Germany's Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka", Stürzkampfflugzeug, dive bomber

Photos

Design

A specification was put out in 1933 for a dive bomber. Arado, Blohm und Voss, Heinkel, and Junkers submitted designs. Only Heinkel and Junkers submitted a prototype and these were tested in 1936. Hermann Phlmann had the winning design.

The Junkers Ju 87 brought terror across Europe in the early years of World War II. It had a siren that wailed during its dive.

Dive control

A device allowed the Ju 87 to pull out of a dive even when a pilot blacked out.

Undercarriage

During the winters on the eastern front some had skis installed.

Fuselage

To aid in mass production the fuselage was made in two halves and joined at the centerline by a metal frame.

Wing

To allow for a short undercarriage and allow for a large bomb, the wings were of a cranked wing design.

Armament

The gunner-observer had a mount that he could rotate a 7.9 mm MG 17 on.

The main bomb was located under the middle of the fuselage and when released a mechanism would hurl the bomb past the propeller disk.

Prototype

The Ju 87 prototype had a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine (525 HP / 640 HP) and first flew in the spring of 1935. It had a two blade wooden propeller.

Early prototypes had twin fins but this was replaced by a single fin.

The next two prototypes had Junkers Jumo 210 engines (610 HP). These had single tail fins. The engine drove a three bladed variable pitch propellar.

Production

Over 5,700 were produced until September 1944.

Starting in 1939 all production of the Ju 87 Stuka was at Weser at Tempelhof.

The Junkers Ju 87A first flew in November 1936. The Junkers Ju 87B first flew in August 1938.

• Total: >5,700, 5,709
  • Manufacturer: Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke A.G.
  • Production: ? - 1944

Variants

• Junkers Ju 87A-1: Flew in Spain. First appeared in 1937.
• Junkers Ju 87B-1: Flew in Spain. First appeared in 1938. Structure and aerodynamics improved. Landing fairing was made smaller.
• Junkers Ju 87B-2: New radio equipment.
• Junkers Ju 87B-2U2: New radio equipment.
• Junkers Ju 87B-2U3: More armor.
• Junkers Ju 87B-2U4: Ski undercarriage.
• Junkers Ju 87C: Was to be used on the air craft carrier Graf Zeppelin.
• Junkers Ju 87D: Had a Jumo 211 engine. Had streamlined nose and canopy. Coolant radiators were moved to under the wings. Entered service at the end of 1941 during the invasion of the Soviet Union. Armored crew protection.
• Junkers Ju 87D-3: Increased armor protection.
• Junkers Ju 87D-5: Dive brakes removed. Landing gear were jettisonable. Span 49' 2.5" / 15 m.
• Junkers Ju 87D-7: Ground attack at night. Jumo 211P engine. 20 mm cannons in wings.
• Junkers Ju 87D-8: Night equipment removed.
• Junkers Ju 87E: Revised Ju 87D.
• Junkers Ju 87F: Revised version not built.
• Junkers Ju 87G: Antitank version. Had two 37 mm BK FlaK 18 guns under the wing in pods. Converted from Ju 87D-5. No dive brakes.
• Junkers Ju 87H: Dual control trainer.
• Junkers Ju 87R: Had additional under wing fuel tanks for use in the Norwegian campaign.

Usage

The Ju 87 was used by Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Slovakia.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Romania.

• Bulgaria: 32
• Croatia: 15
• Hungary: 70
• Romania: 115

The Ju 87 Stuka was used on all fronts during the war. It was very vulnerable and relied on total air superiority to be used effectively.

Typically a pilot would start their dive at 6,000' / 2,000 m and go down to 900' / 300 m before releasing their bombs. The dive angle was between 60° and 90°.

Condor Legion

Ju 87A-1s and Ju 87B-1s were used by the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War.

Hans-Ulrich Rudel

Flying a Ju 87G, Hans-Ulrich Rudel destroyed over 500 / 519 Soviet tanks. He also sunk a battleship, a cruiser, and a destroyer with his Stuka.

Blitzkrieg in Poland

The very first bombs dropped on September 1, 1939, were by three Junkers Ju 87 B-1s.

There were five Stukageschwader equipped with Ju 87s that were used in the invasion of Poland in 1939.