Greek divers lift WWII bomber wreckage - German Junkers-87 Stuka dive-bomber

AP on Yahoo ^ | 10/6/06 | Nicholas Paphitiis - ap

[MCFujiTanker]

I had one of those too, it was black plastic. My Brother had the "Flying Tiger" model, but he crashed it into a telephone pole. Next time I'm back in Jersey I'll have to check and see if my Mom still has it in the garage. No radio controlled stuff back in those days. I used to always have trouble getting the engine to start!! Semper Fidelis.

[headstamp]

http://members.fortunecity.com/stg77/stukadev.htm

[goldstategop]

They made a screeching noise during the Polish Campaign that added to their reputation. It was unforgettable to anyone who witnessed it. They'd hear the sound before the plane closed in on its target for the kill.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Alter Kaker]

I remember hearing their dreadful screams. They were terrible, out-of-date aircraft, but were they terrifying!

[Zman516]

It was a siren mounted on (I think) the wheel strut, controlled by the pilot when they started their dive.

I have to laugh when I watch movies, archive film, etc. with any airplane diving. They all go into the obligatory "Stuka siren scream".

[PzLdr]

Rudel also sunk a battleship [in Lake Ilmen] and was the only holder of the highest degree of the Knight's Cross with swords, oak leaves and diamonds. He flew Me 262s at the end of the war.

[PzLdr]

It's short for Sturtzkampfflugzeug - which I presume means dive bomber. Kind of like Gestapo is short for Geheime Staats Polizei - secret state police.

[travlnmn41]

Rudel also sank a Russian battleship with one well-placed bomb.

[PzLdr]

They had sirens on the wheel wells. The crew called them the "trumpets of Jericho". They were one of Udet's ideas. He was the guy who bought two Curtiss dive bombers in the U.S, and showed what they could do in Germany in a demonstration for Goering, et al. That demonstration led to the development of the Stuka and the dive bomber craze in the Luftwaffe. A lot of good aircraft either never made it into service, or were delayed because of Hitler's and Goering's insistence they be able to dive.

[PzLdr]

Also was the radio operator.

[PzLdr]

It's the symbol for WW II.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

dont forget the russian battleship that he is credited with sinking.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

The SBD of course!Faster and a little heavier bomb load. Ask the japanese navy which was better oh wait you cant,they are on the bottom of the pacific.

[PzLdr]

Ask the Poles, the French Army at Sedan, the British Navy at Crete, and just about anybody in the Soviet Army. They'll disagree.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

didnt turn the war around like the dauntless did in the battle of midway.

[PzLdr]

What turned the Battle of Midway around were the torpedo planes that got the Zeros down on the deck before the dive bombers showed up [along with Nagumo's stupidity.

Richtofen's Stukas enabled the German breakthrough on the Meuse, and the fall of France. They enabled the Germans to take Crete.And what they did to Poland and Russia contributed to the destruction of the army of the former, and the near successful conquest of the second. And, with other Luftwaffe units, there's Norway to consider.

[Tommyjo]

Tailgunner, as already pointed out, and radio operator.

[libstripper]

Take a look at the picture. He was the tail gunner.

[omega4179]

He also sank a battleship, two cruisers and a destroyer. He was shot down or force-landed 32 times (several times behind enemy lines), always somehow managing to escape capture despite Stalin himself putting a 100,000 rouble bounty on his head. He was also wounded five times and rescued six stranded aircrew from enemy territory. The vast majority of his missions were spent piloting the various models of the Junkers Ju 87, though by the end of the war he was flying the ground-attack variant of the Fw 190. (wiki)

[WorkingClassFilth]

Check this: http://www.p4a.com/item_images/medium/11/32/47-01.jpg