Though sturdy, accurate, and very effective against ground targets, the Stuka was, like many other dive bombers of the period, vulnerable to fighter aircraft. During the Battle of Britain of 1940–1941, its lack of manoeuvrability, speed, or defensive armament meant that it required a heavy fighter escort to operate effectively.

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Type: Two-seat German dive-bomber. The Junkers Ju 87, commonly known as the Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, “dive bomber”), was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935 and became a symbol of German air power during World War II.

The Ju 87G was a specialized anti-tank version, fitted with two BK 3.7 (Flak 18) guns hung under the wings just outboard of the landing gears. This 37-mm-gun was a formidable weapon weighting over 363 kg (800 lb) and in wide service as ground-based Flak (anti-aircraft artillery) equipment.

Hans-Ulrich Rudel's Junkers Ju 87 G, with twin BK 3,7 gun pods attached to the underside of the wings, in Russia 1943. The Bordkanone 3,7 (BK 3,7) ("on-board cannon 3.7") was a German 3.7 cm (1.46 in) anti-tank /bomber autocannon of World War II and based on the earlier 3.7 cm (1.46 in) 3.7 cm Flak 18 made by Rheinmetall.

4 天之前 · The gun pods were bulky and clumsy looking (each pod weighed 600 pounds), but they did turn the Stuka into a potentially effective tank killer. Shown here is a Ju 87G-2.

2015年6月4日 · The Stuka’s maximum speed was only a sluggish 242 mph, while its two wing-mounted MG-17 machine guns and its single rear-facing 7.92 mm weapon were woefully inadequate in the face of the heavily armed and maneuverable RAF fighters.

2020年11月7日 · The two 37 mm (1.46 in) cannons were mounted in under-wing gun pods, each loaded with a six round magazine of armour-piercing tungsten carbide ammunition. With these weapons, the Kanonenvogel (“cannon-bird”), as it was nicknamed, proved spectacularly successful in the hands of Stuka aces such as Rudel.

2024年2月24日 · Few aircraft in history were able to cause such terror — to both seasoned troops and helpless civilians alike — as the German-made Junkers Ju 87 dive-bomber. Known infamously as the “Stuka,” it is now remembered for the successful role it played in Nazi Germany’s “Blitzkrieg” operations in 1939 and 1940.

The Junkers Ju 87, commonly known as Stuka (short of ‘Sturzkampfbomber’, the German word for dive-bomber), is one of the classic military aircraft of aviation history. The name Stuka, together with the ‘Panzer’ (tank) is equal with the modern vision of the ‘Blitzkrieg’ (Lightning War).

Known as the terror weapon of World War II, the Junker Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber left an indelible mark on war history. With its famous wailing siren and devastating capabilities, this aircraft tore its way into the hearts of its enemies, striking panic on every mission.