Junkers Ju 87

accuracy, with an error margin for stationary targets measured in tens of feet. It was this weapon-- plentiful, cheap, and reliable-- that may have brought about a new epoch of naval warfare. Surely the weapon of reference is the cruise missile-- precise, long ranged, and paradigm shifting in naval combat. However, while all those statements do apply to the cruise missile, they also apply to an older, less glorious instrument of war-- the dive bomber. During the one major war in which dive bombing was extensively employed, it provided a novel combination of destructive power and precision, enabling its use in various roles-- interdiction, close air support, and, perhaps most importantly, anti shipping operations. Planes such the the Junkers Ju 87 or the Douglas SBD Dauntless, lumbering in level flight or evasive maneuver, became screaming angels of death to their targets below as they entered their vertical attack patterns. The era of dive bombing was a short one, though. The constraints placed on airframe design, not to mention the ever-advancing state of weaponry and military technology, began to expose the method’s flaws as early as World War II’s concluding years. Ultimately, dive bombing’s short period of incredible effectiveness resulted from a confluence of several patterns of technological advancement and strategic military thought, which led to contrasting outcomes for the Allied and Axis powers as the conflict progressed and the combat situation drastically…

party expressed extreme nationalism, hence the name “National Socialist Party,” among other ideals. He eventually grew to becoming chancellor of Germany in March of 1933. Hitler wanted to build up Germany to a greater country. He believed he could build the Third Reich, he wanted to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire in Germany. For him to make Germany great, he needed lebensraum. To obtain lebensraum Hitler and his German army created a new style of warfare; blitzkrieg. Hitler’s blitzkrieg worked…

conditions. The United States’ aircraft had to hold up to what the other countries had in their possession, so many planes got designed or changed based on what other countries already had. By mimicking and making their own versions of other countries’ planes, the United States made sure they had an equal opportunity compared to what other countries had. The equal, if not better, opportunity the United States made for themselves by having similar aircraft made them a force to be reckoned with…