The haunting wail of the Jericho Trumpets echoed across the skies of World War 2 Europe, signaling the approach of the Junkers Ju 87, commonly known as the Stuka. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, this German dive bomber made its first flight in 1935 and quickly became an emblem of Nazi Germany's air power. Recognizable by its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage, the Stuka was armed with two 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns in each wing, and the rear gunner operated a 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun for defense.
Mounted on its faired main gear legs were the infamous ram-air sirens known as Jericho trumpets. These sirens, more than just symbols of the Blitzkrieg victories between 1939 and 1942, provided a psychological weapon against the enemy and gave Stuka pilots audible feedback on their speed.
The Ju 87 would play pivotal roles in early theaters of World War II, from the invasion of Poland to the Battle of Britain. Yet, as the war progressed, the Stuka eventually faced challenges from more advanced fighters like the Spitfire and Hurricane. However, German tacticians would ingeniously repurpose it, spreading a grim new shadow to any soul within its reach…
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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
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