Ju 87D/G STUKA versus T-34
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An examination of two of the most high-profile air and land weapons to be deployed on the Eastern Front in World War II.
In late 1942, as part of its attempts to strike back at ever-increasing numbers of Soviet tanks, the German air ministry authorised the development of an adaptation and enhancement of the longspan Junkers Ju 87D-5 Stuka dive-bomber. The aircraft was duly fitted with two underwing pods containing 37 mm BK cannon – an antiaircraft cannon with its origins dating back to 1933. The solid, slow, Ju 87 airframe offered the Luftwaffe an ideal platform for specialist, low level, ‘tank-killing’ operations.
Despite the wealth of experience possessed by some of the Luftwaffe’s ground-attack and dive-bomber aces, knocking out T-34 tanks from the air was a demanding and difficult process. Nevertheless, some Luftwaffe pilots notched up impressive tank scores, and the Ju 87 is credited with the destruction of more than 100 tanks across the central and southern sectors of the Eastern Front, including during the Battle of Kursk.
Including personal accounts from Stuka pilots and biographies of the anti-tank aces, together with detailed photographs of the cannon installation into the Ju 87G and details of the construction of the T-34 illustrated using specially commissioned artwork, this book covers the epic clash of two legendary machines of World War II.
Robert Forsyth is an author, editor and publisher, specialising in military aviation and military history. He co-founded a publishing and book production business in 1995 which has produced some 250 illustrated reference books, mainly on military aviation, but also on armoured warfare, vintage motor sport, history and wildlife. Robert is the author of several books on the aircraft and units of the Luftwaffe, an interest he has held since boyhood. His articles have appeared in The Aviation Historian, Aeroplane Monthly, Aviation News, FlyPast and AeroJournal and he is a member of the Editorial Board of The Aviation Historian.
The illustrators for this title are Gareth Hector (cover and battlescene artwork) and Jim Laurier (three-views, armament views, Engaging the Enemy artwork and cockpit view).