Flugzeug Profile 70 "Junkers Ju 87G Kanonenvogel"

Junkers Ju 87G "Der Kanonenvogel" (The Cannon Bird)

The Ju 87G series was the final combat variant of the Ju 87 Stuka and the successor to the Junkers Ju 87D. This Stuka variant was produced solely by modifying the ubiquitous D-model airframes.

The Ju 87G was a version specifically developed for anti-tank operations, featuring two BK 3.7 cm cannons mounted in pods beneath the inner wings, directly outboard of the landing gear. Weighing over 360 kg, these 37 mm cannons were highly effective weapons that were also widely used by anti-aircraft artillery units.

In June 1942, an experimental setup was tested on a modified Ju 87D-5; it proved more effective than other Luftwaffe anti-tank aircraft, such as the Henschel Hs 129 or Junkers Ju 88P. Fed by six-round clips, the BK 3.7 fired armor-piercing ammunition at a muzzle velocity exceeding 850 meters per second.

Across 48 pages, Gerhard Lang provides a detailed account of the technical development and frontline service of the "Kanonenvogel."
 

• 48 pages
• 82 black-and-white photos
• 8 color photos
• 13 technical drawings
• 1 color graphic
• Entirely in German