Ju 87B-1 Specifications
Crew: Pilot and gunner
Powerplant: One 1,184 hp Junkers Jumo 211D twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine
Span: 45 ft 3¼ in (13.80 m)
Length: 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Max Speed: 232 mph (374 km/h) at 13,500 ft (4,114 m)
Armament: Two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns in wings, one rear-firing 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun in rear cockpit
Bomb Load: One 250 kg (550 lb) bomb carried under fuselage plus four 50 kg (110 lb) bombs under the wings
Image: A formation of Junkers Ju 87B ‘Stuka‘ dive bombers, 1940.
The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, meaning “dive bomber”) was a German two-seat dive-bomber and ground-attack aircraft that served with the Luftwaffe throughout the Second World War. It became an enduring symbol of German air power during the early Blitzkrieg campaigns, feared for its terrifying wail, steep-angle precision dives, and devastating impact on enemy ground forces and infrastructure.
The Stuka was developed by a team led by Hermann Pohlmann at Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke, in response to a 1935 specification issued by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) calling for a modern dive bomber to replace the aging Henschel Hs 123 biplane. One of the strongest advocates of the dive-bombing concept was Ernst Udet, a First World War ace and influential figure in Luftwaffe procurement. Udet had become an enthusiastic supporter of dive-bombing after witnessing the potential of the American Curtiss Hawk II, several of which he had personally acquired for evaluation.
The Ju 87 featured several distinctive characteristics: it was a rugged, all-metal, low-wing monoplane with inverted gull wings, a fixed spatted undercarriage, and a conventional tailplane. Many of its design elements were inherited from the earlier Junkers K 47, including the twin vertical tailfins seen on the early prototypes. The first prototype, Ju 87 V1, was constructed in Sweden to avoid the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles and secretly transported to Germany, where it made its maiden flight on 17 September 1935, powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine. Tragically, the V1 crashed during a dive test on 24 January 1936, killing test pilot Willy Neuenhofen and his engineer Heinrich Kreft. The crash was caused by tail flutter, which led to the structural failure of the starboard tailfin and rudder.
In response, the tail design was revised to incorporate a single large vertical stabilizer, and hydraulic dive brakes were added under the wings to control descent speed. The next prototype, Ju 87 V2, was powered by a Junkers Jumo 210A engine and featured a ventrally mounted bomb crutch that swung a 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb clear of the propeller arc when released. Despite concerns over its underpowered performance, the project was saved when Udet intervened, overruling an order by Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram von Richthofen to cancel the program. The Ju 87 V3 followed with aerodynamic refinements, including a lowered engine for better forward visibility, and in June 1936, it triumphed in official trials after Udet overstressed the rival Heinkel He 118 during a dive test, causing a forced landing. The Ju 87 V4, which first flew in November 1936, formed the basis for the pre-production Ju 87 A-0 and introduced fixed wing-mounted and defensive armament.
The Ju 87 A-1, the first production variant, entered Luftwaffe service in early 1937. Powered by the Jumo 210Da engine, it could carry a 250 kg bomb when flown by a full crew, or a 500 kg bomb with just the pilot. Although underpowered, the aircraft was rugged and highly accurate in its role. Operational trials with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War confirmed its effectiveness in battlefield conditions.
The definitive early-war version was the Ju 87 B-series, introduced in 1938. The B-1 was fitted with the more powerful Jumo 211D engine, giving better performance and enabling greater bomb loads. The airframe was extensively revised with a streamlined cockpit canopy and improved aerodynamics. The B-series could carry up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs, typically in a configuration of one 500 kg centerline bomb and four 50 kg underwing bombs. A second MG 17 machine gun was added in the port wing, while the rear cockpit housed a rearward-firing MG 15. The B-2 featured the uprated Jumo 211Da engine, further increasing range and load capacity. The Stuka’s dive-bombing method involved a 60° to 90° dive, stabilized by the wing-mounted brakes. An automatic pull-out system was activated after bomb release at around 450 m (1,500 ft) to prevent blackout-related crashes due to high g-forces. To amplify the psychological impact, early models carried Jericho-Trompete sirens on the landing gear, which emitted a terrifying wail during dives, though these were later removed due to increased drag.
The Stuka was a key instrument of Blitzkrieg tactics in Poland, Norway, France, and the Low Countries, where it provided close air support and precision strikes against defensive positions, vehicles, and logistical targets. However, the aircraft’s vulnerabilities were exposed during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. Although five Sturzkampfgeschwader (StG) were deployed and initially inflicted heavy damage on British coastal shipping and airfields, the Ju 87 quickly proved highly susceptible to interception by modern RAF fighters. Its low speed, lack of agility, and weak defensive armament made it easy prey for Spitfires and Hurricanes.
Losses mounted rapidly: on 16 August, StG 1 and StG 2 lost nine aircraft during a raid on RAF Tangmere; on 18 August, known as the “Hardest Day,” StG 77 lost seventeen Ju 87s in attacks on RAF Ford and Thorney Island. Between 12 and 18 August, the Luftwaffe lost 41 Ju 87s, and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring ordered the withdrawal of the Ju 87 from further daylight operations over Britain. It would never again see large-scale deployment in contested skies without air superiority.
Despite its shortcomings in high-threat air defense environments, the Ju 87 continued to serve effectively on other fronts – particularly on the Eastern Front, in North Africa, and the Mediterranean. It was used in a wide range of roles, including anti-tank operations with the Ju 87G variant, introduced in 1943 and fitted with twin 37 mm Bordkanone BK 37 cannons for use against Soviet armour.