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.
Introduction
The Junkers Ju 87 was a German two-seat dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft that served with the Luftwaffe throughout the Second World War. Universally known as the Stuka – an abbreviation of Sturzkampfflugzeug, or “dive-bomber aircraft” – it became one of the most recognisable symbols of German air power during the early campaigns of 1939 and 1940.
The Ju 87 was designed to attack tactical targets with a degree of precision that conventional level bombers could rarely achieve. Diving steeply towards its objective before releasing its bomb at low altitude, it could strike roads, railways, defensive positions, troop concentrations and shipping while operating in close support of German ground forces. Its accuracy and rapid response made it the airborne equivalent of long-range artillery during the early Blitzkrieg campaigns.
The aircraft’s reputation also depended upon psychological effect. Sirens fitted to the leading edges of its fixed undercarriage produced a distinctive wail during the dive, terrifying troops and civilians below while turning the Stuka into a potent propaganda symbol. Its success depended upon air superiority, however, and the Ju 87 proved dangerously vulnerable when intercepted by modern fighters during the Battle of Britain.
Development and Design
The Ju 87 was designed by a team led by Hermann Pohlmann at Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke. Work began in 1933, and construction of the first of three prototypes followed during the summer of 1934. The Reichsluftfahrtministerium did not issue its formal requirement for a two-seat dive bomber until January 1935. Although Arado, Heinkel and Junkers were invited to submit competing designs, the specification closely reflected the aircraft already being developed by Pohlmann’s team.
Ernst Udet, a First World War fighter ace who later became an influential figure in Luftwaffe procurement, was among the strongest advocates of the dive-bombing concept. His enthusiasm had been reinforced by demonstrations of the American Curtiss Hawk II, and his support helped protect the Junkers programme when its performance and future were questioned during development.
The design was influenced by earlier Junkers experiments with dive bombing and incorporated all-metal stressed-skin construction. Its oval-section fuselage was manufactured in two halves and joined along the centreline. The two-spar wing had a centre section built integrally with the fuselage and set at a pronounced downward angle, while the outer panels swept upwards to create the aircraft’s characteristic inverted-gull configuration. The entire trailing edge followed Junkers’ “double-wing” principle, with the outer sections serving as ailerons and the inner sections as flaps.
The first prototype, the Ju 87 V1, made its maiden flight in late 1935. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine and featured twin vertical tailfins. On 24 January 1936, the prototype crashed during a dive test after tail flutter caused structural failure, killing test pilot Willy Neuenhofen and engineer Heinrich Kreft. Subsequent prototypes adopted a single enlarged fin and were powered by 680 hp Junkers Jumo 210 engines.
The Ju 87 was designed around the requirements of the diving attack. Hydraulic dive brakes beneath the wings limited acceleration during the descent, while a heavy bomb crutch swung the main weapon clear of the fuselage and propeller arc before release. The aircraft could dive at angles approaching 80 degrees, allowing the pilot to hold the target in view and deliver the bomb with exceptional accuracy. An automatic recovery system helped pull the aircraft out of its dive even if the pilot became temporarily incapacitated by the resulting high gravitational forces.
The Ju 87 V4, first flown in November 1936, provided the basis for the pre-production Ju 87A-0 and subsequent A-series. These aircraft had a single fin, large “trousered” undercarriage fairings and a fixed forward-firing machine gun, together with a flexible weapon in the rear cockpit. The bomb crutch could carry a 250 kg weapon with both crew members aboard or a heavier bomb when the aircraft was flown by the pilot alone.
The Ju 87B represented a comprehensive redesign. Only the wings and horizontal tail surfaces remained substantially unchanged from the A-series. The fuselage was recontoured, the folding cockpit hatches were replaced by sliding canopy sections, the vertical tail was enlarged and the bulky trousered wheel fairings gave way to cantilevered units with streamlined spats. A Junkers Jumo 211Da engine developing approximately 1,200 hp provided a substantial increase in power.
Armament consisted of two fixed 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns in the wings and one flexible 7.92 mm MG 15 operated by the rear gunner. A typical bomb load comprised one 500 kg weapon on the centreline crutch and four 50 kg bombs beneath the wings. The undercarriage could also carry the Jericho-Trompete sirens that produced the Stuka’s famous wail, although the additional drag eventually led to their removal from many aircraft.
Entry Into Luftwaffe Service and the Second World War
The Ju 87A entered Luftwaffe service in 1937 and made its combat debut with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. Three A-series aircraft were used operationally in Spain that year, allowing crews to evaluate dive-bombing techniques under combat conditions. Five early-production Ju 87B-1s followed in October 1938 and proved still more effective.
Production expanded rapidly as the Luftwaffe prepared for war. By the middle of 1939, the Junkers factory at Berlin-Tempelhof was delivering more than sixty Ju 87Bs each month, and 557 aircraft were completed during the year. When Germany invaded Poland on 1 September, all nine Stukagruppen in the Luftwaffe order of battle had re-equipped with the Ju 87B-1 and possessed a combined strength of 336 aircraft.
Operating under conditions of almost complete air superiority, the Ju 87 became a defining weapon of the campaigns in Poland and Western Europe. Stukageschwader ranged ahead of German armoured columns, attacking roads, railway lines, strongpoints, troop concentrations and other tactical targets in near-vertical dives. Handpicked crews could respond quickly to requests for support from troops on the ground, while the combination of precision bombing and the aircraft’s sirens had a devastating effect upon forces already in retreat.
The Stuka was approximately twice as accurate as medium bombers such as the Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111. Only thirty-one Ju 87Bs were lost during the Polish campaign, followed by fourteen during the first four days of the German offensive in the West. These results established the aircraft’s formidable early reputation.
More serious warning signs appeared over Dunkirk, where the Stukageschwader attacked the evacuation beaches and Allied shipping offshore. Ju 87 units lost 120 aircraft destroyed or damaged from all causes. Most fell to ground fire, but the fighting demonstrated that the dive bomber was effectively helpless when determined modern fighters separated it from its Messerschmitt escorts.
The Ju 87 in the Battle of Britain
More than 300 Stukas were committed to the offensive against Britain. The force included Sturzkampfgeschwader 1, 2, 3, 76 and 77, together with elements of Trägergruppe 186 and Lehrgeschwader 1. Among the aircraft available were improved Ju 87B-2s and long-range Ju 87R variants.
During the Kanalkampf in July 1940, the Stukageschwader concentrated upon Channel convoys and coastal ports. As they had at Dunkirk, the dive bombers achieved some notable successes, sinking six warships and fourteen merchant vessels. By August, approximately 280 Ju 87s remained in frontline service and turned their attention to Fighter Command airfields and Chain Home radar stations along the south coast.
The Stukas inflicted significant damage. During the campaign they badly damaged seven airfields and three radar stations and destroyed forty-nine aircraft. Their dependence upon strong fighter protection nevertheless proved disastrous whenever RAF interceptors broke through the escort. Formations frequently lost as many as half their aircraft or were forced to turn back before reaching the target.
The crisis came during the third week of August. On 16 August, StG 1 and StG 2 lost nine Ju 87s between them during an attack on RAF Tangmere. Two days later, on the “Hardest Day”, StG 77 lost seventeen Stukas while attacking RAF Ford and Thorney Island. In only six days of combat between 12 and 18 August, forty-one Ju 87s were destroyed.
These losses led to the Ju 87’s effective withdrawal from the main air offensive over Britain. The campaign demonstrated that an aircraft which had been exceptionally successful beneath skies controlled by the Luftwaffe could not survive sustained interception by Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes. Its precision remained formidable, but its slow speed and weak defensive protection made the price of delivering that precision unsustainable.
Legacy
The Ju 87 continued to serve after 1940 on the Eastern Front, in North Africa and across the Mediterranean. In theatres where German fighters could provide protection or enemy air opposition remained limited, it continued to deliver accurate close support against troops, vehicles, defensive positions and shipping.
As the war progressed, the Ju 87 was adapted to meet new battlefield requirements. The Ju 87G, introduced in 1943, carried two 37 mm Bordkanone BK 37 cannon beneath the wings for attacks against Soviet armour. This anti-tank version replaced the bomb load with heavy cannon armament and represented the most specialised development of the original dive-bomber design.
The Stuka’s historical reputation reflects both its striking early successes and its severe operational limitations. It was among the most effective tactical aircraft of the opening campaigns when protected by German air superiority, but it became increasingly vulnerable as the Luftwaffe lost control of the skies. Its distinctive appearance, diving attack and siren ensured that it remained an enduring symbol of Blitzkrieg, while its continued employment in ground-attack and anti-tank roles demonstrated the lasting value of the underlying design when used under suitable conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka?
The Junkers Ju 87 was a German two-seat dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. It was designed to attack tactical targets in steep dives and became one of the best-known aircraft of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
What does “Stuka” mean?
“Stuka” was an abbreviation of the German word Sturzkampfflugzeug, meaning “dive-bomber aircraft”. Although the term could describe any dive bomber, it became almost universally associated with the Junkers Ju 87.
Who designed the Ju 87?
The Ju 87 was designed by a team at Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke led by Dipl.-Ing. Hermann Pohlmann. Design work began in 1933, before the RLM issued its formal dive-bomber requirement in January 1935.
When did the Ju 87 first fly?
The first prototype, the Ju 87 V1, made its maiden flight in late 1935. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine, it was distinguished from later aircraft by its twin-fin tail.
Why did the Ju 87 have inverted-gull wings?
The centre section of the wing was set at a pronounced downward angle while the outer panels angled upwards, producing the characteristic inverted-gull shape. The wing used a strong two-spar structure and incorporated Junkers’ “double-wing” arrangement along the trailing edge.
How did the Stuka’s dive-bombing system work?
The pilot approached the target in a dive of up to approximately 80 degrees. Wing-mounted dive brakes controlled the aircraft’s speed, while a bomb crutch swung the main weapon clear of the propeller. An automatic recovery system assisted the pull-out after release.
What caused the Stuka’s famous wailing sound?
The sound was produced by Jericho-Trompete sirens fitted to the aircraft’s undercarriage. The sirens were intended to frighten troops and civilians during a diving attack, although many were later removed because they increased drag.
When did the Ju 87 enter Luftwaffe service?
The Ju 87A entered service in 1937 and was tested in combat by the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. The extensively redesigned Ju 87B began replacing it before the outbreak of the Second World War.
How accurate was the Ju 87?
The Ju 87 was approximately twice as accurate as medium bombers such as the Do 17 and He 111. Its steep diving attack allowed the pilot to keep the target in view and release the bomb at relatively low altitude.
How many Stukas fought in the Battle of Britain?
The Luftwaffe committed more than 300 Stukas to the offensive against Britain. Approximately 280 remained in frontline service when attacks shifted towards Fighter Command airfields and radar installations in August 1940.
How many Ju 87s were lost during the Battle of Britain?
Forty-one Ju 87s were destroyed between 12 and 18 August 1940 alone. The losses included nine aircraft from StG 1 and StG 2 on 16 August and seventeen from StG 77 on the “Hardest Day”, 18 August.
Why was the Ju 87 withdrawn from the Battle of Britain?
The Ju 87 was too slow and poorly defended to survive against modern RAF fighters without strong escort. Heavy losses during August 1940 led to its effective withdrawal from the main offensive over Britain.
What armament did the Ju 87B carry?
The Ju 87B carried two fixed 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns in the wings and one flexible 7.92 mm MG 15 in the rear cockpit. A typical bomb load consisted of one 500 kg centreline bomb and four 50 kg bombs beneath the wings.
Did the Stuka serve after the Battle of Britain?
Yes. The Ju 87 continued operating on the Eastern Front, in North Africa and in the Mediterranean. Later versions undertook ground-attack, anti-shipping and anti-tank missions.
What was the Ju 87G?
The Ju 87G was an anti-tank version introduced in 1943. It carried two 37 mm Bordkanone BK 37 cannon beneath the wings for use against Soviet armoured vehicles.
How many Ju 87B and Ju 87R aircraft were built?
Production totalled 922 Ju 87B variants and 972 long-range Ju 87R variants.