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 |
|