ILLUSTRATED HISTORY: RELIVE THE TIMES: Images Of War, History , WW2: Lots Of Pictures Of JU-87: Stuka Dive Bomber

Junkers Ju 87 (German name "thing") (German "Sturzkampfflugzeug" - dive-bomber) - single-double (pilot and rear gunner) dive-bomber and attack aircraft of World War II. Design Machine - Herman Pollman (Hermann Pohlmann). First flight - in 1935, operational use - in 1936 as part of the Condor Legion in Spain. The most famous pilot of S-87 was Hans Ulrich Rudel, received the highest awards of the Luftwaffe pilots. Despite the low speed aerodynamics and a mediocre (non-retractable landing gear were), was one of the most effective weapons of the Luftwaffe for its ability to dive-bombing.

VIDEO: STUKA IN ACTION (GUN CAMERA FOOTAGE)

Ju-87 ("Stuck") - the most famous German dive-bomber of World War II. It was manufactured from 1935 It was one of the most reliable, robust and powerful fighting machines Luftwaffe. Speed, agility, four machine guns, including in the rear hemisphere, making it difficult to target for fighters. Ju-87 had a high precision bombing in nearly a vertical dive. Range and bomb load allowed him to make a very effective raid on the enemy's rear.

From the very beginning of World War II, in full German air superiority in the air squadron "Junkers" became one of the main problems of the Soviet command. They bombed the city and transportation arteries, railway stations and communications nodes, the location of military units and industrial plants. It was the German bombers that caused confusion in the operations of the Soviet troops in the summer of 1941, largely to ensure the promotion of Wehrmacht into the Soviet territory.

During this period the "Junkers" and often flew to the fighting positions defended by the Red Army, paving the way for German tanks and infantry.

Yet Junkers-87 aircraft could not act in direct support of ground troops. To this end it lacked the speed, and most importantly, almost completely lacked armor protection. Therefore, if the operations were storming the German bombers suffered heavy losses from the fire of not only anti-aircraft artillery, but also from small arms. And from 1943 "Yaki" and "shopkeepers" began to successfully attack squadrons of Ju-87 and at medium altitudes. Since then, the "Junkers" preferred to operate in small groups to apply sudden shocks and try to escape the Russian fighters.

Plane	Ju-87 ("Stuck")
Year	1935
Engine power, hp	1 x Jumo 21F, 1400 hp..
Rate	408 km / h
Ceiling	7320 m
Crew	2 pers.
Range	1000 km
Wingspan	15 m
Overall length	11,13 m
Wing area	32 m ²
Maximum gross weight	5720 kg
Bomb-load	1800 kg
Armament: gun	4 machine guns 7.92 mm
Total production	5 000