Germany's Stuck dive bomber was one of the best aircraft in its class during World War II. On all the fronts of the war, no one on earth wanted to see this machine on the horizon. Both Soviet and allied soldiers of all German aircraft were least of all "delighted" with the appearance of Junkers. How did the bomber manage to win such gloomy fame for itself.
The history of the main dive bomber in Germany during the Second World War began in 1934. Then such famous companies as Heinkel, Blohm vnd Voss, Arado and Junkers took part in the competition for the right to manufacture the aircraft. The last one won. Which was even surprising, since at the time of the first half of the 1930s, the Ju.87 was an aircraft, to put it mildly, ambiguous in the eyes of the German command. The car dynamically combined outdated and innovative solutions. A striking example of an ambiguous decision was the non-retractable chassis, which did not allow the 87 to reach truly record speeds, even after the installation of reinforced units in 1938.
Interesting fact: These aircraft were called "Stukas" because of the German abbreviation Stuka = Sturzkampfflugzeug - dive bomber
The Ju.87 debuted in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. And there, despite all the seeming shortcomings and dubious decisions, the car showed its best side. No less successfully "Junkers" were used during the occupation of Poland and Norway, as well as during the invasion of Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Very quickly Ju.87 occupied the niche of "flying artillery", the main task of which was the rapid and unexpected destruction of enemy targets on the front line of the defense.
During the war years, Ju.87 went through literally all the fronts on which Germany took part. The aircraft took part in hostilities in the Balkans, in Africa, was actively used on the eastern front against the Soviet Union, and then on the second front against the allied forces of England, France and the United States. Production of the 87s stopped only in 1944, but the remaining in a representative number of "dive bombers" were used by the Germans until the last day of the conflict.
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The Ju.87 earned its gloomy fame among the Soviet military in 1941, when, as a result of a series of defeats, the Red Army actually lost its right to air supremacy. Often in the first year of the war, the Stuka could operate on the front line with almost impunity, which allowed the Nazis to use dive bombers with maximum efficiency. The bombardment with 50-kilogram bombs often mowed wounded and killed entire subdivisions of the Red Army. The last thing that many of our ancestors heard was the howl characteristic of the diving "Stuka", with which the plane left at its peak to drop bombs. The fatal whistle of the Junkers appeared as a result of the operation of special air brakes.
However, the situation began to change decisively in 1942. As the Soviet Air Force rebuilt and the front stabilized, and the air defense system was deployed, the Stukas' exorbitant effectiveness began to rapidly deteriorate.
Continuing the topic, read about the only 4-cylinder motorcycle of the Wehrmacht: why he was destined to become a real legend.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/200221/57928/
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