Germany's Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber

Photos

Design

The Junkers Ju 88 was designed to meet a requirement for a high speed medium bomber that could also be used as a dive bomber.³ The work on the design for the Junkers Ju 88 started on January 15, 1936, and was led by W. H. Evers and Alfred Gassner .⁴

Nose

The glazed nose gave excellent views, but was vulnerable to head on attacks.¹

Fuselage

There was an aluminum stressed skin over an all metal frame.¹

Gondola

The ventral gondola had a machine gun that was operated by the radio operator.¹

Undercarriage

The landing swiveled 90° and retracted backwards to lay flat in the wing.¹

Wing

The wing had two spars that were covered in stressed aluminum.¹

Prototype

The Junkers Ju 88A / Ju 88V1² prototype flew for the first time on December 21, 1936.^1,2,3,4 It was powered by the Daimler-Benz DB 600A inverted V 12 (1,000 HP).^3,4 There were annular engine cowlings.³ The first prototype crashed.⁴ The third prototype was completed in September 1937 and used a Junkers Jumo 211 engine.⁴ The fifth prototype had the Junkers Jumo 211 B engines (1,200 HP).⁴ This Ju 88 prototype set a record in March 1939 for a closed circuit 1,000 km race, carrying 2 tons and traveling an average of 320 mph.⁴

The seventh prototype was the first to be designed as a fighter and was first flown in 1939.³

In March 1939 the fifth Ju 88A set a closed circuit record by carrying 4,100 lb / 2,000 kg at 320 mph / 517 kph for 620 miles / 1,000 km.¹

Production

Total production of the bomber and reconnaissance versions was 10,774.¹

• Junkers Ju 88A-0: 20³
• Junkers Ju 88A: Over 7,000³
• Junkers Ju 88A-1: 60 produced by end of 1939.²
• Junkers Ju 88B: 10⁴
• Junkers Ju 88C and Junkers Ju 88R: ~3,200³
• Junkers Ju 88D: ~2,000³
• Junkers Ju 88G: ~2,800³
• Junkers Ju 88H, Junkers Ju 88S, and Junkers Ju 88T: ~550³
  • Junkers Ju 88H-1: 10³
  • Junkers Ju 88H-2: 10³
• Total: 14,980^2,3, >16,000⁴
  • Manufacturer: Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke A.G.⁴
  • Production: 1939 - 1945⁴

Variants

• Junkers Ju 88V7: First fighter prototype.³ Had Junkers Jumo 211B engines.³
• Junkers Ju 88A: Medium bomber.³ Dive bomber.³
• Junkers Ju 88B: The design was the basis for the Junkers Ju 188.⁴
• Junkers Ju 88C: Day and night fighter.^3,4
• Junkers Ju 88D: Long range reconnaissance.³ Powered by Junkers Jumo 211D engines.²
• Junkers Ju 88G: Night fighter.⁴ Had BMW 801 engines.² Tail was modified and had additional armament.²
• Junkers Ju 88H: Photo reconnaissance.²
• Junkers Ju 88P: Ground attack version with a solid nose like the Ju 88C.² Could carry a 75 mm, 50 mm, and a 37 mm.² There were plans to install a 88 mm Duka gun or a flame thrower.²
• Junkers Ju 88R: Night fighter.³ Had BMW 801 engines.² Had 20 mm cannon in the upper fuselage that fired upwards.³
• Junkers Ju 88S: Bomber with a top speed of 370 mph / 600 kph.¹ Intended to fly at high altitudes.² Powered by a BMW 801G that used nitrous oxide to boost the speed.²
• Junkers Ju 88T: Photo reconnaissance.²
• Junkers Ju 88 Mistel, Mistel 1: The Ju 88 was turned into a flying bomb with a fighter attached that would guide it to its target and release it.¹
• Mistel 2: Used a Junkers Ju 88G.⁴
• Mistel 3: Several versions developed.⁴
• Mistel S: Trainers.⁴

Usage

The Ju 88 series were used as bombers, escort fighters, night fighters, tank busters, torpedo bombers, transports, reconnaissance, and even other roles.^1,3,4

The Ju 88 was popular with it's crews because of its toughness and speed.¹

A Junkers Ju 88 was used as a test bed for one of the early jet engines.¹

First Combat

On September 26, 1939 Ju 88As were used on British shipping in the Firth of Forth.³

Mistels Almost "Big Show"

In December 1944 60 Mistels were gathered in Denmark for a mission against the British Naval base at Scapa Flow.⁴ The bad weather caused its postponement and eventual cancellation.⁴

In 1945 most of the Mistels that were left were used in attacks to destroy bridges in Germany.⁴