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The Junkers Ju 88 was a Second World War Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers
Hugo Junkers

Hugo Junkers was an innovative Germany engineer, as his many patents in varied areas show.The name Junkers & Co is mainly known in connection with aircraft, which were produced under this name for the Luftwaffe during World War II....
' Junkers
Junkers

Junkers & Co was a major Germany aircraft manufacturer. It produced some of the world's most innovative and best-known airplanes over the course of its fifty-plus year history in Dessau, Germany....
 company in the mid 1930s, it became one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the war. The Ju 88 suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early operational roles. Like a number of other Luftwaffe bombers, it was used successfully as a bomber, dive bomber
Dive bomber

A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of Anti-aircraft warfare fire....
, night fighter
Night fighter

A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility.Night fighters came into their own during World War II, made possible with the advent of airborne radar....
, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber

A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with torpedoes, but they could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II, when they were an important player in many famous battles, notably the United Kingdom attack at Battle of Taranto and the Jap...
, reconnaissance
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
 aircraft, heavy fighter
Heavy fighter

A heavy fighter is a fighter aircraft designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges. To achieve acceptable performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engined....
, and even as a flying warhead
Mistel

Mistel , also known as Beethoven-Ger?t and Vati und Sohn was a Luftwaffe aircraft bombing system, based broadly on the parasite aircraft concept, from late in World War II....
 during the closing stages of conflict. Despite its protracted development, the aircraft became one of the Luftwaffe's most crucial assets.






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The Junkers Ju 88 was a Second World War Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers
Hugo Junkers

Hugo Junkers was an innovative Germany engineer, as his many patents in varied areas show.The name Junkers & Co is mainly known in connection with aircraft, which were produced under this name for the Luftwaffe during World War II....
' Junkers
Junkers

Junkers & Co was a major Germany aircraft manufacturer. It produced some of the world's most innovative and best-known airplanes over the course of its fifty-plus year history in Dessau, Germany....
 company in the mid 1930s, it became one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the war. The Ju 88 suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early operational roles. Like a number of other Luftwaffe bombers, it was used successfully as a bomber, dive bomber
Dive bomber

A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of Anti-aircraft warfare fire....
, night fighter
Night fighter

A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility.Night fighters came into their own during World War II, made possible with the advent of airborne radar....
, torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber

A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with torpedoes, but they could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II, when they were an important player in many famous battles, notably the United Kingdom attack at Battle of Taranto and the Jap...
, reconnaissance
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
 aircraft, heavy fighter
Heavy fighter

A heavy fighter is a fighter aircraft designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges. To achieve acceptable performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engined....
, and even as a flying warhead
Mistel

Mistel , also known as Beethoven-Ger?t and Vati und Sohn was a Luftwaffe aircraft bombing system, based broadly on the parasite aircraft concept, from late in World War II....
 during the closing stages of conflict. Despite its protracted development, the aircraft became one of the Luftwaffe's most crucial assets. There were 15,000 Ju 88s built during World War II, more than any other twin-engined German aircraft of the period.

Design and development


In August 1935, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium
Reich Air Ministry

The Reich Air Ministry was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany . It is also the original name of a building in Wilhelmstra?e in central Berlin, the capital of Germany, which now houses the German Finance Ministry ....
 submitted its requirements for an unarmed, three seat, high-speed bomber, with a payload of 800-1,000 kg
Kilogram

The kilogram or kilogrammeThe spelling kilogram is used by the International Committee for Weights and Measures and the U.S....
. Junkers presented their initial design in June 1936, and were given clearance to build two prototypes (Werknummer 4941 and 4942). The first two aircraft were to have a range of 2,000 km and were to be powered by two DB 600s
Daimler-Benz DB 600

The Daimler-Benz DB 600 was a Germany aircraft engine designed and built before World War II as part of a new generation of German engine technology....
. Three further aircraft, (Werknummer 4943, 4944 and 4945), were to be powered by Jumo 211
Junkers Jumo 211

The Jumo 211 was an inverted V-12 aircraft engine, Junkers Motoren's primary aircraft engine of World War II. It was the direct competitor to the famous Daimler-Benz DB 601 and closely paralleled its development....
 engines. The first two prototypes, Ju 88 V1 and V2, were different from the V3, V4 and V5 in that the latter three models were equipped with three defensive armament positions to the rear of the cockpit, and were able to carry two 1,000 kg bombs under the inner wing. The first five prototypes had conventionally operating dual strut leg rearwards-retracting main gear, but starting with the V6 prototype, a main gear design that twisted the new, single-leg main gear strut through 90° during the retraction sequence debuted, much like the American P-40 fighter design used. This feature allowed the main wheels to end up above the lower end of the strut when fully retracted and was adopted as standard for all future production Ju 88 aircraft. These single-leg landing gear struts also made use of stacks of conical Belleville washer
Belleville washer

A Belleville washer, also known as a cupped spring Washer , is a type of non-flat washer. It has a slight cone shape which gives the washer a spring characteristic....
s inside them, as their main form of suspension for takeoffs and landings. At this time radical modifications began to produce a "heavy" dive-bomber. The wings were strengthened, dive brakes were added, the fuselage was extended and the number of crewmembers was increased to four. Despite these advances, the Ju 88 was to enter the war as a medium bomber.

The choice of annular radiators for engine cooling on the Ju 88, which placed these radiators immediately forward of each engine, and directly behind each propeller, allowed the cooling lines for the engine coolant and oil cooling radiators (integrated within the annular design) to be just about as short as possible. The concept may have led to a number of other German military aircraft designs adopting the same solution, such as the Arado Ar 240
Arado Ar 240

The Arado Ar 240 was a Germany twin-engine multi-role heavy fighter aircraft developed for the Luftwaffe during World War II by Arado Flugzeugwerke....
, Heinkel He 177
Heinkel He 177

The Heinkel He 177 Greif was a long-range bomber aircraft of the Luftwaffe. The troubled aircraft was the only heavy bomber built in large numbers by Nazi Germany during World War II....
, Heinkel He 219
Heinkel He 219

The Heinkel He 219 Uhu was a night fighter serving in the later stages of World War II with the German Luftwaffe. The requirement for an advanced night fighter was issued in 1942 and the He 219 was the product of this program....
, the inline powered developments of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 W?rger, was a German, single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the 1930s. It was used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War....
 and the twin engined Focke-Wulf Ta 154
Focke-Wulf Ta 154

The Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito was a fast two-engine Germany night fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank and produced by Focke-Wulf late in World War II....
.

The aircraft's first flight was made by the prototype Ju 88 V1, 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
Hermann Göring

Hermann Wilhelm G?ring was a Germany politician, military leader and a leading member of the Nazi Party. Among many offices, he was Hitler's designated successor and commander of the Luftwaffe ....
, head of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 was ecstatic. It was an aircraft that could finally fulfill the promise of the Schnellbomber
Schnellbomber

A Schnellbomber is the concept of a high-speed bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s when it was believed that a very fast bomber could simply outrun its enemies....
, a high-speed bomber. The streamlined fuselage was modeled after its contemporary, the Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17

The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a second World War Germany light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke....
, but with fewer defensive guns because the belief still held that it could outrun late 1930s-era fighters. The fifth prototype set a 1,000 km (620 mile) closed-circuit record in March 1939, carrying a 2,000 kg (4,100 lb) payload at a speed of 517 km/h (320 mph). However, by the time Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 planners had had their own "pet" features added (including dive-bombing), the Ju 88's top speed had dropped to around 450 km/h (280 mph). The Ju 88 V7 was fitted with cable cutting equipment to combat the potential threat of British Barrage balloon
Barrage balloon

A barrage balloon is a large moored balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level attack by aircraft by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult....
s, and was successfully tested in this role. The V7 then had the Ju 88 A-1 nose installed, and was put through a series of dive-bombing tests with 250, and 500 kg bombs, and in early 1940, with 1000 KG bombs. The Ju 88 V8 (DG+BF, Wrk Nr 4948) flew on the 3 October 1938. The A-0 series was developed through the V9 and V10 prototypes. The A-1 series prototypes were Wrk Nrs 0003, 0004 and 0005. The A-1s were given the Jumo 211 B-1 or G powerplants.

Dr. Heinrich Koppenberg (managing director of Jumo) assured Göring in the autumn of 1938 that 300 Ju 88s per month was definitely possible. Göring was in favour of the A-1 variant for mass production.

Production was delayed drastically with developmental problems. Although planned for a service introduction in 1938, the Ju 88 finally entered squadron service (with only 12 aircraft) on the first day of the attack on Poland in 1939. Production was painfully slow with only one Ju 88 manufactured per week, as problems continually kept cropping up. The Ju 88C series of heavy fighter was also designed very early in 1940, but kept secret from Göring, as he only wanted bombers.

Versatility and operational development


Dive bomber

In October 1937 Generalluftzeugmeister Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet

Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring Germany flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war ....
 had ordered the development of the Ju 88 as a heavy dive-bomber. This decision was influenced by the success of the Junkers Ju 87
Junkers Ju 87

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-seat Nazi Germany ground-attack aircraft of World War II.Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, the Stuka first flew in 1935 and made its combat debut in 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War....
 Stuka in this role. The Junkers development center at Dessau
Dessau

Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the States of Germany of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Ro?lau....
 gave priority to the study of pull-out systems, and dive brakes. The first prototype to be tested as a dive-bomber was the Ju 88 V4 followed by the V5 and V6. These models became the planned prototype for the A-1 series. The V5 made its maiden flight on 13 April 1938, and the V6 on 28 June 1938. Both the V5 and V6 were fitted with four bladed propellers, an extra bomb bay and a central "control system". As a dive 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° diving angle. Aircraft 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 2,500 kg, but in practice, standard bomb load was 1,500 to 2,000 kg. Junkers later used the A-4 airframe for the A-17 torpedo carrier. However the variant lacked a ventral gun position.

Fighter-bomber

The standard fighter-bomber version became the Ju 88C-6, applying experience acquired with the A-4 bomber, equipped with the same Jumo 211J engines. The C-6 was used mostly as fighter-bomber and therefore assigned to bomber units. As a reaction to the increasing number of attacks on German shipping, especially on U-boats in the Bay of Biscay, from July 1942 started flying anti-shipping patrols and escort missions from bases in France. V/.Kampfgeschwader 40 being formed to operate the C-6.

The aircraft of V./KG 40 (which was redesignated I./Zerstörergeschwader 1 in 1943) were a significant threat to the antisubmarine aircraft and operated as escort fighters for the more vulnerable Focke-Wulf Fw 200
Focke-Wulf Fw 200

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor was a Germany all-metal four-engined monoplane that entered service as an airliner. Later versions for the Luftwaffe were used as long-range reconnaissance and anti-shipping bomber aircraft as well as transport planes for troops and VIPs....
 Condor bombers. Between July 1942 and July 1944, the Ju 88s of KG 40 and ZG 1 were credited with 109 confirmed air-to air victories, at a cost of 117 losses. They were finally deployed against the Allied Invasion of Normandy in June 1944, incurring heavy losses for little effect before being disbanded on 5 August 1944.

Heavy fighter and night fighter


Ju 88C
The Ju 88C was originally intended as a fighter-bomber and heavy fighter by adding fixed, forward-firing guns to the nose while retaining some bomb carrying ability of the A-series bomber. It was later used as a night fighter and this became the main role of the Ju 88C.

The first night fighter version of the Ju 88 was the C-2, based on the A-1 and armed with one 20 mm MG FF cannon and three 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns placed in new metal nose. These examples entered service in Zerstörerstaffel of KG 30 and the unit was renamed II./NJG 1 in July 1940.

The C-6b version was the C-6 Zerstörer plane equipped with FuG 202 Lichtenstein BC low-UHF band airborne intercept radar. The first four C-6b fighters were tested in early 1942 in NJG 1. The trials were successful and the aircraft was ordered into production. In October 1943, many C-6bs were upgraded with new radar systems. The first new radar equipment was the FuG 212 Lichtenstein C-1, followed in 1944 by the FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2.

A small number of the C-series fighters had their new solid-metal noses specially painted to resemble the bomber A-series' "beetle's eye" faceted clear view nose glazing, in an attempt to deceive Allied pilots into thinking the fighters were actually bombers; the unusual "camouflage" attempt did result initially in a number of Allied aerial losses.

Ju 88R
. The aircraft was flown to Scotland by its defecting crew]] The Ju 88 R-series night fighters were basically versions of the Ju 88 C-6b powered by BMW 801
BMW 801

The BMW 801 was a powerful Germany air-cooled radial engine aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II....
 radial engines. The R-1 had 1560 PS BMW 801L engines and the R-2 had 1,700 PS BMW 801 G-2 engines.

Defection of Werknummer 360043
One of the first aircraft from the R-1 series that went into service (Werknummer 360043) was involved in one of the most significant defections which the Luftwaffe suffered. On 9 May 1943, this night fighter, which was stationed with 10./NJG 3 in Norway, flew to Dyce Airfield (now Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport

Aberdeen Airport is located in Dyce, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 3.41 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2007, an increase of 7.8% compared with 2006....
) with its entire crew complement and complete electronic equipment on board. The fact that Spitfire fighters escorted it towards the end of its flight could indicate that its arrival had been expected. It was immediately transferred to Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airfield

Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Hampshire, Hampshire, England.Farnborough Aerodrome has a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee ....
, received RAF markings (PJ876), and was tested in great detail. The preserved aircraft is on exhibit at the RAF Museum
RAF Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of aviation, and the United Kingdom Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport....
. The Luftwaffe was only to learn of this defection the next month when part of the crew, pilot Oberleutnant Heinrich Schmitt and Oberfeldwebels Paul Rosenberger and Erich Kantwill made broadcasts on British radio.

Ju 88G

All previous night fighter versions of the Ju 88 used a modified A-series fuselage. The G-series fuselage was purpose-built for the special needs of a night fighter. G-1 aircraft were fitted with the enlarged squared-off vertical fin/rudder tail unit of the Ju 188, more powerful armament and 1,700 PS BMW 801
BMW 801

The BMW 801 was a powerful Germany air-cooled radial engine aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II....
 G-2 radial engines plus additional FuG 350 Naxos
Naxos radar detector

The FuG 350 Naxos radar detector was a World War II German counter measure to centimetric radar produced by a cavity magnetron.Telefunken built a simple detector named "Naxos" that could pick up 10 cm / 3 GHz H2S radar transmissions, and a more sophisticated detector named "Korfu" with greater range and accuracy....
 or FuG 227 Flensburg
Flensburg radar detector

The FuG 227 Flensburg was a German passive radar receiver developed by Siemens AG and introduced into service in Spring 1944. It used wing-mounted dipole antennas and was sensitive to frequencies of 170-220 MHz....
 homing devices as well as the now-standard FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 90 MHz VHF radar.

G-6 versions were equipped with 1750 PS Jumo 213A
Junkers Jumo 213

The Jumo 213 was a World War II-era V12 engine liquid cooled aircraft engine, a development of Junkers Motoren's earlier design, the Junkers Jumo 211....
 inline-V12 engines, enlarged fuel tanks and often one or two MG 151/20 cannons in a Schräge Musik
Schräge Musik

Schr?ge Musik, derived from the German colloquialism for "Jazz Music" , was the name given to installations of upward-firing cannon mounted in night fighters by the Luftwaffe during World War II....
 ("Jazz Music", i.e. slanted) installation. Guns were firing obliquely upwards and forwards from the upper fuselage - usually at an angle of 70 degrees.

Some of the final G-series models received updates to the engine, a high-altitude Jumo 213E or to the radar, FuG 218 Neptun V/R or the even newer FuG 240 Berlin N-1 cavity magnetron
Cavity magnetron

A cavity magnetron is a high-powered vacuum tube that generates coherence microwaves. They are commonly found in microwave ovens, as well as various radar applications....
 based, 30 gigahertz-band (centimetric) radar. Only about 10-20 of those were completed before V-E Day.

Many Luftwaffe night fighter aces, such as Helmut Lent
Helmut Lent

Helmut Lent was an Flying ace German fighter pilot of World War II, and one of only 27 people awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ....
 (110 victories) and Heinrich von und zu Sayn-Wittgenstein
Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein

Prince Heinrich Alexander Ludwig Peter zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was the third highest scoring ace of night-fighters in the Luftwaffe during World War II....
 (87 victories) flew Ju 88s during their careers.

The Japanese Navy ordered the specifications of an antisubmarine patrol/escort fleet aircraft, based on a medium bomber. Kyushu closely patterned the Kyushu Q1W
Kyushu Q1W

The Kyushu Aircraft Company Q1W Tokai , was a land-based anti-submarine warfare patrol bomber aircraft developed for the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II....
 Tokai ("Eastern Sea", Allied codename "Lorna") antisubmarine patrol/fleet escort aircraft after the Ju 88.

Operational history


Polish Campaign

Only 12 Ju 88s saw action in Poland. The unit Erprobungskommando 88 (Ekdo 88) was responsible for testing new bomber designs and their crews under hostile conditions. They selected 12 machines and their crews and attached them to 1./Kampfgeschwader 25. As a result of its small operational numbers, the type made no impact.

Battle of Norway

The Luftwaffe committed II./Kampfgeschwader 30 to the campaign under Fliegerkorps X for Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung

Operation Weser?bung was the code name for Nazi Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during World War II and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign....
. The unit was equipped with Ju 88s and engaged Allied shipping as its main target. On 9 April 1940, Ju 88s of KG 30 dive-bombed, in cooperation with high-level bombing Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111

The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by G?nter brothers in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium bomber....
s of KG 26, and helped damage the battleship HMS Rodney and sink the destroyer HMS Gurkha
HMS Gurkha (F20)

HMS Gurkha was a Tribal class destroyer destroyer that saw active service in the Norway Campaign in 1940, where she was sunk.Gurkha served with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean where she was involved in exercises and port visits until the outbreak of war....
. However the unit lost four Ju 88s in the action, the highest single loss of the aircraft in combat throughout the campaign.

Battle of France

The Luftwaffe's order of battle for the French campaign reveals all but one of the Luftwaffe's Fliegerkorps (Fliegerkorps I) contained Ju 88s in the combat role. The mixed bomber units, including the Ju 88, of Kampfgeschwader 51
Kampfgeschwader 51

Kampfgeschwader 51 "Edelweiss" was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. The unit began forming in December 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111 and Junkers Ju 88 light and medium bombers....
 (under the command of Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3

Luftflotte 3 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 3 in Munich and redesignated Luftwaffenkommando West on September 26 1944....
) helped claim between 233 and 248 Allied aircraft on the ground between 10-13 May 1940. The Ju 88 was particularly effective at dive-bombing. Between 13-24, May I. and II./KG 54 flew 174 attack against rail systems, paralysing French logistics and mobility. On 17 June 1940, Junkers Ju 88s (mainly from Kampfgeschwader 30) destroyed a "10,000 tonne ship", the 16,243 grt Lancastria
RMS Lancastria

The RMS Lancastria was a British Cunard Line Ocean liner sunk on 17 June 1940 during World War II with the loss of an estimated 4,000 plus lives....
, off Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire

Saint-Nazaire , is a Communes of France in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France in northwestern France.Also called St. Nazaire, the town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean....
, killing some 5,800 Allied personnel. Some 133 Ju 88s were pressed into the Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg

Blitzkrieg is "a headline word applied retrospectively to describe a military doctrine of an all-mechanized force concentration its attack on a small section of the enemy front then, once the latter is pierced, proceeding without regard to its flank." As British military historian Sir John Keegan has noted, it was an idea which owed its cre...
, but very high combat losses and accidents forced a quick withdrawal from action to re-train crews to fly this very high performance aircraft. Some crews were reported to be more scared of the Ju 88 than the enemy, and requested a transfer to a He 111 unit. By this time, major performance deficiencies in the A-1 led to an all-out effort in a major design rework. The outcome was a longer, 20.08 meter (65 ft 10.5 in) wingspan, from extended rounded wingtips, that was deemed needed for all A-1s; thus the A-5 was born. Surviving A-1s were modified as quickly as possible, with new wings to A-5 specifications.

Battle of Britain

By August 1940 A-1s and A-5s were reaching operational units, just as the battle was intensifying. The Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the Luftwaffe during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially RAF Fighter Command....
 proved very costly. Its faster speed did not prevent Ju 88 losses exceeding those of its Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17

The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a second World War Germany light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke....
 and Heinkel He 111 stablemates, despite being deployed in smaller numbers than either. Ju 88 losses over Britain in 1940 amounted to 313 machines between July-October 1940. Do 17 and He 111 losses for the same period amounted to 132 and 252 machines destroyed respectively. 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 Ju 88 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 a superb warplane. 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.

Eastern Front

By the summer of 1941, most of the units equipped with the Dornier Do 17 were upgrading to the Ju 88. With a few exceptions, most of the German bomber units were now flying the He 111 and Ju 88. The Ju 88 was to prove a very capable and valuable asset to the Luftwaffe in the east. The Ju 88 units met with instant success, attacking enemy airfields and positions at low level and causing enormous losses for little damage in return. 3./Kampfgeschwader 3
Kampfgeschwader 3

Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz" was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II .Its units participated on all of the fronts in the European Theatre until it was disbanded in September-October 1944....
 attacked Pinsk
Pinsk

Pinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat River, at the confluence of the Strumen River and Pina rivers. The region is known as the Pinsk Marshes....
 airfield in the morning of the 22 June 1941. It caught, and claimed destroyed, 60 Soviet bombers on the ground. The 39 SBAP Regiment of the 10 Division SAD actually lost 43 Tupolev SB
Tupolev SB

The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB , and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed Piston engine three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934 in aviation....
a and five Petlyakov Pe-2
Petlyakov Pe-2

The Petlyakov Pe-2 , nicknamed Peshka was a Soviet Union dive bomber bomber aircraft used during World War II. It was fast and maneuverable yet durable, and was manufactured in large numbers....
s. Ju 88s from Kampfgeschwader 51 destroyed over 100 aircraft after dispatching 80 Ju 88s to hit airfields. In general the Soviet aircraft were not dispersed and the Luftwaffe found them easy targets. A report from the Soviet 23rd Tank Division of the 12th Armoured Corps reported a low-level attack by Ju 88s on 22 June, resulting in the loss of 40 tanks. However, the Ju 88s were to suffer steady attritional losses. At 04:15 on 22 June 1941, III./KG 51 attacked the airfield at Kurovitsa. Despite destroying 34 Polikarpov I-153
Polikarpov I-153

The Russian Polikarpov I-153 Chaika was a late 1930s Soviet biplane fighter....
s, the Ju 88s were intercepted by 66 ShAP I-153s. Six Ju 88s were shot down before the German fighter escort dealt with the threat. By the end of the first day of the campaign, Ju 88 losses amounted to 23 destroyed. Due to the lack of sufficient numbers of Ju 87 Stukas, the Ju 88 was employed in the direct ground support role. This resulted in severe losses from ground-fire. Kampfgeschwader 1,Kampfgeschwader 76
Kampfgeschwader 76

Kampfgeschwader 76 was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II .Its units participated on all of the front in the European Theatre throughout the conflict, and served until the last day of the war....
 and Kampfgeschwader 77
Kampfgeschwader 77

Kampfgeschwader 77 was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II.Its units participated on all of the major front in the European Theatre until its dissolution in 1944....
 reported the loss of 18 Ju 88s over enemy territory on 23 June. KG 76 and KG 77 reported the loss of a further four Ju 88s, of which 12 were 100% destroyed.

In the north, the VVS North-Western Front lost 465 aircraft on the ground, 148 of them bombers, to the Ju 88s of KG 1. A further 33 were damaged. Out of a total of 1,720 aircraft deployed by the VVS Northern Front on 22 June, it lost 890 and a further 187 suffered battle damage in eight days. The Ju 88s units helped virtually destroy Soviet airpower in the northern sector.

Again, the Ju 88 demonstrated its dive-bombing capability. Along with He 111s from KG 55, Ju 88s from KG 51 and 54 destroyed some 220 trucks and 40 tanks on 1 July, which helped repulse the Soviet South Western Front's offensive. The Ju 88s destroyed most rail links during interdiction
Interdiction

The purpose of interdiction is to delay, disrupt, or destroy enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction....
 missions in the area, allowing Panzergruppe 1 to maintain the pace of its advance.

Ju 88 units operating over the Baltic states during the battle for Estonia
Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Finland across the Gulf of Finland, to the west by Sweden across the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russia ....
 inflicted severe losses on Soviet shipping, with the same dive-bombing tactics used over Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
, France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 and Britain
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. KGr 806 sank the Soviet destroyer Karl Marx
Izijaslav class destroyer

The Izijaslav-class were a group of destroyers built for the Baltic Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy. They were modified versions of the Orfey class destroyer built in Russia with the assistance of the French Company Augustin Normand....
 on 8 August 1941 in Loksa Bay Tallin. On 28 August the Ju 88s had more success when KG 77 and KGr 806 sank the 2,026 grt
Gross Register Tonnage

Gross register tonnage represents the total internal volume of a vessel, with some exemptions for non-productive spaces. A gross register ton is equal to a volume of 100 cubic foot ....
 steamer Vironia, the 2,317 grt Lucerne, the 1,423 Artis Kronvalds and the ice breaker Krisjanis Valdemars (2,250 grt). The rest of the Soviet "fleet", were forced to change course. This took them through a heavily mined area. As a result, 21 Soviet warships, including five destroyers, struck mines and sank. On 29 August, the Ju 88s accounted for the transport ships Vtoraya Pyatiletka (3,974 grt), Kalpaks (2,190 grt) and Leningradsovet (1,270 grt) sunk. Furthermore, the ships Ivan Papanin, Saule, Kazakhstan and the Serp i Molot were damaged. Some 5,000 Soviet soldiers were lost.

Finnish Air Force

In April 1943, as Finland was fighting its Continuation War
Continuation War

The Continuation War }} was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time the name was used to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War of 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940, the first of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II....
 against the USSR, the Finnish Air Force bought 24 Ju 88s from Germany. The aircraft were used to equip No. 44 Sqn which had previously operated Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim

The Bristol Blenheim was a United Kingdom light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the World War II....
s, but these were instead transferred to No. 42 Sqn. Due to the complexity of the Ju 88, most of 1943 was used for training the crews on the aircraft, and only a handful of bombing missions were undertaken. The most notable was a raid on the Lehto partisan village on 20 August 1943 (in which the whole squadron participated), and a raid on the Lavansaari air field (leaving seven Ju 88 damaged from forced landing in inclement weather). In the summer of 1943, the Finns noted stress damage on the wings. This had occurred when the aircraft were used in dive bombing. Restrictions followed: the dive brakes were removed and it was only allowed to dive at a 45 degree angle (compared to 60-80 degrees previously). In this way, they tried to spare the aircraft from unnecessary wear.

One of the more remarkable missions was a bombing raid on 9 March 1944 against Soviet Long Range Aviation
Long Range Aviation

Long Range Aviation was the branch of the Soviet Air Force tasked with long-range bombardment of strategic targets with nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, it was the counterpart to the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force....
 bases near Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a types of inhabited localities in Russia and a federal subjects of Russia of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea....
, when the Finnish aircraft, including Ju 88s, followed Soviet bombers returning from a night raid on Tallinn
Tallinn

Tallinn is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Estonia and of Harju County. It occupies a surface of 159.2 km? in which 397,617 inhabitants live....
, catching the Soviets unprepared and destroying many Soviet bombers and their fuel reserves, and a raid against the Aerosan
Aerosan

An aerosan is a type of propeller-powered snowmobile, running on skis, used for communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, emergency recovery and border patrolling in northern Russia, as well as for recreation....
 base at Petsnajoki on 22 March 1944. The whole bomber regiment took part in the defence against the Soviets during the fourth strategic offensive
Fourth strategic offensive

During World War II, in the Continuation War, the Vyborg?Petrozavodsk Offensive was a strategic offensive by the Leningrad Front and Karelian Fronts against Finland on the Karelian Isthmus and East Karelia fronts....
. All aircraft flew several missions per day, day and night, when the weather permitted.

No. 44 Sqn was subordinated Lentoryhmä Sarko during the Lapland War
Lapland War

The Lapland War were the hostilities between Finland and Nazi Germany between September 1944 and April 1945, fought in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province....
 (now against Germany), and the Ju 88s were used both for reconnaissance and bombing. The targets were mostly vehicle columns. Reconnaissance flights were also made over northern Norway. The last war mission was flown on 4 April 1945.

After the wars, Finland was prohibited from using bomber aircraft with internal bomb stores. Consequently, the Finnish Ju 88s were used for training until 1948. The aircraft were then scrapped over the following years. No Finnish Ju 88s have survived, but an engine is on display at the Central Finland Aviation Museum, and the structure of a German Ju 88 cockpit hood is preserved at the Finnish Aviation Museum
Finnish Aviation Museum

The Finnish Aviation Museum is a museum specialised in aircraft, located in Vantaa, Finland....
 in Vantaa
Vantaa

Vantaa is a List of cities and towns in Finland and Municipalities of Finland in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area....
.

Variants

Ju 88A
Main bomber type with Jumo 211 engines.
Ju 88A-0
Pre-production aircraft.
Ju 88A-1
Initial production variant. 895 kW (1,200 hp) Jumo 211B-1 engines
Ju 88A-2
Jumo 211G-1 engines.
Ju 88A-3
Conversion trainer. Dual controls.
Ju 88A-4
Improved variant. Long span wings. Modified with new bomb dropping equipment to produce a A-15 "special" bomber variant. RLM refused to authorise mass production, as the wooden bomb bay "bulge" caused too much drag
Drag (physics)

The term drag is widely used in Physics and Engineering and is central to the field of fluid dynamics. "Drag" refers to forces that oppose the motion of a solid object through a fluid ....
 and a thus a reduction in speed.
Ju 88B
Prototype with all-new fully glazed "stepless" crew compartment nose, developed into Ju 188.
Ju 88B-0
Ten pre-production aircraft with "stepless" fully glazed nose.
Ju 88C
Zestörer, fighter-bomber and night fighter, based on A-series, but with sheet metal nose.
Ju 88C-1
Planned fighter variant, powered by two BMW 801
BMW 801

The BMW 801 was a powerful Germany air-cooled radial engine aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II....
MA engines. Never built.
Ju 88C-2
Initial production variant.
Ju 88C-4
Heavy fighter, reconnaissance variant.
Ju 88C-5
Improved heavy fighter variant.
Ju 88C-6a
Improved Ju-88C-5 variant.
Ju 88C-6b
Night fighter variant.
Ju 88C-6c
Night fighter variant.
Ju 88C-7a
Intruder variant.
Ju 88C-7b
Intruder variant.
Ju 88C-7c
Heavy fighter variant.
Ju 88D.
Long-range photo-reconnaissance variants, based on the Ju 88A-4.
Ju 88D-1
long-range photo-reconnaissance variant.
Ju 88D-2 Ju 88D-3 Ju 88D-4 Ju 88D-5 Ju 88G
Night fighter, new fuselage, tail section from Ju 188, optional Schräge Musik.
Ju 88H
Long-range photo-reconnaissance, fighter variants, based on the stretched Ju 88G-series fuselage.
Ju 88H-1
Long-range photo reconnaissance variant.
Ju 88H-2
Fighter variant.
Ju-88H-3
Long-range photo-reconnaissance variant.
Ju-88H-4
Fighters variant.
Ju 88P
Anti-Tank and anti-bomber variant with single Bordkanone series 50 or 75 mm or twin 37 mm cannons, small series, conversion of A-series bomber.
Ju 88P-1
Anti-tank variant fitted with a 75 mm PaK 40 cannon.
Ju 88P-2 Ju 88P-4 Ju 88R
C-series night fighter with BMW 801
BMW 801

The BMW 801 was a powerful Germany air-cooled radial engine aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II....
 engines.
Ju 88S
High-speed bomber based on Ju-88A-4 but with ventral Bola gondola removed, smooth nose and GM-1
GM-1

GM-1 , colloquially known as Haha-Ger?t was a system for injecting nitrous oxide into aircraft engines that was used by the Luftwaffe in World War II to boost the high-altitude performance of their aircraft....
 nitrous oxide boost, fastest of all variants.
Ju-88S-0
Fitted with two BMW801D engines, single 13mm dorsal gun and 14 SD65 (65 kg 143 lb) bombs.
Ju-88S-1
Fitted with two BMW801G engines, the GM-1 boost system and could carry two SD1000 1,000 kg bombs externally.
Ju-88S-2
Fitted with two turbocharged BMW801TJ engines, wooden bomb bay extension as used on the Ju-88A-15.
Ju-88S-3
Fitted with two 1,671 kW (2,240 hp) Juma 213A engines and GM-1 boost system.
Ju 88T
Three-seat photo-reconnaissance version of S-series.
Ju-88T-1
Based on the Ju-88S-1 but with bomb bays fitted for extra fuel of GM-1 tanks.
Ju-88T-3
Based on the Ju-88S-3.


Operators

Junkers Ju 88a 4
  • Bulgarian Air Force
    Bulgarian Air Force

    The Bulgarian Air Force is a branch of the Bulgarian Army, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, to provide aerial support and to assist the Land Forces in case of war....
  • Finnish Air Force
    Finnish Air Force

    The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of Finnish Rapid Deployment Force for wartime conditions....
     received 24 Ju 88A-4 aircraft.
    • No. 44 Squadron
  • Armée de l'Air operated aircraft captured in Toulouse repair depot and other captured by the RAF and USAAF handed over to the French.


  • Luftwaffe
    Luftwaffe

    is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....


  • Royal Hungarian Air Force


  • Regia Aeronautica
    Regia Aeronautica

    The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy . It was established as a service independent of the Regio Esercito from 1923 until 1946....
Romania
Kingdom of Romania

The Kingdom of Roumania was the old Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between March 13, 1881 and December 30, 1947, specified by the First , and respectively, the Second Constitution of Roumania....
  • Royal Romanian Air Force
    Royal Romanian Air Force

    The Fortele Aeriene Regale ale Rom?niei , or simply Fortele Aeriene Rom?ne was the Air Arm of Royal Romanian forces in WWII. It provided support to land forces, carrying out reconnaissance missions, and mounting air raids between other missions in all combat fronts....
  • Royal Air Force
    Royal Air Force

    The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
     operated captured aircraft.
  • Soviet Air Force
    Soviet Air Force

    The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian : ???, ??????-????????? ???? , was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union....
     operated captured aircraft.
Spanish State
Spanish State

The Spanish State was the formal name given to Spain from 1939 to 1978 by Spain under Franco .When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, the Nationalist forces immediately began using the form the Spanish State rather than the Second Spanish Republic or the Spanish Monarchy, out of deference to the differing political sensi...
  • Spanish Air Force
    Spanish Air Force

    The Spanish Air Force is the air force of Spain. It is one of the 3 branches of the Spanish Armed Forces and has the mission of defending the sovereignty and independence of Spain, its territorial integrity and constitutional freedoms, within airspace of Spain and its territories as well as to maintain the international security in operation...
     bought ten aircraft and put into service another 15 interned during the war.


Survivors

Around 14 aircraft still exist, although many of these are little more than collections of wreckage recovered from remote crash sites. Several reasonably intact airframes have been recovered from underwater crash sites in recent years, some of these aircraft are under restoration for static display, such as WNr.0881203 in Bodø
Bodø

is a List of cities in Norway and a Municipalities of Norway in Nordland Counties of Norway, Norway. It is part of the Salten Districts of Norway....
 and WNr.088119 at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen

Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving the Norway capital city of Oslo. It is also the main international airport serving Norway, with flights to a large number of Europe airports, and some flights to other continents, including North America and Asia....
. Only two complete aircraft exist: Ju 88 D-1/Trop, Werk Nr. 430650 Long-range photographic reconnaissance aircraft that was in the service of the Romanian Air Force is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
National Museum of the United States Air Force

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official National Museum of the United States Air Force and is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Riverside, Ohio near Dayton, Ohio, Ohio....
 in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 166,179 at the United States Census, 2000....
. On 22 July 1943, it was flown to Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
 by a Romanian pilot who wanted to defect to the British forces on the island. Given the name Baksheesh
Baksheesh

Baksheesh is a term used to describe tipping, Charity , and certain forms of political corruption and bribery in the Middle East and South Asia....
, it was subsequently handed over to the U.S. Air Force, which flew the aircraft across the South Atlantic to Wright Field for examination and test flying. In 1946 the aircraft was placed in storage in Arizona
Arizona

The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
. It was shipped to the Museum in January 1960. It is presently finished in its original-style Romanian military insignia. The aircraft is displayed in the Museum's Air Power gallery. Ju 88 R-1, Werk Nr. 360043 Aircraft taken to Scotland by its defecting crew, exhibited at the RAF Museum
RAF Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of aviation, and the United Kingdom Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport....
, which still has its Lichtenstein BC radar's "Matratze" nose-mounted aerial array in place.

Specifications Ju 88 A-4


Specifications Ju 88 G-1


See also


Bibliography

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  • de Zeng, H.L; D.G. Stanket, and E.J. Creek. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945: A Reference Source, Volume 1. London: Ian Allen Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85780-279-5.
  • Donald, David (editor). Warplanes of the Luftwaffe. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-874023-56-5.
  • Dressel, Joachim and Manfred Griehl. Bombers of the Luftwaffe. London: Arms and Armour (DAG Publications), 1994. ISBN 1-85409-140-9.
  • Feist, Uwe. Junkers Ju 88 in action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1974. ISBN 3-79090-026-5.
  • Goss, Chris. Bloody Biscay. Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-947554-874.
  • Green, William. The Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday & Co., 1970. ISBN 1-874023-56-5.
  • Hooton, E.R. Luftwaffe at War: Blitzkrieg in the West, Volume 2. London: Chevron/Ian Allen, 2007. ISBN 978-1-85780-272-6.
  • Griehl, Manfred. Das geheime Typenhandbuch der deutschen Luftwaffe. Wölfersheim-Berstadt, Podzun-Pallas Verlag, 2004. ISBN 3-7909-0775-8.
  • Munson, Kenneth. Fighters and Bombers of World War II. London: Peerage Books. 1983. ISBN 0-9-0740-837-0.
  • Nowarra, Heinz J. Die Ju 88 und ihre Folgemuster. Stuttgart, Motorbuch Verlag. 1987. ISBN 3-87943-579-0.
  • Scutts, Jerry. German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces, Vol. 20). London: Osprey Publishing, 1998. ISBN 978-1-85532-696-5.
  • Stenman, Kari. "Short But Gallant: The Career of the Finnish Junkers Ju 88s". Air Enthusiast
    Air Enthusiast

    Air Enthusiast was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as Air Enthusiast Quarterly, the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to Air International magazine....
    , No 60, November-December 1995. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing, pp. 35–39. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Taylor, John W.R. "Junkers Ju 88." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
  • United States Air Force Museum booklet. Dayton, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation. Wright-Patterson AFB, 1975.
  • Verlag, Kaiser. Die großen Luftschlachten des Zweiten Weltkriegs: Flugzeuge - Erfolge - Niederlagen (in German). Gebunden, Germany: Neuer Kaiser Vlg GmbH, 1994. ISBN 3-7043-6029-5.
  • Weal, John.Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader on the Western Front. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Aviation, 2000. ISBN 978-1-84176-020-9.
  • Winchester, Jim. "Junkers Ju 88". Aircraft of World War II. London: Grange Books, 2004. ISBN 1-84013-639-1.


External links