Junkers Ju 88
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The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II Luftwaffe twin-engine multi-role aircraft. Among the most versatile planes of the war, it was used as a bomber, close-support aircraft, nightfighter, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft and even as a giant flying bomb in the Mistel project. Despite its protracted development, the aircraft became one of the Luftwaffe's most crucial assets. There were 15,000 Ju 88s built during WWII.
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[edit] Design and development
The aircraft's first flight was made by the prototype Ju 88 V-1, which bore the civil registration D-AQEN, on 21 December 1936. When it first flew, it managed about 580 km/h (360 mph) and Hermann Göring was ecstatic. It was an aircraft that could finally fulfill the promise of the Schnellbomber, a bomber so fast fighters could not catch it.
However, by the time everyone had had their own features added (including dive-bombing), the Ju 88's top speed had dropped to around 450 km/h (280 mph). The streamlined fuselage was modeled after its contemporary, the Dornier Do 17, but with fewer defensive guns because the belief still held that it could outrun fighters. Production was delayed drastically with developmental problems; planned for 1938, it finally entered service the day the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, and then with only 12 aircraft. Production was painfully slow and problems kept cropping up. The Ju 88C series of heavy fighter was also created very early in 1940, but kept secret from Göring, as he only wanted bombers.
[edit] Operational service
The Ju 88 A-1 series first flew anti-shipping sorties close to Norway. Ju 88 bombers based at Westerland on the island of Sylt in northern Germany carried out the first Luftwaffe raids against Britain. An attack on Rosyth on 16 October 1939 succeeded in damaging three ships, but was then attacked by Spitfires of No. 602 and No. 603. Squadrons of the RAF and two Ju 88s were shot down in the Firth of Forth. A raid on Scapa Flow the next day saw the loss of one Ju 88 to anti-aircraft fire. All combat-ready Ju 88s (some 133), were pressed into the Blitzkrieg, but very high combat losses and accidents forced a quick withdrawal from action to re-train crews to fly this very high performance beast. By this time, major performance deficiences in the A-1 led to an all-out effort in a major design rework. The outcome was a longer wingspan that was deemed needed for all A-1s, thus the A-5 was born. Surviving A-1s were rewinged to A-5 specifications as quickly as possible.
[edit] Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain proved very costly. Its faster speed did not prevent Ju 88 losses exceeding those of its Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111 stablemates, despite being deployed in smaller numbers than either. A series of field kits were made to make it less vulnerable, including the replacement of the rear machine gun by a twin barreled machine gun, and additional cockpit armour.
It was during the closing days of the Battle of Britain that the flagship Ju88 A-4 went into service. Although slower yet than the A-1, nearly all of the troubles of the A-1 were gone, and finally the Ju 88 matured into the superb warplane that it was designed to be. The A-4 actually saw additional improvements including more powerful engines, but, unlike other aircraft in the Luftwaffe, did not see a model code change. The Ju 88 C series also benefited from the A-4 changes, and when the Luftwaffe finally did decide on a new heavy fighter, the Ju 88 C was a powerful, refined aircraft.
[edit] Dive bomber
As a bomber, the Ju 88 was capable of pinpoint deliveries of heavy loads; however, despite all the modifications, dive bombing still proved too stressful for the airframe, and in 1943, tactics were changed so that bombs were delivered from a shallower 45 degree diving angle. Planes and bomb sights were accordingly modified and dive brakes were removed. With an advanced Stuvi dive-bomb sight, accuracy remained very good for its time. Maximum bomb load of the A-4 was 2,800 kg, but in practice, standard bomb load was 1,500 to 2,000 kg.
[edit] Night fighter
A definitive heavy fighter model was the Ju 88 G, which had an enlarged, more angular tailfin from the Ju 188 series. It would gradually become the most important Luftwaffe night fighter. Many of the Luftwaffe night fighter aces, such as Helmut Lent (110 kills) and Heinrich von und zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (87 kills) flew Ju 88 during their careers.
The Japanese Navy ordered the specifications of an antisubmarine Patrol/escort fleet aircraft, based on a medium bomber. The Kyūshū company closely patterned the Kyūshū Q1W Tokai ("East Sea") "Lorna" antisubmarine patrol/fleet escort aircraft after the Ju 88.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (Junkers Ju 88)
General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- Length: 14.2 m (46 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 0 in)
- Height: 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
- Wing area: 47.8 m² (515 ft²)
- Empty weight: 3,900 kg (8,600 lb)
- Loaded weight: 7,700 kg (16,980 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: kg (lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Junkers Jumo 211A (or a BMW 801 in some cases) liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 900 kW (1,200 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 510 km/h at 4,750 m (317 mph at 15,600 ft)
- Range: 2,108 km (1,310 mi)
- Service ceiling: 9,080 m (29,800 ft)
- Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
Armament
- 7x 7.92 mm machine guns
- 2,500 kg (5511 lb) of bombs
[edit] External links
[edit] Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
de Havilland Mosquito - Petlyakov Pe-2
Designation sequence
Ju 85 - Ju 86 - Ju 87 - Ju 88 - Ju 89 - Ju 90 - Ar 95
Related lists
List of military aircraft of Germany - List of bomber aircraft
