Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII
Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII - The Jericho Trumpet Created Fear From Above
The infamous wailing siren of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber struck fear into the hearts of soldiers and civilians alike during World War II. As the Stuka pitched into its near-vertical power dive, an ear-piercing 140-decibel scream emanated from two Jericho trumpets fixed to the sides of the main landing gear. This banshee shriek was specifically designed to sow panic and weaken enemy morale.
The concept for the Jericho trumpet came from leading Stuka designer Hermann Pohlmann. He recognized the immense psychological impact of aircraft noise and realized the plane's diving attacks would be even more terrifying if accompanied by an ungodly roar. The trumpet was powered by a small propeller on the landing gear that spun as air rushed past during the dive.
For those on the ground, the wail of the Jericho trumpet meant death was screaming down from above. The sound invoked primal terror, like hearing the cry of a monstrous bird of prey. Soldiers awaiting Stuka attacks have described feeling paralyzed and wanting to flee in panic. During the Blitzkrieg campaigns in Poland and France, crowds of refugees choked roads as people desperately fled before the droning sirens.
The Jericho trumpet was just one aspect of the Stuka's excellent dive-bombing precision. When released close to the target, bombs followed a near-vertical trajectory, allowing greater accuracy than level bombing. Pilots used a complex reflex gunsight to compensate for the delay between releasing a bomb and its impact. The Stukas bristled with up to 1,800 pounds of ordnance. Cluster bomblets and glass-shatter bombs maximize destruction of soft targets.
Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII - Steep 60-90 Degree Dives Allowed Precision Bombing
The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka was specifically designed for steep dive-bombing attacks. While most bombers conducted high-altitude horizontal bombing runs, the Stuka was built to plunge almost vertically onto targets. This nose-down dive allowed an unprecedented degree of accuracy in bomb delivery.
In a steep 60-90 degree dive, the Stuka became a lethal precision strike weapon. It transformed from lumbering bomber to a roaring bird of prey hurtling down on its target. Stuka pilots would typically start their attack run at 12,000 to 15,000 feet before tipping into a near-vertical power dive. The planes would scream earthward at over 350 mph, aggressively pitching down at a 60 to 90 degree angle.
This plunging dive allowed bombs to follow an almost straight-line ballistic trajectory to the target. There was minimal horizontal drift, so bombs fell in compact patterns. Dropped from low altitudes under 1,000 feet, bombs had less time to disperse. Stuka squadrons had an excellent record of delivering ordnance within just a few yards of the aim point.
The Stuka's dive brakes allowed pilots to fine-tune the dive angle for accuracy. Opening the large flaps on the upper rear fuselage increased drag, allowing pilots to adjust the steepness of their descent. The pilot would open the dive brakes wide at the top of the dive, closing them incrementally to level out once bombs were dropped. An automatic pull-up mechanism would also engage to prevent the plane from crashing.
Pilots used a complex bombsight called the Lorentz mechanism to calculate the perfect moment to release their payload. This mechanical computer factored in the aircraft's speed, dive angle, altitude, and other variables. The reflex gunsight then compensated for the lag between sighting the target and the bomb's impact a few seconds later.
Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII - Stuka Played Critical Role in Blitzkrieg Strategy
The wailing Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber struck mortal terror into the hearts of civilians and soldiers alike during the Blitzkrieg campaigns of World War II. This iconic plane played an instrumental role in the Nazi's devastating Blitzkrieg strategy of rapid dominance through combined air and land assaults. The Stuka's pinpoint bombing paved the path for Germany's crushing armored spearheads to slice through enemy lines.
In the Blitzkrieg campaigns against Poland and France, waves of Stukas acted as flying artillery to soften up enemy defenses. They bombarded anything that moved, leaving roads strewn with burned out vehicles and corpses. The Stukas flew in close formation with Hitler's Panzer tanks, clearing a path so the armored columns could break through. The Stukas' sirens alone were enough to scatter fleeing troops in abject horror.
Brigadeführer Wolfram von Richthofen, a leading Stuka commander, described the planes as an extension of the artillery. The Stuka units worked hand-in-hand with the Panzers, responding immediately to requests for air support. They bombed targets sometimes less than a mile ahead of the tanks. Stuka pilots prided themselves on their ability to place bombs within a few feet of friendly troops on the move.
This close coordination between the Stukas and Panzers allowed the Blitzkrieg to maintain momentum and punch through weak points in the enemy lines. The Stukas also excelled at cutting off enemy reinforcements and destroying communications. By isolating pockets of stranded troops, they enabled the Panzers to encircle and annihilate them. The Stukas ruled the skies as Allied planes were blasted out of the air or destroyed on the ground.
At the Battle of Sedan in 1940, Stukas dropped over 300 tons of ordnance, clearing the French defenses for the decisive armored thrust across the Meuse River. The French soldiers manning the bunkers were left stunned and shell-shocked by the carpet bombing. Similarly, in Poland, pinpoint Stuka strikes on bridges, rail lines, and convoys created chaos behind enemy lines. This allowed the German army to slice through Poland in just over a month.
Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII - Variants Developed for Tank Busting and Ship Hunting
As the Luftwaffe gained battlefield experience early in World War II, it became apparent the Stuka dive bombers needed to be adapted for heavier anti-armor and anti-ship attacks. This led to the development of tank-busting and ship-hunting Ju 87 variants armed with larger cannons and rockets.
The Ju 87B-1 variant was equipped with two 20mm MG 151 cannons mounted in underwing pods. The explosive cannon rounds packed enough punch to penetrate the thinner top armor on tanks. Stukas flying in pairs or small groups could overwhelm defensive fire and score direct hits on tanks with timed attacks from different angles. This anti-tank Stuka was nicknamed the Panzerknacker (Tank Cracker).
An even heavier anti-tank variant, the Ju 87G, was developed in 1943. This tank buster version was armed with a pair of 37mm Flak 18 cannons firing tungsten armor-piercing shells. The gun barrels protruded from generous gun pods slung under the wings, giving the plane a deadly and distinct appearance. Stuka pilots only had enough ammunition for two to three firing passes, but the cannons could take out even the heavily armored Soviet tanks.
The Stuka was also adapted for anti-shipping operations by adding air-to-surface rockets. The Ju 87D introduced in 1941 could carry six high-explosive rockets under the wings. The rockets delivered a powerful shaped charge capable of penetrating ship hulls or crippling vital superstructure. Stukas typically attacked in groups, salvoing their rockets for maximum destruction. The Battle of Kerch Strait saw over 100 Ju 87s sink or damage 10 Soviet ships in just 20 minutes.
Later variants like the Ju 87G could accommodate the massive 21-inch Ruhrstahl X-4 anti-ship missiles. With a 420-pound shaped charge warhead, this "fire-and-forget" guided missile could cripple even heavy cruisers with a direct hit. However, the X-4 was complex and prone to reliability issues in the harsh maritime environment. Stukas still relied heavily on unguided rockets fired in mass volleys.
The Stuka remained a threat to Allied shipping through 1943, sinking numerous vessels including the British destroyer HMS Eclipse. However, ships eventually got wise and deployed intense anti-aircraft barrages to keep Stukas at bay. The outdated Ju 87 airframes also suffered heavy losses attacking the invasion fleet on D-Day. The once-feared ship killer found itself neutralized by modern defenses.
Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII - Later Models Outfitted With Bigger Bombs and Rockets
As the war progressed, the Stuka was upgraded with increased bomb loads and more powerful rockets to keep pace with battlefield demands. The early Ju 87B models could carry up to 1,800 lbs of bombs, but later variants more than doubled this payload capacity.
The Ju 87D models introduced in 1941 boosted the maximum bomb load to over 4,400 lbs. With huge 2,200 lb armor-piercing bombs mounted, the Stukas now packed enough explosive punch to cripple the largest warships and reinforced structures. More commonly, a mix of 500 lb and 1,000 lb general purpose blast and fragmentation bombs offered greater blast effect than previous small munitions.
Bigger bombs required more power to lug them into the sky, so the Junkers Jumo 211 engine was upgraded from 1,200 hp on early models to 1,410 hp on later Ju 87Ds. The Stuka's airframe and wings were also reinforced to handle the heavier loads. Stronger suspension absorbed the forces of pulling out of high-speed dives.
More powerful 21-cm RPzB 54/1 rockets developed in 1943 gave Stukas greater stand-off range to attack tanks and ships. While the early explosive rockets were effective against soft targets, new versions with shaped charge warheads enabled the Ju 87G and R variants to penetrate 150mm of armor plate. Stukas carried up to 12 rockets on launch rails, saturating targets in rapid massive salvos.
The cumbersome 37mm tankbuster cannons on Ju 87Gs severely limited maneuverability and climb rate. With just 5 to 6 seconds of firing time, precision rocket attacks proved a better anti-armor solution. Rockets allowed Stukas to engage targets from beyond defensive gun range and escape unscathed.
By late 1944, the Ju 87 was increasingly vulnerable to modern fighters and anti-aircraft fire. Unable to jettison heavy bomb loads,laden Stukas fell behind Allied advance. But faster Focke-Wulf 190 fighter-bombers took over the close air support mission. The Stuka's days as a first-line weapon were ending.
The Stuka's swan song came during the Battle of Berlin where it flew the last big bombing campaign in the war. Stripped of armor and defensive guns to increase speed and payload, stripped-down Ju 87s plastered the city with 4,000 lb "blockbuster" bombs. Lacking maneuverability, many lumbering, overloaded Stukas were torn from the sky by Soviet defenses. But the planes that survived smashed enormous craters into Berlin's streets with their titanic blast bombs.
Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII - Open Cockpit Exposed Pilots to Extreme Conditions
The open cockpit of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka exposed pilots to brutal environmental conditions. While enclosed canopies protected Allied fighter pilots, Stuka crews endured subzero temperatures, hurricane winds, and shrapnel flying at over 200 mph. The toll this extreme exposure took on pilots is a testament to the courage required to fly the iconic dive bomber.
Stuka pilots sat in tandem open cockpits carved into the heart of the plane’s corrugated duralumin metal fuselage. While early models featured a sliding canopy for the pilot’s position, this was discarded to improve vision for dive bombing. Perched on the edge of the cockpit, pilots had an unobstructed view for sighting targets. But the price was a horrifically exposed perch hundreds of feet above the ground with no protection from the elements.
At altitudes above 10,000 feet, Stuka pilots experienced freezing conditions as open cockpits funneled a constant blast of subzero air. Goggles would fog up and freeze to faces at high altitude, blinding pilots before dives. One pilot described the cold as “hitting you like a club.” Holding flight controls became excruciating, hands stiffening into claws. Frostbite that permanently damaged hands and feet was common.
In the power dive, Stuka pilots were battered by hurricane-force winds that made keeping eyes open impossible. Pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel described the descent as being “caught in the thickest tornado.” At the bottom of a near vertical dive, pilots pulled a crushing 5 Gs as the plane leveled out, sometimes blacking out from the G-forces. The sudden deceleration was described as being fired from a catapult into a brick wall.
Stuka pilots descended into a maelstrom of gunfire and exploding anti-aircraft shells. Being strapped into the middle of the cockpit without armor left pilots horrifically exposed. Nicknamed the “flying coffin” by terrified new recruits, 25% of Stuka gunners were injured or killed by shrapnel ripping through the paper-thin fuselage. Pilots in the lead diving position faired even worse.
Some Stuka gunners went insane from the stress of diving into heavy fire. Tail gunners usually ejected downward so pilots rode solo on these one-way missions. With no fuel tank protection, a single bullet or flak burst could engulf the plane in a fireball. Pilots carried cyanide capsules and pistols for a quick end rather than burning alive.
If pilots survived being blasted out of the sky, there was the ever-present danger of being captured. Stuka pilots made prime propaganda material and were hated by enemy troops. Franz Stigler, ace Stuka pilot, recalled being spat upon and threatened with lynching by civilians after parachuting from his damaged Ju 87. Captured pilots nervously awaited their fate at the hands of vengeful captors on the ground.
Diving Into History: The Iconic Stuka Dive Bomber of WWII - Allied Fighters Eventually Outmatched the Slow Stuka
The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber may have ruled the skies early in World War II, but by 1943 improved Allied fighters and anti-aircraft defenses were taking a heavy toll. The slow, outdated Stuka was built for a Blitzkrieg war that was rapidly becoming a distant memory.
With a top speed of just 255 mph, the Stuka was over 100 mph slower than Allied fighters like the P-47 Thunderbolt. The Stuka’s light airframe and open cockpit also made it incredibly vulnerable. A few hits from a fighter’s machine guns could turn the lumbering bomber into a flying pyre. Allied pilots didn’t even need to down a Stuka to take it out of the fight—damaging the plane forced it to abort its mission.
Luftwaffe field marshal Hugo Sperrle grimly joked in 1944 that “the life expectancy of a Stuka on the Russian front is three sorties.” Many were shredded before even completing a single mission against the increasingly dense Soviet anti-aircraft defenses. Up to a quarter of Stukas were lost on each attack run. Without fighter protection, losses soared up to 70 percent.
The slow climb rate of the Stuka prevented escape from Allied fighters. “The Stuka was too slow, too heavy, and too short-ranged,” lamented ace Stuka commander Hans Rudel. The dive bomber’s ritualistic attack runs made it easy prey for Allied pilots who could eagerly await its arrival. Shooting down a Stuka was as simple as positioning for an attack while it labored through its 10-12 minute climb to 12,000 feet.
Allied fighters relished tangling with Stukas. The American P-38 Lightning and British Hawker Hurricane excelled at catching Stukas in their vulnerable climbing or dive phases. The legendary P-47 Thunderbolt was an especially lethal Stuka killer. Its eight .50 cal machine guns made fast work of the fragile bomber, with flaming Stukas often disintegrating entirely when their bombs detonated under fire.
Surviving pilots told of Allied fighters toying with their Stuka squadrons like cats batting crippled mice. With vastly inferior performance, their best hope was to dive toward thick clouds or terrain to try to shake determined pursuers. Those that limped back to base found scant sanctuary on the ground from roving fighters. Strafing runs frequently caught Stukas being refueled and rearmed, multiplying the destruction.
The Stuka force found itself increasingly outnumbered and restricted to heavily defended airspace over German lines. Allied fighters now ruled the skies, having swept the Luftwaffe from all but a shrinking pocket over Berlin. By 1945, only a handful of Stuka units remained, relegated to rare night harassment raids. The once-feared wail of the Jericho Trumpet had become a rare and mournful cry.