Junkers Ju-87G-2 Stuka

Junkers Ju-87G-2 Stuka
Country	Nazi Germany
Type	Dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft
First flight	17 September 1935
Built	6500+

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, “dive bomber”) was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. It served the Axis forces in World War II. Ju 87G: With the G variant, the ageing airframe of the Ju 87 found new life as an anti-tank aircraft. This was the final operational version of the Stuka, and was deployed on the Eastern Front.

Source: Junkers Ju-87G-2 Stuka on Wiki

Junkers Ju-87G-2 Stuka
Photographer	Jaro Mucha
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	21

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Junkers Ju-87 G2 Walk Around
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Localisation	Unknow
Photos	69

A Second Life on the Eastern Front

The Junkers Ju 87 G-2 was the final combat evolution of the legendary Stuka. By 1943, the aircraft was dangerously obsolete as a dive bomber due to its low speed and vulnerability to modern fighters. However, the desperate need to halt Soviet “tank deluges” led to the Kanonenvogel (Cannon Bird). Stripped of its dive brakes and bomb racks, the G-2 was fitted with two massive 37mm flak cannons. In the hands of experts, this ungainly aircraft became a surgical instrument of destruction, capable of cracking open a T-34 with a single well-placed shot to the rear armor.

Attribute	Technical Specification (Ju 87 G-2)
Role	Anti-Tank / Close Air Support
Crew	2 (Pilot and Rear Gunner)
Powerplant	1 × Junkers Jumo 211J-1 V12 inverted liquid-cooled engine
Horsepower	1,420 hp (1,044 kW)
Maximum Speed	344 km/h (214 mph) — reduced by pod drag
Main Armament	2 × 37 mm Bordkanone BK 3,7 cannons (12 rounds per gun)
Defensive Armament	1 × 7.92 mm MG 81Z twin machine gun (rear cockpit)
Wing Span	15.0 m (49 ft 2.5 in) — extended from earlier models

Design Engineering: The Tank-Cracker

The BK 3,7 Cannons: These were adapted from the 3.7 cm Flak 18 anti-aircraft gun. Firing tungsten-cored Hartkernmunition (APCR), they could penetrate the thin top or rear armor of any Soviet tank. However, each pod weighed over 600 lbs, making the plane incredibly “heavy” on the controls.
Removal of Dive Brakes: The G-series was no longer intended for vertical diving. The iconic dive brakes were removed to save weight and offset the massive drag of the gun pods. Attacks were instead carried out in shallow, low-level glides.
Extended Wings: Based on the Ju 87 D-5 airframe, the G-2 featured extended outer wing panels. This was necessary to provide enough lift for the heavily encumbered aircraft and to improve stability when the large cannons fired.
Recoil Sync: The guns were synchronized to fire simultaneously. If one gun jammed while the other fired, the massive off-center recoil could literally jerk the aircraft out of the sky or cause it to spin.

The Legend of Hans-Ulrich Rudel

The Knight of the Sky: Hans-Ulrich Rudel is the pilot most synonymous with the G-2. He is credited with destroying 519 Soviet tanks, a battleship (the Marat), and a cruiser. He was the only person to receive the “Golden Oak Leaves” to the Knight’s Cross.
The “Rear-Attack” Tactic: Rudel perfected the art of flying at “chimney-height” to approach tanks from the rear, where the armor over the engine vents was thinnest. He often flew so low that his aircraft was buffeted by the explosion of the tanks he hit.
High-Stakes Combat: The G-2 was a “marginal” warplane. It was so slow that it required an escort of Focke-Wulf Fw 190s just to survive the flight to the target. If caught by Soviet fighters without cover, the G-2 was almost defenseless.
Surviving Examples: One of the few original Ju 87 G-2s in existence is preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum in London. It serves as a stark reminder of the “last stand” of the Stuka on the Eastern Front.