stuka

Stuka is the common name for the Sturzkampfflugzeug, the German dive bomber used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. The designation most often refers to the Junkers Ju 87, which became a principal close air support and precision-dive bombing aircraft in the early campaigns of the war. Production began in the mid-1930s and the aircraft remained in use in various roles into the mid-1940s.

Design and features of the Ju 87 emphasized stable, repeatable dive-bombing runs. It was a single-engine, two-seat aircraft equipped with dive brakes to facilitate steep, precise dives and rapid pull-out. The airframe was reinforced for ground-attack duties and armor protection surrounded the pilot and rear crew member. Its armament typically included forward-firing guns for self-defense and a rear-mounted gunner, with bomb loads carried on underwing and internal racks. A distinctive and controversial feature in some units was the Jericho trumpet siren mounted on the landing gear legs, which produced a wailing sound during dives intended to intimidate enemy troops.

Variants and roles varied over the war. Variants such as the Ju 87G introduced in the later years carried 37 mm anti-tank cannons in the wings for tank-destroying missions. Other common variants included the Ju 87A, B, and D, each adapting the basic dive-bomber concept to different theaters and mission profiles. The Stuka proved effective in the rapid blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939–1940, but increasingly suffered losses against modern Allied fighters and air defenses as the war progressed. It remained in use for ground-attack and anti-shipping tasks in some theaters until replaced by newer capabilities.