Junkers Ju-87D-3 Stuka

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 5

Speed: 4

Maneuverability: 6

Firepower: 1

Climb Rate: 2

Ground Attack: 4

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	241	256	259	257	262@ 13451'	146 mph	2:33	7:12	17:32
kph	387	412	416	414	421@ 4100m	235 kph

Historical Statistics

Service Date: July 1941

Primary Guns: 1x MG17 7.92mm machine gun with 900 rpg in wings

Secondary Guns: 1x MG17 7.92mm machine gun with 900 rpg in wings

Defensive Guns: 2x MG81Z 7.92mm machine guns with 1000 rpg in dorsal position

Ordnance: 1x 551 lb (250 kg) or 1x 1103 lb (500 kg) or 1x 2205 lb (1000 kg) bomb under fuselage, plus 4x 551 lb (250 kg) or 2x 1103 lb (500 kg) bombs under wings. Maximum load of 3,500 lbs.

Engine(s): 1x Junkers Jumo 211 J-2 in-line rated for 1,400 hp at sea level

Int Fuel Capacity: 1,236 lbs (560 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: none

Maximum Speeds: 255 mph (410 kph) at 13,500 ft (4,115 m)

Ceiling: 23,950 ft (7,300 m)

Loaded Weight: 12,880 lbs (5,842 kg)

Wing Area: 343.4 sq ft (31.9 sq m)

Wing Loading: 37.5 lbs/sq ft (183.1 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Dive Bombing: A stable diving platform, the Stuka can pinpoint 3,500 lbs. of bombs on its target.

Durability: The Junkers tradition of solid construction continued in the Stuka, with it on par with single engine planes like the Grumman Avenger in survivability.

Weaknesses

Speed: With an unloaded top speed of only 255 mph at altitude, the Stuka needs skies clear of enemy fighters to make it to the target and back.

History

Having seen a demonstration of US Navy dive-bombing techniques, Ernst Udet was convinced that the same principle should be used by the secret air force that was being assembled even before the Nazis came to power in 1933. The new RLM issued an order for a two-phased development program to produce a Sturtzkampfflugzeug, or diving battle plane. The first phase was to employ a simple biplane design to allow for training and the development of tactics, with the Henschel 123 being selected as the primary model for this role.

The second phase of development envisaged an all-metal monoplane capable of carrying up to 1,100 lbs. of bombs into combat. At about this time, Hugo Junkers was forced into retirement because of his anti-Nazi political views and the company was taken over by the government. Because of this direct control by RLM, the official rules of competition were bypassed and Junkers started development on their entry for the second phase before the specification was even drawn up.

Unsurprisingly, the Ju-87, as the design was known, won the competition handily, exactly matching the specifications that had been devised based on its anticipated performance. Three months after being awarded the contract, the first V-1 prototype was rolled out of the factory. Owing to the lack of quality German engines, the V-1 prototype was powered by a 525 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel V-12 in-line engine.

To save weight the landing gear was fixed and to decrease drag the wings utilized an inverted gull configuration. This allowed the landing gear to be as short as possible while still allowing a large diameter propeller to be used. Initially fitted with a twin-fin tail arrangement, the Ju-87V-1 first flew on September 17, 1935. But a fatal crash caused by the separation of the right fin from the horizontal stabilizer on January 24, 1936 resulted in a hasty redesign of tail into the familiar cruciform, with braced horizontal stabilizers for additional strength during dive pullout.

In addition to the new tail, the V-2 prototype utilized the 610 hp Jumo-210Aa engine. The inverted V shape of the engine enabled the forward portion of the cowl to be sloped down, increasing over-the-nose visibility. In March the V-2 prototype entered the "competition" and unsurprisingly won the production contract. The Stuka, as it came to be known by friends and enemies alike, was equipped with a unique automatic pullout device, which was enabled by bomb release but could be easily over-ridden by the pilot simply by taking control of the stick.

Late in 1937 the A-2 began to come off the production line using the 680 hp Jumo-210Da, but further development hopes were pinned on the 1,100 hp Jumo-211A. Introduced in the B-1 model, the new engine required a complete redesign of the cowl to accommodate the oil cooler located atop the engine. At the same time the canopy was redesigned with the heavy central brace being removed to improve visibility. But the most notable change was to the shape of the fixed main gear as the heavily-braced and cowled, forward-swept gear was replaced by a more vertical single cantilever legs with teardrop-shaped spats covering the tops of the wheels.

The more powerful engine allowed the full 1,100 lb. bomb load to be carried along with the gunner. Additionally, four ETC-50 bomb racks were installed under the outer wing panels to allow for a 550 lb. main bomb to be supplemented with four 110 lb. secondary bombs. B-1s began rolling off the assembly line in October 1938 and by the time the war started over 260 B-1s had been delivered with Ju-87As being relegated to training duties.

By December 1939, the upgraded 1,200 hp Jumo-211Da engine began arriving and production was converted to the B-2. However, the new model wouldn't make it to front-line units until after the Battle of Britain, where they were largely used to replace the B-1s lost in combat. Developed in parallel with the B-2, the Ju-87R was equipped with additional fuel tanks, being intended for the Long Range role. Both the "B" and "R" models could be tropicalized for use in dusty and sandy conditions.

Although plans for a replacement were made as early as the end of the campaign in Poland the new designs, such as the Me-210, were not anywhere near completion. So plans were made to improve the Ju-87 by using the 1,400 hp Jumo-211J, which became available in February 1941. Among the requirements issued by RLM were to include significant aerodynamic improvements, a greatly increased bomb Load, improved range, more armor protection and better defensive armament.

The first Ju-87D-1 entered service in January 1942. To solve drag problems, the large radiator under the engine had been replaced with smaller radiators situated beneath the inboard wing panels. The canopy was redesigned with a sharply tapered rear turret installation for reduced drag. This new position used a MG-81Z twin 7.9mm machine gun installation with 1,000 rpg, but gunners hated the more cramped quarters they were forced to endure.

Most importantly the bomb load was greatly increased, the plane now being able to carry a maximum of 3,500 lbs. without leaving the gunner behind. D-3s were introduced in May 1942 with increased internal armor protection for the engine and crew and the final removal of the siren installations, whose sound had become synonymous with the Stuka's attack. Over 1,500 D-3s were produced before being supplanted by later models.

During the early spring of 1937, I/St.G.162 ‘Immelmann’ had begun conversion from the Hs 123 to the Ju 87 A-1, and had been entrusted with working up the new aircraft for service use, and the development of effective operational tactics. Late in 1937, a Kette of three aircraft from this Gruppe, which, by this time had been redesignated St.G.163, was despatched to Spain to test dive bombing techniques under operational conditions with the Legion Condor. The trio first saw action at Teruel.

Five of the first production Ju 87 B-1s were despatched to Spain in Oct 1938, these emulating the considerable success enjoyed by the trio of Ju 87 As that had preceded them. Production tempo rose rapidly, and all nine Stukagruppen included in the Luftwaffe’s order of battle on 1 Sep 1939 had re-equipped with the Ju 87 B-1, these posessing 336 aircraft of which 288 were serviceable.

The Ju 87 was the first aircraft to drop a bomb in WW2, namely on the Dirschau bridge across the Vistula, 11 minutes before the official declaration of war. In the Polish campaign the Ju 87 was used primarily as a weapon for back area bombing, performing ‘softening up’ attacks on communications and vital rear areas, was continuously engaged in attacking Polish airfields, naval installations, bridges, road and rail junctions and other strategic targets. A total of 31 Ju 87 Bs was lost, approximately 10% of the total Stuka force.

In some quarters of the Luftwaffe, the Ju 87 was regarded as obsolescent before WW2 began owing to its relatively low speed and vulnerability, and it was planned to phase this dive bomber out of production by the end of 1939, but its success during the Polish campaign strengthened the influence of the pro-Stuka factions in their demand for continued production of the Ju 87, and these were upheld by Göring, with the result that production was increased during the course of 1940.

During operation Weserübung the Stukas proved decisive in the fightings near Namsos, forcing the British to evacuate their positions in mid-Norway. During the Battle of France, the Stukagruppen co-operated closely with the German tank formations, attacking troop concentrations and strongpoints in the path of their advance. Emphasis shiftet then to Channel ports, especially on Dunkirk where their bombs proved to be ineffective in the deep sand and the small British vessels of all kinds were difficult to hit even with the otherwise so precise divebombing. Losses were not severe over France, but of the 280 Ju 87s allocated for the Battle of Britain, 41 were lost in the first 6 days, displaying the extreme vulnerability of the Ju 87 in environments where the Luftwaffe lacked complete air superiority.

The Ju 87 B-2 and B-2/Trop saw operational service starting in 1940 in the Balkans, the Mediterranean and North Africa with the Regia Aeronautica, other Ju 87 B-2s were supplied to the air arms of Bulgaria, Hungary and Rumania that year and in the future. In 1941 the Stukas took a heavy toll on the Royal Navy in the battles of Malta and Crete.

During the invasion of the Soviet Union the Ju 87 B proved once again successful enjoying complete German air superiority, freely roaming over enemy territory, being transferred from one sector of the front to another as the tactical situation demanded. One highlight was the sinking of the battleship Marat by Rudel. The Stuka was however less successful against Soviet tank formations, for instance on the forth day of the invasion, the whole St.G.2 attacked a concentration of some 60 Soviet tanks south of Grodno, later discovering that only 1 tank had been knocked out.

The improved Ju 87 D-1 appeared on the Eastern Front and in North Africa (D-1/Trop) almost simultaneously early in 1942. In mid-42 the Ju 87 was still successful in North Africa, for instance against Tobruk and Bir Hacheim, however, Allied air power was beginning to gain strength, a fact that led to a progressive reduction in the Ju 87’s usefulness, and by the time of the Tunisian evacuation, the surviving Ju 87s had been withdrawn to Italy. By the end of 1942, divebombing was used more seldom, starting with the D-3 the Ju 87 became more and more an attack (Schlachtflugzeug) aircraft with the SC 2 anti-personnel bomb as the primary weapon and the Stukageschwader were redesignated Schlachtgeschwader.

Sources

Filley, Brian; Ju-87 Stuka In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1986.

Green, William; Warplanes of the Third Reich; Doubleday and Company, Garden City, NY; 1970.

See Also

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

Junkers Flugzeug und Motorwerke, A.G.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II