Was the Stuka a good plane?

Stukas proved critical to the rapid conquest of Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in 1940. Though sturdy, accurate, and very effective against ground targets, the Stuka was, like many other dive bombers of the period, vulnerable to fighter aircraft.

Why was the Stuka so good?

Like the Slow-But-Deadly Douglas SBD, the Stuka turned out to be a superb anti-shipping weapon. Stuka pilots quickly learned to attack from astern, so they could easily follow a ship’s evasive actions. They often dived on a ship at a 45- degree angle and fired their machine guns as a telltale.

Why was Stuka feared?

The Stuka was a dive bomber developed by the Junkers aircraft company, and it became one of the most recognizable sights of the entire conflict. What made the aircraft so feared was the effectiveness in its role as a dive bomber and the siren that sounded whenever the aircraft went into one of its diving attacks.

Did the Stuka have machine guns?

The JU 87 was armed with four 7.9-millimetre machine guns, two of which were operated by a rear-seat gunner; late in the war, the rear-mounted guns were replaced by a single 13-millimetre gun.

What was the best plane in WW2?

The P-51D Mustang is considered by many to be the #1 fighter aircraft of WWII. With internal tanks, the plane had a range of 950 miles. The range increased to 2,200 miles with external tanks. This aircraft was both fast and maneuverable.

Why did the Stuka make that noise?

This was used to weaken enemy morale and enhance the intimidation of dive-bombing. After the enemy became used to it, however, they were withdrawn. The devices caused a loss of some 20–25 km/h (10-20 mph) through drag. Instead, some bombs were fitted with whistles on the fin to produce the noise after release.

Why did German planes scream?

Germans developed bombers to have extra feature — a scream (“Stuka” is part of the German word for “dive bomber.”) The noisy engines would announce the bombers’ approach to the people below, but German engineers further enhanced the sound with small fans attached to the front of the landing gear.