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With its cranked wing and vulture-like looks the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber came to symbolise the terror of the German Blitzkrieg. In the early years of the Second World War the Ju 87 lived up to its fearsome reputation, but it eventually met its match when pitted against more modern adversaries. Supported by a comprehensive selection of photographs and technical drawings, Jonathan Falconer describes the design, construction and operation of the feared Stuka, which saw frontline action wherever the German Army went from Norway, western Europe and Russia, to North Africa. Key content
Detailed look under the skin of the infamous Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber.
Insights into flying and maintaining the Ju 87 in wartime.
Includes many rare and previously unpublished photographs.
Partner volume to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Manuals

Reviews

Although the Ju 87 is no doubt one of the most iconic aircraft of World War II, I’m rather surprised at how few books, beyond pilot memoirs and books for modelers, are actually available about it. I’m sure the Eddie Creek book is wonderful, but I don’t have $250 sitting around for a used copy. For us poor folks, it’s thankfully now the subject of a new Haynes “Owners’ Workshop Manual.”

The format is typical Haynes. After a brief introduction covering the Stuka’s origins, we get an overview describing the differences between each of the main variants and sub-variants. This is followed by a chapter focusing on the plane’s “anatomy” – undercarriage, major systems, armament, etc. A separate chapter describes the Jumo 211 engine, with technical descriptions of each of the major components. This is followed by a fairly substantial chapter on the Stuka at war, following some of the major actions they fought in, and its changing fortunes from the Spanish Civil War to the battle for Berlin. The final three chapters focus on flying and maintaining the aircraft and surviving Stukas.

The Stuka has always been somewhat of a legend, either an invincible killing machine or rickety flying dump truck, depending on which side’s propaganda you preferred to believe. This book goes a long way towards presenting it in an even-handed light and stripping away the mythos. There are some fascinating insights into the plane’s inner workings, such as the variable incidence tailplane, the actuating mechanisms for the dive brakes, the bomb deflection fork, and some of the specialized close air supports weapons used on the Eastern Front. There’s also a large number of period technical diagrams which have been cleaned up and translated into English, along with unposed wartime photographs of Stukas being built and maintained.

Some of the limitations of the Haynes format become obvious in the last three chapters. These chapters include an account by the famed English test pilot Capt Eric Winkle, some wartime accounts, a photo essay depicting a Stuka turnaround in 1944, and a maintenance schedule (don’t forget to check for cracks in the wing spars every 100 dive-bombing sorties and clean the gearbox lubricant filter every 12 1/2 hours!). Unfortunately, the fact that no Stukas are still flying, and most of the museum pieces are in questionable condition, means there’s very little in the way of details on modern-day restorations, although the chapter on the Jumo 211 does include some excellent photos of the guts of the engine.

Although this isn’t the best of Haynes’ WWII aircraft “manuals,” it’s still a pretty solid reference with some interesting technical insights I haven’t seen elsewhere, and definitely worth checking out if you have an interest in the Ju 87.

This is excellent. I was underwhelmed with their offering on the SE-5a (albeit a far simpler machine with less to say) but this is packed with information, along with top quality illustrations and diagrams.

Jonathan Falconer is the author of more than 30 books on aspects of aviation and military history, including the Haynes Handley Page Halifax Manual, Short Stirling Manual, D-Day Operations Manual, and co-author (with Brian Rivas) of the de Havilland Mosquito Manual. He lives in Wiltshire.