Eagles of the Third Reich: Men of the Luftwaffe in WWII (Stackpole Military History Series) by Samuel W. Mitcham Page A
Authors: Samuel W. Mitcham
Ads: Link
operations until the end of the war.
Henschel Hs-129 . Inferior, underpowered, single-seat, close support aircraft. More than eight hundred were produced before production was cancelled in late 1942. They were used mainly on the eastern front.
Henschel Hs-130 . A high-altitude bomber which reached heights of more than 40,000 feet. It was developed too late in the war to be mass produced. Junkers Ju-52. Tri-engine passenger and freight aircraft, occasionally used as a bomber. It could carry 1.5 tons of freight, or about seventeen passengers. Originally built for Lufthansa in 1930, it was perhaps the premier transport aircraft of its day. It was adopted by many foreign air forces and civilian aviation firms and was manufactured for the Spanish air force as late as 1975. About five thousand served in the Luftwaffe during the war. The Ju-52 was the mainstay of the Luftwaffe’s transport branch throughout the conflict. Junkers Ju-86. Twin-engine bomber, except for the R-model (Ju-86R), which was a reconnaissance airplane. First produced in 1936, it carried about one ton of bombs and three machine guns for defense. It performed well in Spain and Poland but was obsolete by 1940. It was used on the eastern front after that date. About one thousand were produced for the Luftwaffe.
Junkers Ju-87 “Stuka.” A single-engine dive-bomber and ground attack airplane, the Ju-87 was one of the most famous airplanes in the history of military aviation and the most feared airplane in the early years of the war. It had two seats: one for the pilot in front and one in the rear for the gunner, who faced aft. It was usually armed with a one-ton bomb and twin machine guns or cannons under the wings, with a third machine gun in the rear of the cockpit. Some models carried a single 1,000-pound bomb under the center of the fuselage and four 500-pound bombs under the wing. The B-model had a range of 373 miles and a maximum speed of about 240 miles per hour. Later models had a range of up to 620 miles. It entered production in 1935. The Ju-87 was highly effective in Poland, France, the Balkans, and the eastern front but was too slow when operating against modern Allied fighters. It suffered such heavy losses in the Battle of Britain that it had to be withdrawn. After 1942, when the quality of the Red Air Force began to improve, the Ju-87 was replaced by the FW-190. Production of the Stuka was terminated in 1944, although some continued to serve in night attack units until the end of the war. About 5,000 were produced.
Junkers Ju-88 . Developed in 1936 as a dive-bomber, the Ju-88 was used in a variety of roles, including level bombing and close ground support, as well as antitank, night fighting and reconnaissance operations. About 15,000 were produced in the war. Some models of the Ju-88 could carry up to 3.3 tons of bombs. Structurally sound and highly maneuverable, its performance was severely cut because the Technical Office added the requirement that it be able to dive. It also lacked defensive armament (carrying only three machine guns) and was therefore vulnerable to Allied fighters. Nevertheless it proved superior to the Me-110 as a night fighter, and it appeared primarily in that role in the last years of the war. Production of the Ju-88 did not halt until its factories were overrun.
Junkers Ju-188 . A twin-engine bomber. Production of the Ju-188 began in 1941 and continued until 1944, when resource shortages forced its termination. A good medium bomber, it carried 3.3 tons of bombs and four or five machine guns, depending on the model. About one thousand were produced in the war.
Junkers Ju-288 . A part of the “B-Bomber” program, this twin-engine medium bomber consumed too many valuable resources and had several developmental problems. Although about twenty-five prototypes were produced, it never reached the production lines. The Ju-288 was scrapped by Hermann Goering upon the recommendation of Erhard Milch.
Messerschmitt Me-108 . An
Henschel Hs-129 . Inferior, underpowered, single-seat, close support aircraft. More than eight hundred were produced before production was cancelled in late 1942. They were used mainly on the eastern front.
Henschel Hs-130 . A high-altitude bomber which reached heights of more than 40,000 feet. It was developed too late in the war to be mass produced. Junkers Ju-52. Tri-engine passenger and freight aircraft, occasionally used as a bomber. It could carry 1.5 tons of freight, or about seventeen passengers. Originally built for Lufthansa in 1930, it was perhaps the premier transport aircraft of its day. It was adopted by many foreign air forces and civilian aviation firms and was manufactured for the Spanish air force as late as 1975. About five thousand served in the Luftwaffe during the war. The Ju-52 was the mainstay of the Luftwaffe’s transport branch throughout the conflict. Junkers Ju-86. Twin-engine bomber, except for the R-model (Ju-86R), which was a reconnaissance airplane. First produced in 1936, it carried about one ton of bombs and three machine guns for defense. It performed well in Spain and Poland but was obsolete by 1940. It was used on the eastern front after that date. About one thousand were produced for the Luftwaffe.
Junkers Ju-87 “Stuka.” A single-engine dive-bomber and ground attack airplane, the Ju-87 was one of the most famous airplanes in the history of military aviation and the most feared airplane in the early years of the war. It had two seats: one for the pilot in front and one in the rear for the gunner, who faced aft. It was usually armed with a one-ton bomb and twin machine guns or cannons under the wings, with a third machine gun in the rear of the cockpit. Some models carried a single 1,000-pound bomb under the center of the fuselage and four 500-pound bombs under the wing. The B-model had a range of 373 miles and a maximum speed of about 240 miles per hour. Later models had a range of up to 620 miles. It entered production in 1935. The Ju-87 was highly effective in Poland, France, the Balkans, and the eastern front but was too slow when operating against modern Allied fighters. It suffered such heavy losses in the Battle of Britain that it had to be withdrawn. After 1942, when the quality of the Red Air Force began to improve, the Ju-87 was replaced by the FW-190. Production of the Stuka was terminated in 1944, although some continued to serve in night attack units until the end of the war. About 5,000 were produced.
Junkers Ju-88 . Developed in 1936 as a dive-bomber, the Ju-88 was used in a variety of roles, including level bombing and close ground support, as well as antitank, night fighting and reconnaissance operations. About 15,000 were produced in the war. Some models of the Ju-88 could carry up to 3.3 tons of bombs. Structurally sound and highly maneuverable, its performance was severely cut because the Technical Office added the requirement that it be able to dive. It also lacked defensive armament (carrying only three machine guns) and was therefore vulnerable to Allied fighters. Nevertheless it proved superior to the Me-110 as a night fighter, and it appeared primarily in that role in the last years of the war. Production of the Ju-88 did not halt until its factories were overrun.
Junkers Ju-188 . A twin-engine bomber. Production of the Ju-188 began in 1941 and continued until 1944, when resource shortages forced its termination. A good medium bomber, it carried 3.3 tons of bombs and four or five machine guns, depending on the model. About one thousand were produced in the war.
Junkers Ju-288 . A part of the “B-Bomber” program, this twin-engine medium bomber consumed too many valuable resources and had several developmental problems. Although about twenty-five prototypes were produced, it never reached the production lines. The Ju-288 was scrapped by Hermann Goering upon the recommendation of Erhard Milch.
Messerschmitt Me-108 . An
Similar Books
