Junkers Ju-88A-4

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: 7

Speed: 5

Maneuverability: 4

Firepower: 1

Climb Rate: 2

Ground Attack: 6

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	248	263	278	286	292@ 17388'	137 mph	2:52	8:23	18:56
kph	399	423	447	460	470@ 5300m	220 kph

Historical Statistics

Service Date: February 1941

Primary Guns: 1x MG81 7.92mm flex or fixed with 750 rpg in windscreen

Defensive Guns: 1x MG131 13mm flex with 750 rpg in nose, 1x MG81J 7.92mm with 1000 rpg in starboard dorsal position, 1x MG81J with 1000 rpg in port dorsal position, 2x MG81Z flex with 900 rpg in ventral position

Ordnance: 10x 121 lb (55 kg) or 2x 551 lb (250 kg) bombs in bomb bay, plus 4x 551 lb (250 kg) or 4x 1102 lb (500 kg) bombs or 2x 1790 lb (812 kg) F5b torpedo or 2x 1429 lb (648 kg) drop tanks on external wing racks

Engine(s): 2x Junkers Jumo 211 J-1 in-lines rated for 1,340 hp each at sea level

Int Fuel Capacity: 4,632 lbs (2100 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 2,858 lbs (1296 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 292 mph (390 kph) at 17,390 ft (5,304 m)

Ceiling: 26,900 ft

Loaded Weight: 26,686 lbs (12,099 kg)

Wing Area: 586.6 sq ft (54.6 sq m)

Wing Loading: 45.5 lbs/sq ft

Strengths

Ordnance Load: With a maximum Bomb Load of 5,500 lbs. and the ability to carry two torpedoes, the Ju-88 is one of the most capable early war bombers in the game.

Dive Bombing: The Ju-88 and Do-217E are the only medium bombers in the game with dive-brakes.

Weaknesses

Defensive Firepower: The Ju-88 has many blind spots in its defensive screen and can be brought down quite easily.

History

In 1935 the RLM requested submissions from the major German aircraft manufacturers for a Schnellbomber, literally a fast-bomber, with a top speed of 310 mph and a bomb carrying capacity of at least 1,100 lbs. Focke-Wulf declined to enter the competition but designs were submitted by Messerschmitt, Henschel and Junkers.

The Junkers Company wanted to win this contract and hired designers W.H. Evers and Alfred Gassner, each of whom had experience working with stressed-aluminum skin construction in the United States. Two design proposals were submitted, one with a twin-tail arrangement called the Ju-85 and another with a single rudder called the Ju-88. RLM approved the Ju-88 design and ordered three prototypes to be constructed.

The first prototype, powered by two 1,000 hp Daimler-Benz DB-600Aa engines, was first flown on December 21, 1936. The first prototype had the cockpit glass work barely protruding above the fuselage deck and a pointed nose for optimal aerodynamics. However, visibility was poor and the fourth prototype adopted the familiar glass-nosed and raised-cockpit shape that it would become recognized by. The fifth prototype was used for winning a speed record and utilized a pointed nose again, but the sixth prototype, which first flew on June 18, 1938, was the first of the A-0 pre-production machines.

Now being powered by 1,200 hp Jumo-211B-1 engines, the plane was outfitted with dive brakes and automatic pullout gear similar to that installed in the Ju-87. Provision was made for three defensive MG-15 machine guns, one in the nose operated by the bombardier, one in the dorsal position operated by the engineer and the last in the ventral position operated by the radio operator. The nose gun could be clamped down and used as a fixed gun fired by the pilot. Two internal bomb bays could house up to twenty-eight 110 lb. bombs or additional fuel tanks and two external racks could each carry a 1,100-lb. bomb. The maximum bomb load was 3,960 lbs. under normal conditions and up to 5,284 lbs. under short-range overload conditions.

Deliveries of the production A-1 models commenced in August 1939 and I/KG 30 made its first operational sortie with a mixture of A-0 and A-1 models on September 26, 1939. Despite its operational status, the A-1 had plenty of problems, which were to be resolved in the next main production model. But meanwhile, the A-2 was introduced using the Jumo-211G-1 engine and attachment points for rocket-assisted take-off boosters. The A-3 was a trainer with dual controls and instruments.

The Ju-88A-4 was to be the culmination of a series of improvements, including a revised wing with 5 feet longer span and 1,400 hp Jumo-211F or J engines. The additional power allowed for the installation of increased armor protection for the crew. However, problems with the new engines delayed the project and the Luftwaffe ordered the improvements incorporated into the production line utilizing the existing engines. This version was designated the A-5 and deliveries began in time to see service in the Battle of Britain.

Because of battle experiences with survivability, the defensive armament for the A-4 was considerably improved over that of the A-5. The drum-fed MG-15s were replaced by belt-fed MG-81s, which also had a higher rate of fire than the MG-15. Two MG-81s were mounted in separate armored window bulges in the dorsal position, the ventral position got a MG-81Z twin-gun installation and the nose gun was upgraded to a 13mm MG-131.

The Erprobungskommando 88 received the first Ju 88 A-0s and A-1s in Aug 39. It was redesignated I/KG 30 on 22 Sept and performed its first operational sortie on 26 Sept from Sylt, attacking a British naval force, mistakenly reporting the sinking of the carrier Ark Royal. During Oct 39 more sorties were flown against Scapa Flow and the Firth of Forth, although these accomplished little.

During Operation Weserübung all Ju 88s were used, and off Bergen KG 30, together with He 111s of KG 26, sank the destroyer Gurkha and damaged the cruisers Devonshire, Glasgow and Southhampton. Although more Kampfgeschwaders converted to the Ju 88 in the first half of 1940, the type played a relatively small part in the invasion of France, the first major action in which the Ju 88 was to participate was the Battle of Britain. Highlights of the activities of the Ju 88 A during the ‘Battle’ included the mass attack by 63 aircraft on Portsmouth on 12 Aug and, on 15 Aug, an unescorted attack by 50 Ju 88 As from Aalborg on Driffield, a No.4 Group bomber airfield where 4 hangars and various buildings together with 10 Whitleys were destroyed. Although the Ju 88 had faired better than other Luftwaffe bombers participating in that epic action, its high diving speed enabling it to evade even the Spitfire, combat attrition had been considerable. As a result the defensive armament was being improved to 7 MG 81s.

The Zerstörerstaffel of KG 30, which had been formed for coastal patrol and anti-shipping tasks was the first receiver of the new Ju 88 C-2 in July 40 but it was soon redesignated I/NJG 2 and began night intruder sorties over RAF bases operating in concert with Kauz II nightfighters.

The major Ju 88 A operations of early 1941 were attacks on Malta carried out by KG 54, KG 77, LG 1 (Lehrgeschwader) and KGr.806, later joined by KGr. 606. These were further reinforced by III/KG 30, which, based on Sicily, carried out a wide range of sorties across the Mediterranean, attacking Pireus harbour during the Greek campaign and, two days later, bombing Tobruk. On 11 May 41 LG 1 sank the destroyers Lively, Kipling and Jackal between Crete and Tobruk. LG 1 also operated with good effect in North Africa in support of Rommel.

On 22 July 41 some 130 aircraft, including Ju 88 As from KG 3 and KG 54 bombed Moscow but the most famous of the Russian theatre operations was the series of attacks on Arctic convoys by the Ju 88 As of KG 30 in concert with the He 111s of KG 26. The first of these convoys to suffer major attack was PQ 13 which lost 2 ships to KG 30 at the end of March 42. Between 25 - 30 May, KG 30 put up over 100 Ju 88 As against PQ 16, sinking 7 vessels,and the next convoy, PQ 17 was completely scattered between 4 - 10 July. Of the 23 vessels sunk almost half were victims of aerial attack.

Contrary to popular belief, the Ju 88 C played virtually no part in the night defence of Germany before 1943. Almost the entire complement of C-fighters were in the Mediterranean in 1942, performing both night-fighting and daytime convoy escort. Ju 88 As participated to a limited extent in the anti-shipping campaign in the Atlantic, KGr.606 operating from Brest, however, a full Zerstörergruppe within KG 40 equipped with C-6s had been deployed in the West (mainly Bordeaux-Mérignac) for anti-shipping strikes in Sept 42. The C-6s ranged far and wide, and, late in 42, their activities had included attempts to intercept stripped-down Allied fighters on the Gibraltar leg of nocturnal ferry flights to Malta, and the escort of crippled Uboats endeavouring to regain their base at Lorient, this frequently involving running battles with Coasta Command Whitleys, Liberators and Sunderlands.

Meanwhile, by early 1942 the Ju 88 A had become numerically the most important bomber in the Luftwaffe and the A-model was in use until early 45 with LG 1 (Schlewig-Holstein, KG 26 (Norway) and KG 66 (West).

With the early thaw of 1943 rendering most Soviet roads impassable, the Soviet forces had to rely on rail transportation, and increased emphasis was placed by the Luftwaffe on train-busting, Zerstörerstaffeln being formed on Ju 88 C-6s within several of the Kampfgeschwader operating on the Eastern Front.

From the beginning of 43 also the Nachtjagd finally began to receive larger numbers of Ju 88 C-6bs and R-1s, mainly because the Bf 110 had a too limited endurance for Zahme Sau (Tame Sow, guided night pursuit) operations. In early 44 the C-6cs provided the backbone of the Nachtjagd and was making Bomber Command operations over Germany very expensive. Also the Ju 88 S reached the troops in early 1944. The S was primarily engaged in pathfinder missions in the West. The improved G-night fighter entered service during the early summer of 1944, but during the autumn the German night fighter force declined due to serious fuel shortages.

Sources

Filley, Brian; Junkers Ju-88 In Action Part 1; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1988.

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