- For the Steel Division: Normandy 44 unit see SD:Ju 87 G Tank Buster
Ju 87 G Tank Buster is a German Air unit in Steel Division II.
Background[ | ]
The Junkers Ju 87 Sturzkampfflugzeug (Stuka) was an iconic dive bomber employed by the Luftwaffe. Created by Hermann Pohlmann, the Ju 87 had a long and rough design phase, plagued by flaws and technical shortcomings ever since work started in 1933. The first plane flew in 1935, with the combat debut coming two years later, with the Condor Legion during the Civil War. The inverted gull wings and dive brakes gave it excellent air handling characteristics, allowing Stuka pilots to make vertical dives and recover from them safely thanks to automated pull-up dive brakes. It served on all fronts of the war and became a symbol of Nazi Germany's blitzkriegs, but its vulnerability to enemy fighters only increased as the war went on and eventually it had to be relegated to support roles.
The G variant gave the aging Stuka a new lease on life. Converted from D-series aircraft, the new variant first flew in January 1943, mounting a pair of Bordkanone BK 3,7 37mm anti-tank autocannons. Frontline units first received the G in April 1943 and the Kanonenvogel (Cannonbird or Gunbird) quickly proved its combat worth in the hands of talented pilots, such as Hans Rudel.
The G-1 was converted from older D-series airframes, retaining the smaller wing, but without the dive brakes.