Manufacturer: Revell
Scale: 1/72
Additional parts: from spare part box
Model build: Oct - Dec 2016
Luftwaffe Junkers Ju87M
Revell
1/72
1/72
Seestuka's Dive
Made with Suno
The Battle of the Barents Sea
The icy wind whipped across Lieutenant Hans Richter's face as he gripped the controls of his Ju-87M Stuka. Below, the vast expanse of the Barents Sea stretched out, a steely gray under the harsh glare of the Arctic sun. Today, Hans and his squadron weren't after lumbering freighters. Today, they were the spearhead, the fangs of the mighty Graf Zeppelin, hunting a battleship – the pride of the Royal Navy, the HMS Duke of York.
Months of relentless training echoed in Hans' mind. The Stuka, once a land-based terror, had been reborn as the 'Seestuka' – the Stuka of the Sea. Foldable wings and a reinforced airframe allowed them to operate from the Graf Zeppelin's deck, a precarious platform that pitched and rolled with the unforgiving waves. They were vulnerable, Hans knew, but their dive bombing accuracy was legendary.
The crackle of the radio pierced the rhythmic roar of the engine. "Gruppe Adler, prepare for attack! Enemy battleship sighted – bearing 2-7-0!" A surge of adrenaline coursed through Hans. The Duke of York, a magnificent beast bristling with guns, was no easy target. But fear was a luxury they couldn't afford.
As they approached, the battleship erupted in a frenzy of anti-aircraft fire, black puffs blossoming harmlessly around them. Hans narrowed his eyes, focusing on the lead reticule in his sight. The Scharnhorst, their battleship companion, opened fire as well, her shells splashing great plumes of water around the British vessel.
The order came, a curt "Gruppe – Angriff!" Hans shoved the control column forward, his Stuka screaming in protest as it hurtled towards the churning sea below. The world narrowed into a tunnel of churning waves and the ever-growing silhouette of the Duke of York. His finger tightened on the bomb release, a silent prayer escaping his lips.
Just as he was about to unleash his payload, a curtain of fire erupted from the deck below. A Messerschmitt Bf 109 escort sputtered and smoked, then corkscrewed into the icy depths. A sliver of fear snaked through Hans, but it was quickly replaced by steely determination. He couldn't let his fallen comrade's sacrifice be in vain.
With a white-knuckled grip, he lined up the bombsight, squeezing his eyes shut for a split second. The bomb hurtled from beneath his wings, a harbinger of destruction. He pulled out of the dive, his heart pounding a frantic tattoo against his ribs. A glance back revealed a plume of smoke rising from the Duke of York's superstructure, flames licking at the armored deck.
Cheers erupted on the radio – a hit! But the celebration was short-lived. From the distance, a swarm of British fighters materialized, sleek Hurricanes hungry for revenge. The lumbering Stukas scattered, easy targets for the nimble fighters. Hans fought with a desperate fury, his tracers flashing defiance, but a burst of fire ripped through his aileron.
The plane lurched violently. Smoke filled the cockpit, acrid and blinding. Hans fought for control, but it was hopeless. With a final, wrenching maneuver, he ejected, tumbling through the frigid air.
He hit the water with a bone-jarring impact, the cold stealing his breath. Surfacing, sputtering, he saw only a churning sea and the wreckage of his comrades' planes, stark reminders of the battle's brutality.
Then, on the horizon, the Duke of York, a plume of smoke still billowing from its wounds, began to list heavily. A cheer went up from the German strike force – the battleship, crippled by their attack, was sinking.
Relief washed over Hans, a bittersweet cocktail. They had achieved their objective, but at a terrible cost. As the life raft drifted away, he knew this day would be forever etched in his memory – a testament to the lethal dance between the carrier-borne Stuka and the mighty battleship, a dance played out in the icy embrace of the Barents Sea.
Junkers Ju 87M “Seestuka” — The Naval Stuka of the Kriegsmarine
Although the Junkers Ju 87 is well known for its role as a dive bomber in the early stages of the Second World War, the navalized variant — the Ju 87M — remains one of the lesser-known adaptations. Developed specifically for operations on Germany’s first aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, it became the backbone of German carrier aviation during its short but intense operational career.
Development and Introduction
When construction of the Graf Zeppelin neared completion in 1941, air trials revealed that the earlier carrier variant, the Ju 87C, based on the Ju 87B airframe, was becoming obsolete. Rather than discarding the work already done, Junkers incorporated the structural reinforcements and carrier adaptations of the Ju 87C into the newer Ju 87D model. The resulting aircraft was officially designated Ju 87M.
The Seestuka featured:
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Folding wings for hangar storage aboard the carrier
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Strengthened landing gear and arrestor hook for deck landings
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Optional jettisonable landing gear and flotation gear for emergency sea ditchings
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Corrosion-resistant surface coating suitable for maritime operations
By early 1942, the Ju 87M equipped the first carrier wing (Trägergruppe 186), assigned to the Graf Zeppelin during its shakedown cruises in the Baltic and Norwegian waters.
Combat Operations
The Ju 87M saw extensive service from late 1942 onward, particularly in the North Atlantic and Arctic convoy routes. Despite being outclassed by modern Allied carrier fighters, its precision in dive-bombing remained unmatched. Ju 87M squadrons frequently achieved significant results in anti-shipping roles when operating under moderate fighter cover or poor weather conditions.
Key actions included:
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Attacks on Arctic convoys PQ-19 and PQ-22 in early 1943, resulting in multiple merchant ship sinkings
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Engagements against Allied escort carriers, where rising enemy air defenses began to inflict heavier losses
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The combined strike on HMS Duke of York on 12 December 1943—Ju 87M dive bombers distracted the battleship’s anti-aircraft defenses while FW 190T torpedo fighters scored fatal hits. The sinking of a British battleship by carrier-based German aircraft was widely publicized by German propaganda.
Decline and Replacement
By early 1944, the increasing presence of Allied carrier groups and long-range fighters made the slow Seestuka increasingly vulnerable. Approximately 120 Ju 87M were produced; around 60% were lost due to combat or operational accidents at sea.
In the Baltic Sea campaign of 1944, the Ju 87M was gradually withdrawn from the Graf Zeppelin and replaced by the faster and more versatile Focke-Wulf FW 190T torpedo-fighter. Remaining Ju 87Ms were transferred to coastal airfields and used in anti-tank and close air-support roles during the retreat across Eastern Europe.
Legacy
Although overshadowed by its land-based counterpart, the Ju 87M was one of the few true German carrier dive bombers ever to see operational service. Its role aboard the Graf Zeppelin marked the only period in history when the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine jointly operated a functional carrier air group.
The Model shows a Ju87M on the "Graf Zeppelin" in Norwegian waters in December 1943.
The model is made from a 1/72 scale Revell kit. It is build OOB, the only enhancement was the arrestor hook made form parts of the spare parts box. Painted with Revell Aqua Color, the orinal decals pluse some of the spare part box were used. Antenna was made with EZ-Line.
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