This book continues Crecy's growing collection of 'Complete History' books. This time, it is one of the most famous aircraft of WWII, the Junkers Ju-87. I have to apologize to Specialty Press for taking so long to read this one. The truth is that there is just so much in there that one really cannot just gloss over it. The result is that it takes a goodly amount of time to finish reading it.

However, the time spent is very much worth it. The Ju-87 is pretty much a direct result of Ernst Udet's passion for dive bombers. This all came about after Udet had seen the Curtiss Hawk operating in such a role on a trip to the US. He felt that the pinpoint accuracy of a dive bomber was just what was needed to assist the German Army in times of war. So after much politicking, a requirement was made to the German aircraft industry for a dive bomber. Several submitted prototypes, but it was the Ju-87 that won out.

First flying in the mid 1930s, the Ju-87 had a few bugs that needed to be worked out of it as is the case with any new design. Some of the features of the Ju-87 that helped make it so deadly was that it could be put into a 90 degree dive. Where other dive bombers rarely went over 60 degrees from the horizontal, the Stuka could dive straight down. It was also equipped with an automatic recovery system that leveled the aircraft out as the crew would frequently black out from the G forces of the dive.

The initial aircraft were underpowered and so could only carry light bombs. If heavier ones were used, the gunner/radio operator had to be left behind. The Anton or Ju-87A was battle tested in Spain and the results of that testing were incorporated into the Ju-87B. The B model or Berta, was the aircraft that Germany went to war with in Poland. Poland is where the Stuka made its reputation. Equipped with sirens on the wheel legs and on the bombs, they were used to effectively terrorize those on the receiving end of the bombs.

However, the Stuka had its drawbacks. It needed complete air superiority to be effective. This was the same with Japan's Val and the US Dauntless. Not to say that the aircraft was not maneuverable, as several Stuka pilots became aces, but when it was doing its job, it had to stay on target. As a tactical weapon in support of the army, it was superb. Every time it was used in army support it was highly effective.

When it was used in a strategic manner, as against targets in England during the Battle for Britain, it did not fare that well. While not succumbing to disastrous losses as are often portrayed in other histories, the Ju-87 was not designed for the role and was quickly pulled from the Channel coast.

In other theaters from the Soviet fronts, to the Balkans to the Mediterranean and North Africa, the Stuka performed its mission ably. It was particularly deadly against ships and the Royal Navy lost a goodly number of ships to Stuka attack. It would be fair to say that the Stuka may have been WWII's greatest ship killer aircraft, despite the successes of the Dauntless in the Pacific. All this required at least local air superiority.

As with all aircraft, it was modified and upgraded. It was scheduled to be the standard carrier-borne dive bomber on the Graf Zeppelin and several Ju-87Cs were built. A myriad of other specialty types were developed from the Ju-87, including torpedo bomber, night intruder, glider tug and others.

All of this is covered in Peter Smith's superbly written book. In addition to all this there is a run-down of all the variants and most prototypes. Over 250 photos of planes and crew are included as are some pretty remarkable crew stories regaling the toughness of this large single engine bomber. There are a substantial number of appendices covering everything from camouflage and markings to aircraft manuals to the operations of the aircraft with foreign countries.

You probably get the idea that I think this is a great book and you are so very right. As one that busts a few myths and provides some quality reading, I give it my highest recommendation.

December 2011

Review book courtesy of Specialty Press , where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Visit their website at the link above or call them at 1-800-895-4585

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