 2 and 77 flew 320 individual sorties on 14 October 1942. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces As the German Sixth Army pushed the Soviets into a 1,000 yard enclave on the West bank of the Volga river, 1,208 Stuka sorties were flown against this small strip of land. However the intense air attack, though causing horrific losses on Soviet units, failed to eliminate them^[32]. The Luftwaffe's Sturzkampfgeschwader made maximum effort during this phase of the war, and despite flying an average of 500 sorties per day and causing heavy losses among Soviet forces, losses averaged only a single Stuka per day^[33].

The Battle of Stalingrad marked the high point in the fortunes of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. As the numerical strength of the Soviet Air Forces grew, they gradually wrestled control of the skies from the Luftwaffe. From this point onward the frailties of the Stuka became apparent once more.

The Stuka was also heavily involved in Operation Citadel, the Battle of Kursk. The Battle of Kursk (Курская битва refers to a series of German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of World War II The Luftwaffe committed I, II, III. /St. G 1 and III. /StG 3 under the command of Luftflotte 6. Luftflotte 6 (Air Fleet 6 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. I. , II, III. of StGs 2 and 3 were committed under the command of Hans Seidemanns Fliegerkorps VIII^[34]. Hans Seidemann ( 18 January 1901 - 21 December 1967) was a World War II Luftwaffe general Hauptmann Rudel's cannon equipped Ju 87 Gs had a devastating effect on Soviet armour at Orel and Belgorod. Belgorod (Бе́лгород is a city in western Russia, situated on the Seversky Donets river just 40 km north from the Ukrainian border at. The Ju 87s participated in a huge aerial counter-offensive lasting from 16 July - 31 July against a Soviet offensive at Khotynets and saved two German armies from encirclement, reducing the attacking Soviet 11th Guard Army to just 33 tanks by 20 July. The Soviet offensive had been completely halted from the air^[35]. However losses were considerable. Fliegerkorps VIII lost eight Ju 87s on 8 July, six on 9 July, six on 10 July and another eight on 11 July. The Stuka arm also lost eight of their Knight's Cross holders. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ( German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) was a grade of the Iron Cross StG 77 lost 24 Ju 87s in the period 5-31 July (StG had lost 23 in July-December 1942) while StG 2 lost another 30 machines in the same period. In September 1943 three of the Stuka units were re-equipped with the Fw 190 Schlachtgeschwader^[36]. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In the face of overwhelming air-opposition the dive-bomber needed heavy protection from German fighters. Some units like StG 2 Immelmann continued to operate with great success throughout 1943-45 operating the Ju 87 G variants equipped with 37 mm cannons, which became effective tank-killers, although in increasingly small numbers. Toward the end of the war the Ju 87 would be replaced by ground-attack versions of the Fw 190. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey, a mixed aircraft unit, which included large numbers of Stuka dive bombers, was rushed to the Finnish front in the summer of 1944, and was instrumental in the halting of the Soviet fourth strategic offensive. Detachment Kuhlmey (Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey was a temporary unit of the German Luftwaffe during World War 2.

Night Harassment Wings

The Soviet practice of harassing German ground forces using antiquated biplanes at night dropping flares and fragmentation bombs inspired the Luftwaffe to form its own Störkampfstaffeln (Harassment squadrons) in October 1942. Eventually 12 Nachtschlachtgruppen wings would be formed, flying a multitude of different types, including the Ju 87, which proved itself ideally suited to the low-level slow flying needed.

Design History

In the early 1920s the Dessau-based Junkers Flugzeugwerke AG concentrated upon military rather than civil aircraft. One such product was the Junkers K 47. The K 47 first flew in 1929, and was found to be capable of carrying a 100 kg bomb-load. After the Nazis had come to power they were designated A 48s, although these machines had "uncranked" wings and twin tail-fin units. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Despite initial competition from the Henschel Hs 123 the Reichsluftfahrtministerium turned to Herman Pohlmann of Junkers and co-designer of the K 47 (the other, Karl Plauth, had been killed in a flying accident). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Reich Air Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany (1933-45

Design of the Ju 87 had begun in 1933 as part of the Sturzbomber-programm. However the project began poorly, the Ju 87 V1, powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine V12 cylinder liquid cooled engine, and sporting a twin-tail crashed in 1935. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Square twin fins and rudders proved too weak and during dive testing they collapsed and the aircraft crashed^[37]. This prompted a change of tail design to single Vertical stabilizer. The vertical stabilizers, or fins, of Aircraft, Missiles or Bombs are typically found on the aft end of the Fuselage or body

Ju 87A

The second prototype had a redesigned single fin and rudder and a 610 PS (602 hp, 449 kW) Junkers Jumo 210A engine. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout After official evaluation in 1936 against three other competing aircraft, orders for 10 aircraft were placed for it, as well as for the Heinkel He 118. The Heinkel He 118 was a German dive bomber design that competed with the Junkers Ju 87 for production but was never ordered for the Luftwaffe The initial production variant was the Ju 87 A-1, powered by a 640 PS (631 hp, 471 kW) Jumo 210C, which began to replace the Henschel Hs 123 biplanes. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout At least three of these aircraft were tested under operational conditions by the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War. The Condor Legion (Legion Condor was a unit composed of "volunteers" from the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe) which served with the Nationalist The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of

• Ju 87 A-0 : Ten pre-production aircraft, powered by a 640 PS (631 hp, 471 kW) Jumo 210C piston engine. .
• Ju 87 A-1 : Initial production version.
• Ju 87 A-2 : Production version fitted with an improved 680 PS (671 hp, 500 kW) Jumo 210E piston engine.

Ju 87B

The next major variant was the Ju 87 B-1 with a considerably larger engine, its Junkers Jumo 211D generating 1,200 PS (1,184 hp, 883 kW), and the fuselage and landing gear were completely redesigned. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This new design was again tested in Spain, and after proving its abilities there, production was ramped up to 60 per month. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. As a result, by the outbreak of World War II the Luftwaffe had 336 Ju 87 B-1s on hand. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Ju 87 B-2s that followed had some improvements and were built in a number of variants that included ski-equipped versions, and at the other end, with a tropical operation kit called the Ju 87 B-2 trop. Italy's Regia Aeronautica received a number of the B-2s and named them the Picchiatello, while others went to the other members of the Axis, including Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. The Royal Air Force ( Regia Aeronautica) was the name of the Italian Air Force established as an independent service from 1923 until the The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania

A long range version of the Ju 87B was also built, known as the Ju 87R. They were primarily intended for anti-shipping missions. Internal fuel capacity was increased by adding some inner-wing tanks and by using two 300-liter under-wing drop tanks. Bomb carrying ability was reduced to a single 250 kg bomb if the aircraft was fully loaded with fuel. The naval variant of the Ju 87B was known as the Ju 87C, and these were built to operate from the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. Planning and construction Wilhelm Hadeler had been Assistant to the Professor of Naval Construction at the Technical University of Berlin for nine years when he was appointed to draft In any case the carrier was never completed, and all of these were converted back to the Ju 87B standard.

• Ju 87 V7 : Prototype of the Ju 87B, powered by a 1,000 PS (986 hp, 735 kW) Jumo 211A piston engine.

Ju 87D

Junkers Ju 87D Stuka dive-bombers on a mission over the Russian countryside. The Ju 87G variant was used to devastating effect as a "tankbuster" with twin 37 mm cannons fitted under the wings.

Despite having its vulnerability to enemy fighters exposed during the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe had no choice but to continue the Stuka's development as there was no replacement aircraft in sight. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. ^[38] The result was the D-series. The Ju 87 D-series received better streamlined oil and water coolers, and an aerodynamically refined cockpit with better visibility and space. In addition, armor protection was increased and a new dual-barrel 7. 92 mm MG 81Z machine gun with an extremely high rate of fire was installed in the rear defensive position. The MG 81 was a belt fed 792 mm Machine gun for fixed or flexible installations in World War II Luftwaffe aircraft replacing the older The engine power was increased again, the Jumo 211 J-1 now delivering 1,420 PS (1,401 hp, 1,044 kW).

Production of the D-1 variant started in 1941 with 476 deliveries, rising to 917 D-1 and D-3 in 1942. The D-series saw extensive use in the Eastern Front and the Middle East. Bomb carrying ability was massively increased from 500 kg in the B-version to 1,800 kg in the D-version (max load for short ranges, overload condition), a typical bomb load ranged from 500 to 1,200 kg.

The D-2 was a variant used as a glider tug by converting older D-series airframes. The D-3 was an improved D-1 with more armor for its ground-attack role. The D-4 designation applied to a prototype torpedo-bomber version. The Ju 87 D-5 was another ground-attack variant that appeared in mid 1943; it had the outer wing panels extended, the dive brakes were removed, and the wing-mounted 7. 92 mm MG 17 machine guns were replaced by 20 mm MG 151 cannons. The MG 17 was a 792 mm Machine gun produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use at fixed mountings in many World War II Luftwaffe aircraft The MG 151 (MG 151/15 was a 15 mm Autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser starting in 1940

The D-6 was not built, for unknown reasons. The D-7 was another ground attack aircraft based on D-1 airframes upgraded to D-5 standard (armor, wing cannons, extended wing panels), while the D-8 was similar to the D-7 but based on D-3 airframes. It's a common myth that the D-7 and D-8 were specifically designed and built for night fighting as they were solely based on converted airframes and used for multiple mission types.

The Ju 87E and F proposals were never built, and Junkers went straight onto the next variant. Another variant derived from the Ju 87D airframe was called the Ju 87H, and saw service as a dual-control trainer.

Ju 87G

Ju 87 G-2 "Kanonenvogel" with its 37 mm guns.

With the G variant the aging airframe of the Ju 87 found new life as an anti-tank aircraft. This was the final operational version of the Stuka and was deployed on the Eastern Front starting in the early months of 1943. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign The Ju 87G was armed with two 37 mm cannons mounted in under-wing gondolas, each loaded with a 6-round magazine of armour piercing tungsten ammunition. Tungsten (ˈtʌŋstən also known as wolfram (/ˈwʊlfrəm/ is a Chemical element that has the symbol W and Atomic number 74 With these weapons the Kanonenvogel ("cannon-bird"), as it was nicknamed, proved spectacularly successful at the hands of the Luftwaffe ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel. Hans-Ulrich Rudel ( July 2, 1916 – December 18, 1982) was a Stuka dive-bomber pilot during World War II. The G-1 was converted from older D-series airframes retaining the smaller wing but without the dive brakes. The G-2 was similar to the G-1 except using the extended wing of the D-5 with 208 G-2 new built and at least 22 more converted from D-3 airframes ^[39].

While still slow, its stable attitude, large wings and low stall speed were valuable in the acquisition of slow moving targets, such as assault boats and ground vehicles. The G-1 even influenced the design of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, with Hans Rudel's book, Stuka Pilot, being required reading for all members of the A-X project. ^[40]

Numbers built

Ju 87 aircraft constructed until 30 November 1944:

Diving procedure

Flying at 4,600 meters (15,000 ft), the pilot located his target through a bombsight window in the cockpit floor. After opening the dive brakes and retarding his throttle, he then rolled the aircraft 180°, automatically nosing the aircraft into a dive. Red tabs protruded from the upper surfaces of the wing as a visual indicator to the pilot that in case of a g induced black-out, the automatic dive recovery system would be activated. g-force (also G-force, g-load) is a measurement of an object's Acceleration expressed in g s The Stuka dived at a 60 - 90 degree angle, accelerating to 600 km/h (350 mph).

When the aircraft was reasonably close to the target, a light on the contact altimeter came on to indicate the bomb-release point, usually at a minimum height of 450 m (1,500 ft). An altimeter is an instrument used to measure the Altitude of an object above a fixed level The pilot released the bomb by depressing a knob on the control column to release weapons and to initiate the automatic pull-out mechanism. An elongated U-shaped crutch located under the fuselage would swing the bomb out of the way of the propeller, and the aircraft would automatically begin a 6 g pullout. g-force (also G-force, g-load) is a measurement of an object's Acceleration expressed in g s

Once the nose was above the horizon, dive brakes were retracted, the throttle was opened, and the propeller was set to climb. The pilot regained control and resumed normal flight.

In his book Wings of the Luftwaffe, Royal Navy test pilot Eric "Winkle" Brown reported that a captured Ju 87 D-3 he test-flew after the war felt "absolutely right" diving at a 90° straight down angle, and stated that he had no doubt of the Stuka's ability in its assigned role. Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, FRAeS, RN is a former Royal Navy officer

Other designs

The concept of dive bombing became so popular among the leadership of the Luftwaffe, that it became almost obligatory in new aircraft designs. Later bomber models like the Junkers Ju 88 and the Dornier Do 217 were fitted for dive bombing. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by Germany during World War II. Even the giant Heinkel He 177 bomber was initially supposed to have dive bombing capabilities — a requirement that contributed much to the failure of the design. The Heinkel He 177 Greif ( Griffin) was a long-range bomber of the Luftwaffe.

Once the Stuka became too vulnerable to growing fighter opposition on all fronts, work was done to develop a replacement. All dedicated close support designs on the drawing board did not progress much further due to the war situation and technological obstacles. In response the Luftwaffe decided to settle on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter aircraft with the Fw 190F becoming the dedicated ground attack version. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Fw 190F started to replace the Ju 87 as close support aircraft for day missions in 1943 but the Ju 87 stayed active as night nuisance raider until the very end in 1945.

Operators

 Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Air Force

 Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovakian Air Force operated captured aircraft postwar. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Bulgarian Air Force (Военновъздушни сили ВВС is a branch of the Bulgarian Army, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Air Force, ICAO code CEF is the Air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.

 Germany

• Luftwaffe

 Hungary

• Hungarian Air Force

 Italy

• Regia Aeronautica

 Japan

• Imperial Japanese Army Air Force received Ju 87s for trials. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The Hungarian Air Force is the Air force branch of the Hungarian Army. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Royal Air Force ( Regia Aeronautica) was the name of the Italian Air Force established as an independent service from 1923 until the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The (IJAAF was the land-based Aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army.

 Romania

• Romanian Air Force

Slovak Republic

• Slovak Air Force

 Yugoslavia

• SFR Yugoslav Air Force operated captured aircraft postwar. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The Romanian Air Force (Forţele Aeriene Române is the Air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces It has an air force headquarters an operational command The Slovak Republic ( Slovak: Slovenská republika) was an independent national Slovak state which existed from 14 March 1939 The Slovenské vzdušné zbrane ("Slovak Air Force" (SVZ was the air force of the short-lived World War II Slovak Republic. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian: The Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protiv vazdušna odbrana - RV i PVO SFRJ - SFR Yugoslav Air Force, sometimes simply called Jugoslovensko ratno vazduhoplovstvo

 UK

Operated a few captured aircraft^[41]

 USA

Operated a few captured aircraft^[42]

Survivors

Two intact Ju 87s survived and a few more wrecks are on display today. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

• The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry has a Ju 87 R-2/Trop. The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI is located in Chicago, Illinois in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood adjacent to , captured in Libya in 1941 and subsequently sent to the US. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab
• A Ju 87 G-2, captured by British troops in Germany in 1945, is displayed in the RAF Museum in London. The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAF Museum) is a Museum dedicated to the history of Aviation, and the British Royal Air Force in particular London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
• The Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin has the wreckage of two complete aircraft that were recovered from separate crash sites near Murmansk in 1990 and 1994. Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin ("German Museum of Technology" was founded in 1982 in Berlin, Germany, and exhibits a large collection of historical Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Murmansk (Му́рманск Murmanska Muurman is a city and Seaport in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, 12 km
• The Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum displays the remains of an aircraft that crashed near Saint-Tropez in 1944 and was raised from the sea-bed in 1989. The Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim opened in 1981 in Sinsheim, Germany and is run by a registered alliance called "Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim e San Tropez redirects here For other uses see Saint-Tropez (disambiguation Saint-Tropez ( Sant Tropetz in Occitan language
• In October 2006, another Stuka was found underwater, near Rhodes^[43]

Specifications (JU-87A)

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 10. Rhodes (Ρόδος Ródos, ˈɾo̞ðo̞s Rodi ردوس Rodos; Ladino: Rodi or Rodes) is a Greek island 8 m ()
• Wingspan: 13. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip 8 m ()
• Height: 3. 9 m ()
• Wing area: 31. 90 m² ()
• Empty weight: 2,273 kg ()
• Loaded weight: 3,324 kg ()
• Powerplant: 1× Junkers Jumo 210E, 500 kW ()680 PS
• Propellers: 1 propelller, 1 per engine

Performance

• Maximum speed: 310 km/h (In dive: 550 km/h)
• Range: 800 km () laden with bombs
• Service ceiling 9,430 m ()

Armament

• Guns: 1×7. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such The maximal total range is the distance an Aircraft can fly between Takeoff and Landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft or cross-country In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions 92 mm MG 17 forward, 1×7. The MG 17 was a 792 mm Machine gun produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use at fixed mountings in many World War II Luftwaffe aircraft 92 mm MG 15 to rear
• Bombs: 1 x 250 kg

Differences in variants

See also

Related development

• Ju 187
  

Comparable aircraft

• Breda Ba.65
• Caproni A.P.1
• Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik - to the Ju87G as a ground attack aircraft, not a divebomber. The MG 81 was a belt fed 792 mm Machine gun for fixed or flexible installations in World War II Luftwaffe aircraft replacing the older The Junkers Ju 187 was designed to replace the aging Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, which by the time of the Battle of Britain had proved very vulnerable WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
• Douglas SBD Dauntless
• Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
• Aichi D3A "Val"
• Blackburn Skua
• Heinkel He 118
• Yokosuka D4Y
• Henschel Hs 123
• Henschel Hs 129 - to the Ju-87G as a ground attack aircraft, not as a divebomber. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Heinkel He 118 was a German dive bomber design that competed with the Junkers Ju 87 for production but was never ordered for the Luftwaffe WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II Ground attack aircraft fielded by the German Luftwaffe.
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Germany
• List of bomber aircraft
  

References

Please note: Some titles appear next to citations. This list of military aircraft of Germany includes prototype pre-production and operational types List of bomber aircraft is organized by grouped years countries and Bomber Aircraft type This is because some authors have more than one source cited and published in the same year.

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Luftwaffe Resource Group
• Stuka Color Footage
• Stuka Operational Details including Pre-Dive Checklist Diagrams Sound Effects etc
• Some high quality and high-res photos, including replicas and surviving aircraft in museums
• Sound of flying Stuka
• Test flight and combat debut of the "Kanonenvogel" - wartime video
• German WWII newsreels, showing Stukas in combat