Junkers Ju-87 Stuka (short for German Sturzkampfflugzeug, meaning dive bomber) is a German single-engine dive bomber with a classic tail fin, inverted gull-wing wings and an all-metal construction. The Ju-87 is one of the most famous aircraft of the Luftwaffe, a symbol of its power next to the Me-109. At the beginning of the war (1939-1941), it became a symbol of the Blitzkrieg, often causing panic among enemy soldiers by installing acoustic sirens (the so-called Jericho barrels), which made a specific sound during a dive flight. The creator of the machine was Hermann Pohlmann, and the Ju-87 first took to the air in 1935, and two years later went into production. During the Spanish Civil War, without encountering any serious enemy in the air, it could prove effective in the missions for which it was created. Due to its ability to dive very steeply while maintaining a relatively low speed, it achieved very high bombing efficiency. The Stuka's fame was confirmed during its operations in Poland, the Netherlands, France, Greece and Crete. However, during the Battle of Britain, the slow Stukas with their fixed landing gear were simply destroyed by Royal Air Force aircraft, and as a result they were sent to attack less protected targets. On the Eastern Front, the Ju-87 played the role of mainly a close support aircraft and an excellent tank destroyer. Hans Ulrich Rudel, the Luftwaffe's most decorated pilot, had 519 Soviet tanks destroyed. During the war, production of the Ju-87 was suspended many times, but it always turned out that it should be resumed, since there was no other aircraft that could adequately replace it. About a dozen versions and modifications of the Ju-87 were created during the war. The first mass-produced Ju-87 B (Berta) was equipped with two versions of the Jumo 211 engine with a range of 1,000 km or 1,200 km. It served as a land-based dive bomber. In turn, the Ju-87R (Richard) was launched for attacks on naval targets. It had a longer range than the B version, but was slightly slower. The D version (Dora) was the most widely produced and most frequently modified. It had new versions of the Jumo 211 engine with a capacity of 1,420 and 1,500 hp. The Ju-87D had better armor than its predecessors. The last mass-produced version of the Ju 87 was the Model G (Gustav), an attack aircraft and "tank destroyer", which entered service in early 1943. The main armament of this version was two 37 mm Bordkanone BK 3.7 cannons mounted in underwing pods. The Ju-87G also had improved armor. Approximately 5,900 units of all Ju-87 versions were built during the war. Technical data (Ju-87B version): length: 11 m, wingspan: 13.8 m, height: 4.23 m, maximum speed: 390 km/h, maximum range: 500 km, maximum ceiling 8,200 m, armament: fixed - 3 machine guns of .7.92 mm caliber, overhead - up to 450 kg of bombs.
