Ju 87 Dive-Bombing Tactics
The screaming siren of the
Junkers Ju 87 dive-bomber was, at least for the
early part of the war, synonymous with German blitzkrieg tactics and Nazi
prowess. Highly popular with the Propaganda Ministry, the Stukas represent
the peak of German military might. It was usually deployed before the army's
attack and would soften any known defensive strong points. In the heat of the
battle, however, army commanders would radio the Luftwaffe to send Stukas
to destroy any unexpected opposition. When air superiority was obtained, the
seagull-looking Stukas would harass retreating or trapped Allied troops. The
plane was used extensively and almost exclusively to support army operation.
The tight and smooth cooperation and communication between army and Luftwaffe
commanders were the key elements in the successful campaign in 1940.
The Ju 87 was slow and had a limited range, but it was a surprisingly
accurate bomber. The bombs were basically controlled by the pilot until the
very last moment. Usually a wing of 30 Stukas would attack a target in 10
groups of three planes. The common practice of a pilot was to begin his dive
at 15,000ft at an angle of 60o-90o, turn on the
cardboard siren, and dive earthward at up to 350mph. He would drop the
bomb at around 2,000ft, and then immediately pull up the nose and overcome
a force of four G to resume level flight.
The Ju 87B was armed with two forward firing machine-guns, one machine gun
in the rear cockpit for defense, four 110lb-bombs under the wings, and one
551lb-bomb under the fuselage in a clutch.
- The pilot finds his target and begins diving.
- The Stuka dives at an angle between 60 and 90 degrees, and accelerates
to 350mph. It would hold this speed with the help of dive-brakes located
on the wing, but this inevitably puts a lot of stress on the structure.
- When the aircraft is reasonably close to the target, the pilot releases
the bomb. A clutch located under the fuselage would swing the bomb out of
the way of the propellor, and it also starts pulling the plane up
automatically.
- The pilot regains consciousness and control, and resumes normal flight.
He would use his bombs under the wings for other targets.
Back to Ju 87 Page
Back to German Tactics Page