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Osprey Duel #129
Ju 87D/G STUKA versus T-34: Eastern Front 1942–45
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.
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.
79 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2023
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About the author
Robert Forsyth
126 books6 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 6, 2024
Interesting detail and discussion of aircraft vs tank tactics and of the Ju 87 in particular. Technical info and photographs may be useful for modelers. For some odd reason the dimensions of the T-34 are given in millimeters instead of centimeters or meters. No clue as to who finds that measurement useful.
April 13, 2024
Excellent osprey duel.
Flammenbomben , Splitterbomben and Soviet tanks. Always interested in the iconic Stuka and T-34 and those horrendous battles on the ost front. Mainly the stuff about operation blau and Stalingrad.
Flammenbomben , Splitterbomben and Soviet tanks. Always interested in the iconic Stuka and T-34 and those horrendous battles on the ost front. Mainly the stuff about operation blau and Stalingrad.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews