The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka was a two-seat, single-engine, German ground-attack aircraft, which was extensively used during the Second World War. The Stuka had fixed undercarriage, inverted gull wings, and automatic pull-up brakes under its wings to make sure that the aircraft recovered from its dive even if the pilot blacked out due to the high acceleration. It was equipped with a wailing siren to strike terror into the enemy’s heart. This siren was called the "Jericho Trumpet", which became a symbol of German Blitzkrieg. The Stuka was a valuable aircraft to the Luftwaffe as it was effectively used in the Battle of France, the Balkans Campaign, the Mediterranean Theater, and the Eastern Front campaigns.

The Junkers Ju 87 was designed by Hermann Pohlmann and manufactured by Junkers. It was a sturdy and accurate ground attack aircraft which was powered by a Junkers Jumo 211D liquid-cooled V12 engine of 1184 hp. The Stuka had a wingspan of 45 ft and was 36 ft long. It reached a maximum speed of 255 mph and had a range of 315 miles. It was armed with two .312 in MG17 machine gun forward, and one .312 in MG15 machine gun to rear. It could carry up to five bombs; one 551-lb bomb under its fuselage, and four 110-lb bombs, two under each wing. Due to its poor maneuverability and slow speed, the Junkers Ju 87 was not effective against Allied fighter aircraft, such as the British Supermarine Spitfire and the P-51 Mustang.

The word "Stuka" derives from the German "Sturzkampfflugzeug". The Junkers Ju 87 first flew in 1935 and was used in combat for the first time during the Spanish Civil War as part of the Condor Legion of the Spanish Falanges.

4 Responses to “Junkers Ju 87 Stuka”

1. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 | History Wars Weapons says:

   4 August, 2009 at 14:02

   [...] used on every front of the war, from France to the Russian Front, as a fighter interceptor, as the Junkers Ju 87’s escort, and as a bomber for ground [...]
2. Strafing | History Wars Weapons says:

   15 August, 2009 at 15:10

   [...] World War II new aircraft were specifically designed for ground attacks. The Germans used the Junkers Ju 87 Stukas, the Messerschmitt Bf 110, and the Messerschmitt Me 210 as ground attack dive bomber and fighters [...]
3. F4U Corsair | History Wars Weapons says:

   30 August, 2009 at 15:13

   [...] solution to accomodate its stout and retracting landing gear. This design was similar to the German Junkers Ju 87 wing design. It began to fly combat missions in February 1943 from the Guadalcanal island and other [...]
4. World War II German Aircraft | History Wars Weapons says:

   17 September, 2009 at 18:33

   [...] Junkers Ju 87 Stuka [...]