Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschwader of North Africa and the MediterraneanThe 'terror weapon' of the invasion of Poland at the start of World War II (1939-1945), the assault on Scandinavia and the Blitzkrieg through western Europe, the Ju 87 Stuka had had its reputation severely dented during the Battle of Britain, where its vulnerability to fighter aircraft in hostile skies was savagely exposed. Licking their wounds, the Stukageschwader were sent south-east from their bases in France to the warmer climes of the Balkans in early 1941. In mid-1941, again frustrated at the inability of the Italians to defeat numerically inferior Allied forces, the Germans arrived in North Africa. Included in the force were Ju 87s. However, like operations on the African continent, their efforts were doomed to failure, and from mid-1942 onwards the Stuka proved to be little more than cannon fodder for Allied fighters. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
208a Squadriglia Afrika Korps aircraft airfield Alamein Albania Alexandria Allied anti-aircraft April Army Axis Balkans base bomb bomber British CAMPAIGNS IN NORTH Cenni CHAPTER FOUR circa coast Comiso convoy Crete crews cruiser damaged days later defences Derna Derna/Libya desert destroyers Dinort's direct hits dive dive-bombers attacked Doras Eastern Front Egypt enemy Enneccerus fighters fire Fliegerführer Afrika flown forces fuselage German Geschwaderkommodore Geschwaderstab StG Greece Greek ground Gruppen Gruppenkommandeur Gruppo gunners harbour Hauptmann Helmut Helmut Mahlke II./StG Illustrious invasion island Italian Italy Junkers Junkers Ju 87 Knight's Cross Kommandeur landing Lecce Libya losses Luftwaffe machine Major Malta MARITA AND MERKUR Mediterranean metres mission months mountains North Africa northern Note NSGr Oberleutnant OPERATIONS MARITA overpainted Panzers Picchiatelli pilot raids Regia Aeronautica Sardinia Scarpanto ship Sicily Squadron Stab StG Staffel Staffelkapitän Stukagruppen Stukas sunk target tion Tmimi/Libya Tobruk Trapani troops units vessels wing Wk-Nr Yugoslav Yugoslavia