Ju 87 in Foreign Service is just ready

Ju 87 in Foreign Service
Miroslaw Wawrzynski
Jacek Jackiewicz (Illustrator)
Red Series No 5107
ISBN:8389450178
Publishing date: June 2005
Softcover
104 pages (16 in colour)
240x165 mm (B5)

Retail: £ 9.99 (GBP)
Mail order: £ 11.00 (GBP) - UK/Europe
£ 12.50 (GBP) - elsewhere


On 27-29 June 2005 has been edited my book “Ju 87 in Foreign Service”. Now is despaching to the bookstores. Book is about foreign users of dive-bomber 1940-1945. Editor is Model Moshrom Publication (some of you already know this editor from others titles). Book is for English readers - text only English.
“Ju 87 in Foreign Service” is in MMP’s 9 ¼” x 6 ½” soft-cover format. Contains 104 pages of B-5 size (including 36 color pages for colors). There are 97 b&w wartime photos + 2 colors wartime photos of Italian Doras (from 206a Squadrligia and NVT-1 flight from 1944). Many photos are presented the first time. Photos material are well reproduced. Aditionaly to the text+photos are 45 color illustrations of Ju 87 in profile.
Book’s cover and some inside pages you may see:
http://www.mmpbooks.biz/main.html
http://www.mmpbooks.biz/books/8389450178/8389450178p.htm

This is the story about wartime use of Ju 87 by: Hungarian, Italian, Rumanian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Russia - ROA (KNOR) and other foreign users (including single planes in British, American, Soviet, NOVJ, Spain service).

I. Hungary - RKHL - chapter has 15 colours of Ju 87 A-1, B-2, D-3, D-5 version. 2 Stukas have 4 side colours (Ju 87 B-2 - B.601 and Ju 87 D-5 - B.7+03).

II. Italy - Regia Aeronautica - chapter has 9 colors of Ju 87 B, D version, (one Ju 87 B-2, “yellow 10” of 209a Squadrligia in four viewes.

III. Rumania - ARR - chapter has 8 colors of Ju 87 D-3, 5 (one 4 side view of Ju 87 D-5 yellow code “861”, with white inscription „Hai Noroc! - Good luck!” and on the oposite side was written “Si bucurie ...! - And happyness ...!” of the Esc. 86, Grupu 6 picaj.

IV. Slovakia - SVZ - contains 3 colors of Ju 87 D-5

V. Bulgaria -VV - 2 colors of Ju 87 R-2 and Ju 87 D-5

VI. Others users are mix of colors - there are one captured by British and shortly used by 73. Squadron (Ju 87 R-2, 209a Squadligia, “yellow 10” with 4 viewes - There is both in Regia Aeronautica and RAF markings - interesting for moddelars. Also one side of each Doras-3s used by 213. Sqn and 601. Sqn in North Africa 1942-43.
There are also colours of use by American (D-3) and NOVJ - Titos Partisan Ju 87 Berta-2 (W.Nr.0406) - he was captured by partizans in the end of 1944. It was made airworthy in February 1945 and was used for several months by Yugoslavian pilots in the Communication Flights (“Ekadrila za vezi”).
There is also Spain Berta -1 from Spanish Civil War (black 29.8) of the 5.K/88.

Regards
Mirek Wawrzyński

This is first time I heard Russia had Ju87, have to say I never thought of such possibility, anyone knows more about this subject ? Maybe mirekw would like to tell a few words about it

The Soviets recieved a great number of airplane types and other equipppment for evaluation from Germany prior to Barbarossa. They could also have captured the Stukas sometime during the war. (This does not mean that they used them operationally, though.)

Thanks for the answer - anyone knows if Russians used german equipment or they just studied it ?

H.U Rudel's Stuka got stuck in the mud , a few km north to the Dnister ,while tring to save a crew.
I belive many were captured in perfect condition.

AFAIK they did not. The risk of misidentification was to great. Especially when it comes to airplanes. The crews of soviet AA betteries were trained to identify aircraft slhouettes only, not markings (they thought the Germans would paint their aircraft in Soviet markings to fool them), so they fired at everything that looked German. After a few "regrettable incidents" no Soviet pilot would dare to take off in a German machine.

To be clear ROA/KNOR VVS (air force) was not any Soviet one (VVS KA). One can call it the Vlasov Army too. The last Stuka staffel was created from ex-Russian/Soviet POW. They had made one combat mission a few days before the war end in Europe on Ju 87 Doras (D-7).

Second. Soviets did want to buy from German any Ju 87 in 1940 . They thought that it was to old, to slowly plane too. They would not have any military use/value for their VVS if they bought Ju 87 Berta from Germany.
Instead they had choosen and bought Me 109 E, He 100, Ju 88, Me 110 ect (about 30-35 different planes + many spares), but not any Ju 87. It was their delibaratly move and decision. According opinion of VVS main aviation specialist Ju 87 Berta was very old plane according Soviets standards (not like new Soviet Su-2 or Ił-2, ect).

Soviet later during the war also used captured for example Me 109 for reccon, so they did not fear own A/A knowings the points of their positioning. They much more had feared own "Smiersz" or NKWD or "penalty battalions" then own A/A!

At last not least
Soviets had captured one Ju 87 D-3 in Stalingrad areas (begining of 1943) and made him servisable. They used him in NII VVS in Moscow for tests. Then they had made some comparnision flights in this Ju 87 Dora. And used some ideas on Pe-2 dive bomber.

Of course Soviet had captured much more Ju 87s like this ones used by ARR in Crime in 1943/44 from Grupul 3 picaj (in May 1944).
In 1944 Ju 87 Dora was too old for any military use.

You may get to know more about Ju 87 in foreign hands exactly from the book written by me. Some of your opinions will change very deep, I suppose, :-)

Regards,
Mirek Wawrzynski
An author also Hurricane in Foreign Service (Belgain, Finalnd, Yugoslavia -VVKJ, NOVJ- Rumania, Germany, Italy. Soviet Union users), printed in Poland in 2001 + many oters articles about small air forces in WW II like his last one: Hurricanes in German Hands printed in France (Air Magazine) and in Poland too (in Militaria XX wieku).