The name Stuka is an abbreviation of the German word sturzkampfflugzeug, meaning dive bomber. The fearsome sight and sound of the Luftwaffe's Ju-87 Stuka diving on its target, its siren wailing, spearheaded German victories in Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, the Mediterranean, and Russia between 1939 and 1943. This book covers the pre-war development of the Stuka concept in Germany and early dive bomber prototypes, as well as the aircraft's initial deployment and its central role in the early campaigns against Poland and Norway and in the blitzkrieg war in the West against the Low Countries adn France. The operational history of the aircraft continues through the Channel Battles and the Battle of Britain and in the Mediterranean theatre in the attacks on Malta and Crete. This volume concludes with the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa, the war against Russia. Written by Peter C. Smith, an internationally renowned authority on dive bombers and the Ju 87 in particular, the book contains an impressive selction of historic photos, arworks, and first-hand accounts from those who flew the aircraft.
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