Profile Luftwaffe Ju-88
Ju-88
Published by Luftwaffe Sim (Ju-88)
The Ju-88 was perhaps the most versatile aircraft of the second world war. With over 15,000 aircraft manufactures by the end of the war one will note that the Ju-88 had multiple roles for the Luftwaffe. Whether it be a Fighter, Bomber, or Reconnaissance aircraft, or test aircraft to develop new Luftwaffe Technology. In Luftwaffe Simulation PC Games, one will find those dedicated to historical reference will fine this versatile german aircraft very capable to perform many roles in game much as it did historically.
Flexibility and functional development
Dive bomber
3 Ju 88s in air travel over Astypalaia, Greece, 1943
In October 1937 Generalluftzeugmeister Ernst Udet had purchased the development of the Ju 88 as a heavy dive bomber. This choice was affected by the success of the Ju 87 Stuka in this duty. The Junkers development center at Dessau provided concern to the research 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 designs became the prepared 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-blade propellers, an extra bomb bay and a main “control system”. As a dive bomber, the Ju 88 was capable of identify deliveries of heavy loads; nevertheless, regardless of all the modifications, dive battle still showed too demanding for the airframe, and in 1943, methods were altered so that bombs were delivered from a shallower, 45 ° diving angle. Plane and bomb sights were accordingly modified and dive brakes were gotten rid of. With an innovative Stuvi dive-bombsight, precision stayed great for its time. Maximum bomb load of the A-4 was 3,000 kg (6,600 lb), but in practice, standard bomb load was 1,500-2,000 kg (3,310-4,410 lb). Junkers later on used the A-4 airframe for the A-17 torpedo carrier. Nevertheless, the alternative lacked the undernose Bola gondola for a ventral weapon position.
Ju 88 preparing for remove, Tunisia, c. 1942-43
Fighter-bomber
The Ju 88C series of basic fighter-bomber versions from the C-2 onwards culminated in the Ju 88 C-6, applying experience acquired with the A-4 bomber, equipped with the very same Jumo 211J engines however replacing the “beetle’s eye” nose glazing with an efficiently curved all-metal nose, pierced only by the barrels of its forward-firing offending weaponry. The C-6 was utilized primarily as fighter-bomber and for that reason designated to bomber devices. As a reaction to the increasing number of attacks on German shipping, especially on U-boats in the Bay of Biscay, from July 1942 it started flying anti-shipping patrols and escort objectives 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 substantial hazard to the antisubmarine plane and ran as escort fighters for the more vulnerable Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor maritime patrol bombers. Between July 1942 and July 1944, the Ju 88s of KG 40 and ZG 1 were credited with 109 verified air-to-air success, at a cost of 117 losses. They were lastly deployed against the Allied Invasion of Normandy in June 1944, sustaining heavy losses for little result before being disbanded on 5 August 1944.
Attack bomber
The Ju 88P was a specialized variant for ground attack and to operate as a bomber destroyer, created starting from 1942 and produced in small numbers, using examples of the Bordkanone heavy calibre air travel autocannon series which needed the omission of the Bola undernose gondola for clearance. The prototype, derived from a standard Ju 88 A-4, was equipped with a 7.5 cm anti-tank gun derived from the 7.5 cm PaK 40 set up in a huge conformal weapon sheath under the fuselage. This was followed by a small batch of Ju 88 P-1, which standardized the solid sheet metal nose of the C version for all understood examples of the P-series, and utilized the brand-new 7.5 cm PaK 40L semi-automatic gun, likewise referred to as the Bordkanone BK 7,5. which was also indicated for use in the later Henschel Hs 129B-3 committed anti-armor airplane. The Ju 88P-1 was produced in some 40 devices, but with the huge cannon installation resulting in a slow-moving and vulnerable aircraft, [18] it was soon replaced by the Ju 88 P-2, featuring two Bordkanone 3.7 cm BK 3,7 weapons, whose higher muzzle velocity verified beneficial against the Russian tanks in the Eastern Front. This aircraft was utilized by Erprobungskommando 25. The Ju 88 P-3 also made use of the twin BK 3,7 weapons, and included more shield for the crew, and was delivered at one Staffel of the Nachtschlachtgruppen 1, 2, 4, 8 and 9 for night attacks in the Eastern Front, in northern Norway (NSGr 8) and Italy (NSGr 9). Finally, the Ju 88 P-4 mounted a smaller-volume ventral gun sheathing housing a 5 cm auto-loading Bordkanone BK 5 cannon and, in some cases, 6.5 cm solid propellant rockets.
Heavy fighter and night muay thai fighter
Ju 88C
Ju 88C series heavy fighter in flight
The Ju 88C was initially intended as a fighter-bomber and heavy competitor by adding repaired, forward-firing weapons to the nose while retaining some bomb bring capability of the A-series bomber. The C-series had a strong metal nose, and kept the A-series format vertical tail, along with the ventral Bola gondola under the staff compartment, although this was occasionally gotten rid of at device level in order to minimize weight and drag and therefore improve plane efficiency. The Ju-88C was later on made use of as a night competitor and this became its major role.
The opening night muay thai fighter version of the Ju 88 was the C-2, based upon the A-1 and equipped with one 20 mm MG FF cannon and 3 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 gatling gun placed in a new metal nose. These examples entered service in Zerstörerstaffel of KG 30 and the unit was relabelled II. / NJG 1 in July 1940.
The C-6b variation was the C-6 Zerstörer aircraft geared up with FuG 202 Lichtenstein BC low-UHF band airborne intercept radar, utilizing the intricate 32-dipole Matratze antennas. The very first four C-6b competitors were tested in very early 1942 by NJG 1. The trials were successful and the plane was bought into production. In October 1943, numerous C-6bs were updated with new radar systems. The first new radar devices was the FuG 212 Lichtenstein C-1, followed in 1944 by the VHF-band FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2.
Numerous Ju-88C’s had their Bola gondolas modified to hold up to 3 forward shooting gatling gun or cannon. The rear gondola gun position being removed. In addition several night muay thai fighters were geared up with two “Schräge-Musik” upward shooting 20mm cannon in trial fittings and from mid 1943 onward, there was an official field modification kit available for this arrangement.
A little number of the C-series day competitors had their brand-new solid-metal noses specifically repainted to resemble the bomber A-series’ “beetle’s eye” faceted clear view nose glazing, in an effort to trick Allied pilots into thinking the muay thai fighters were really bombers; the uncommon “camouflage” effort did result initially in a number of Allied aerial losses.
Ju 88R
Ju 88 R-1 night muay thai fighter caught by British forces at Copenhagen-Kastrup airfield, May 1945.
The Ju 88R series night muay thai fighters were basically variations of the Ju 88 C-6 powered by BMW 801 radial engines. The R-1 had 1,560 PS BMW 801L engines and the R-2 had 1,700 PS BMW 801 G-2 engines.
One of the very first aircraft from the R-1 series that entered into service (Werknummer 360043) was associated with among the most considerable defections which the Luftwaffe suffered. On 9 May 1943, this night boxer (D5+EV), which was stationed with 10. / NJG 3 in Aalborg Denmark, flew to the RAF Station at Dyce (now Aberdeen Airport) with its whole staff and complete electronic devices on board. The reality that Spitfire Vb competitors No. 165 (Ceylon)Squadron escorted it to the end of its air travel could show that its arrival had been anticipated. It was immediately moved to Farnborough Airfield, got RAF markings and serial (PJ876), and was checked in fantastic information. The preserved airplane is on exhibit at the RAF Museum, as one of the very first 2 undamaged Ju 88s in air travel galleries (see Survivors below). The Luftwaffe just discovered of this defection the following month when members of the crew, pilot Oberleutnant Heinrich Schmitt(kid of the then secretary to the ministry for foreign affairs Gustav Stresemann) and Oberfeldwebel Paul Rosenberger made broadcasts on British radio. The third crew-member, Erich Kantwill, declined to co-operate with the British and was dealt with as a regular prisoner– of– war.
Ju 88G
All previous night muay thai fighter versions of the Ju 88 utilized a customized A-series fuselage. The G-series fuselage was purpose-built for the special requirements of a night muay thai fighter, with the A-series’ Bola ventral under-nose defensive weapon position omitted for lower aerodynamic drag and less weight, and adding the enlarged squared-off vertical fin/rudder tail unit of the Ju 188. G-1 plane had more powerful armament and like the earlier R-1, used a pair of 1,700 PS BMW 801 radial engines, the G-1 utilizing the later BMW 801G-2 variation. Electronic devices consisted of the then-standard FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 90 MHz VHF radar making use of eight-dipole Hirschgeweih antennas, plus in some cases added FuG 350 Naxos with its antenna in a teardrop-shaped fairing above the canopy, or FuG 227 Flensburg radar detector homing devices that had their own trio of twin-dipole antennae: one on each wing leading edge and one under the tail. One Ju 88G-1 of 7. Staffel/NJG 2 was zipped error to RAF Woodbridge in July 1944, offering the Royal Air Force its very first chance to take a look at the VHF-band Lichtenstein SN-2 radar and Flensburg radar detector gear.
A British-captured Ju 88 G-6 night boxer geared up with the FuG 240 Berlin cavity magnetron radar.
G-6 versions were geared up with 1,750 PS Jumo 213A inline-V12 engines, enlarged fuel tanks and often a couple of 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in a Schräge Musik (“Jazz Music”, i.e. inclined) installation. These guns were pointed obliquely up-wards and forwards from the upper fuselage – usually at an angle of 70 °.
A few of the final G-series models received updates to the engines, making use of a pair of high-altitude Jumo 213E inverted V-12s with revised annular radiators, or to the radar, FuG 218 Neptun V/R or the even newer FuG 240 Berlin N-1 cavity magnetron based, 3 GHz-band (centimetric) radar. Just about 15 of the Berlin systems were finished before V-E Day.
Numerous Luftwaffe night fighter aces, such as Helmut Lent (110 success) and Heinrich von und zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (87 victories) flew Ju 88s throughout their professions.
The Imperial Japanese Navy bought the specs of an anti-submarine patrol/escort fleet airplane, based on a medium bomber. KyÅ”shÅ” closely patterned the KyÅ”shÅ” Q1W Tokai (“Eastern Sea”, Allied codename “Lorna”) antisubmarine patrol/fleet escort aircraft after the Ju 88.