Ju 87 Stuka Poster

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a German dive bomber and ground attack aircraft of World War II, first flown in 1935 and making its combat debut in the Spanish Civil War in 1937. The aircraft featured innovative technology, including self-lifting dive brakes under each wing that allowed the pilot to recover from a dive even if he fainted from high G forces. In addition, the Jericho trumpet on the main landing gear produced a distinctive siren sound during dive bombing that terrified Allied soldiers on the ground. By the end of the war, it had been largely replaced by the Fw190 ground-attack version, but it was still used until the end of the war. The Stuka is also known to have been flown by Colonel Hans Rudel, the most decorated German ace pilot of the time.