Hitler had Hermann Pohlman design the Junkers 87 dive bomber specifically to be used as a weapon of terror. The Stuka was to drastically change warfare forever.

Hitler Prepares To Wage War.

Hermann Pohlman designed the Junkers 87 or Sturzkampfflugzeng, called Stukas for short( pronounced-Stoy-kas) in 1935.

Hitler wanted an ultimate dive-bomber for the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). A plane that was capable of terrifying 80-degree acrobatic dives.

Hitler was convinced the German people were the master race and his plan was to conquer Europe one country at a time using Germany’s massive military power. Hitler believed that to accomplish his designs he needed a powerful air force.

The Germans had been preparing for war for years and the Luftwaffe, which actually meant (air weapon) had the finest air force of their time.The famous Condor Legions first employed the Stukas in combat during the Spanish civil war.

The purpose of this instrument of terror was to be used to attack vehicles, troops, and fixed targets such as airfields and railways. Hitler wanted the Stukas to be the symbol of Germany’s unstoppable might.

The Stukas were considered a nightmarish weapon not only due to their extreme accuracy during raids, but because the Luftwaffe; in order to instill horror upon their enemies had all Stukas equipped with sirens attached to their fixed landing gear.

When the Stukas attacked enemy positions their sirens, called “Trumpets of Jericho” would scream out a merciless sound and troops on the ground would panic and flee from the approaching forces, many times only offering token resistance.

The Stukas were powered by a 1210 horse-powered engine and had a maximum bomb load of 1000 pounds. They carried one large 550 pound bomb and four smaller 110 pound bombs. Their maximum range was approximately 370 miles with a capability of up to a top speed of 235 mph.

The First Battle of World War II.

The Stukas struck the very first blows of World War II. On September 1st 1939 at 4:34 a.m. a three-man wing group commanded by 1st Lieutenant Bruno Dilley of the Luftwaffe attacked the town of Dirschan, Poland in an attempt to prevent them from blowing up a huge railroad bridge that spanned the Vistula River.

The raid was successful and coils of electric wires that were being strung out by the Polish to blow up the bridge as a defensive measure were destroyed beyond repair. This was a crucial mission because it allowed the German Army to march across the Vistula River and launch it’s Blitzkrieg, or “Lightening War.”

With the air support of the Stukas and other bombers , the German Army was able to defeat Poland in less then a month. During combat the Stukas would follow German tanks which had white crosses on their tops to help the dive-bombers better locate targets to destroy.

The majority of all Polish war vehicles such as tanks, and trucks were steadily destroyed by Stuka raiding parties, eliminating Polish supply lines within the first few weeks of the war.

Bridges, airports, buildings, and factories were demolished and resistance to the invading army was virtually flattened by the brutal air attacks launched by the Luftwaff.

The Defeat of Poland.

As a last ditch effort to repel the vicious invaders from their homelandGeneral Kutrzeba of the Polish Army led a ground force of One-Hundred and Seventy-Thousand infantry soldiers, including mounted Calvary on horseback against the German positions. The counter-strike was devastatingly crushed by repeated and relentless Stuka bomb strikes.

The country of Poland was completely and utterly defeated and occupied by the Germans and were controlled with an iron fist. Poland was the first country to fall but would not be the last.

It was the very first time in the history of warfare that air power had been so successfully used against troops and had caused the surrender of a division sized ground unit and had caused them to lay down their arms in abject defeat.

The rout of Poland permanently reserved an honored place for the Stukas in aviation war history and a new and deadly form of air warfare had emerged and would forever change the face of war.

references: Homze,Edward, Dr. / Boog,Horst, Dr / The Luftwaffe.

The Epic of Flight / 1982Time-Life Books 1982