Ju-87D

The Ju-87D Stuka entered service in 1943 in the 3rd Dive Bomber Group. The group was deployed in early June north of the Sea of Azov and it began flying missions in support of the Axis troops fighting on the river Mius on 17. The first combat loss happened the next day, but it was the only one that month. They were then moved to the Kerch peninsula in July and than to the Perekop isthmus in October. In April 1944 they returned to Romania after almost an year on the front. In May, the 6th Dive Bomber Group finished its training and was ready for action on the front in Moldavia alongside the 3rd. They helped ease off the Soviet pressure on the Romanian and German ground troops and caused a lot of damage, but weren't capable of stopping the Soviet advance.

After August 1944 the Germans confiscated a large part of the Romanian Stukas and the remaining 15 formed the 3rd/6th Dive Bomber Group. It played an important role, although on a smaller scale, due to the limited number of available aircraft, in the halting of the German-Hungarian offensive in Transylvania an later in the offensive actions in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Because of losses and lack of spare parts, the number of available Ju-87Ds decreased. In October 1944 he group was reduced to the 74th Squadron, which was joined with the 41st Squadron (Hs-129B2) and formed the 8th Assault-Dive Bomber Group.

 

The Ju-87D3

Picture from "Armata Romana in al doilea razboi mondial", Meridiane, 1995

Wingspan 13.8 m
Length 11.5 m
Height 3.89 m
Weight (empty) 3900 kg
Weight (loaded) 5842 kg
Maximum speed at 3840 m 410 km/h
Maximum operational ceiling 7286 m
Range 821 km; 1535 max
Engine Junkers Jumo 211J-1 1410 HP
Machine-guns 2x7.92 mm; 1x7.92 mm (in the rear)
Guns 2x20 mm (instead of bombs on the wings)
Crew 2
Bombs up to 1800 kg on 3 hardpoints:one under
the fuselage and two on the wings

 

The Ju-87D5

 

Wingspan 15 m
Length 11.5 m
Height 3.89 m
Weight (empty) 3920 kg
Weight (loaded) 5862 kg
Maximum speed at 3840 m 410 km/h
Maximum operational ceiling 7286 m
Range 821 km; 1535 max
Engine Junkers Jumo 211J-1 1410 HP
Machine-guns 2x7.92 mm; 1x7.92 mm (in the rear)
Guns 2x20 mm (instead of bombs on the wings)
Crew 2
Bombs up to 1800 kg on 3 hardpoints:one under
the fuselage and two on the wings
Author: Victor Nitu
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