Specialty Press

Ju-87 Stuka Vol. 1, 1937-1941

by  Peter C. Smith

Reviewed By  Chad Richmond, IPMS# 10346

MSRP: $29.95 ISBN: 1903223695 "STUKA": not the name of an aircraft, but the short version of the German word "Sturzkampfflugzeug", or "dive bombing aircraft". However, in the case of the Ju87, the abbreviation stuck and became the common reference to that aircraft and the standard by which all dive bombers would be compared. Specialty Press keeps putting out great volumes on Luftwaffe aircraft, and this one is no exception. I have always been fascinated with the Ju87 Stuka, so I jumped at the opportunity to review this book. The book is 96 pages printed on heavy stock with the pages jammed full of photos, maps, drawings and information on the aircraft and its deployment in the early stages of World War II. Included in the book are 166 photos, in color and black and white, 16 color profiles, each of which is accompanied by a photo of the same aircraft, nine color renderings of unit badges and 11 short biographical sketches on prominent Stuka pilots. The book starts off with the development of dive bomber techniques in World War I and the aircraft design and development that supported those tactics. It also includes efforts by other countries, as well as Germany throughout the twenties and thirties, and debunks some of the more popular legends concerning dive bombing developments. The first prototype of the Ju 87 flew in September 1935 and ultimately beat out the competition of the He 51, He50, He 118 and the Arado Ar 65. The V4 model was sent to Spain in October 1936 for combat testing and was followed in January 1937 by the first production model, the A-0. The Stuka underwent many changes in the matter of a few years, some of which were strictly cosmetic, but most revolved around the engine and the airframe's capability to carry more than one bomb. This book takes you through those developments, including the B and R models. Many of the photos in this book are photos that have not been published before, and the color aircraft profiles by Tom Tullis are really first class. Some of them make me want to start digging through my decals to see how many of them I could do in my next lifetime. Covered in the book are the Stuka's part in the invasion of Poland, which started the war, Norway, the low countries and France, the English Channel Battles, the Battle of Britain, the Mediterranean, Malta, North Africa, the Balkans and lastly the fateful invasion of Russia. In each case, the Stuka Order of Battle is included. Covered also are the modifications made to the aircraft to accommodate Naval operations. This is a great book for the modeler and the historian alike. I can't wait to get my hands on Volume 2 so I can read about my favorite, the G model. This book may be ordered by calling 1-800-895-4585 or by visiting www.specialtypress.com. A shipping and handling charge of $4.95 is added to each order. Thanks to Marie Norton of Specialty Press for providing the review issue and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to conduct the review.

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