The Junkers Ju 52, designed by Hugo Junkers, was the workhorse of the German military during World War II. With a robust design and superior handling, the Ju 52 was a jack of all trades performing transport, cargo, and bomber aircraft duties.
Hugo Junkers was an extraordinary engineer responsible for designing the Junkers J 1, a monoplane and the first practical all-metal aircraft; the F 13, the first all-metal passenger aircraft; and the W 33, which made the first east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
Herr Junkers was not a fan of Hitler, and when the Nazis came into power in 1933, they requested Junkers and his businesses aid in the re-armament of Germany. When Junkers refused, he was placed under house arrest, and his patents and company were seized. He died on his birthday, February 3, 1935, under suspicious circumstances during a visit to his home by Nazi officials.
The Junkers Design
The Ju 52 was designed primarily as a passenger aircraft for the airlines. The development began in 1925 with a concept by Deutsche Lufthansa, which was then turned over to Junkers designer Ernst Zindel. The plane used a corrugated metal called duralumin, a Junkers proprietary material that strengthened the aircraft structure.
The first version was the Ju 52/1m (one motor), designed to haul freight and took its first flight in October 1930. The production of this model was halted three years later for the more powerful tri-motor version. The second version, the Ju 52/3m (three motor), was a passenger/cargo version carrying 17 passengers or three tons of cargo that took its first flight in March 1932.
Around the same time, Ford developed the “Tri-Motor” aircraft that had a similar look and used the same type of construction as the Junkers. In fact, the designs were so identical that when Ford attempted to export the aircraft to Europe, Junkers sued the company and won. Ford countersued in Prague and lost again with the court finding that Ford had infringed upon the Junker’s design.
In 1933, the Reich demanded Junkers produce military versions in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which forbade Germany from having any military aircraft. Hugo Junkers would ultimately lose control of his companies to the Nazi government before passing away.
Airliners
To get around the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler ordered the air ministry to convert civilian aircraft to military use to build his 1,000-aircraft Luftwaffe, the German air force during World War II.
Junkers built 4,835 Ju 52/3m aircraft, with the Luftwaffe receiving 2,804.
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In the early 30s, The 17-passenger Ju 52 was used heavily by several airlines. German Airline Lufthansa took delivery of its first aircraft in May 1932 and eventually grew its fleet to 231. Lufthansa used the Junkers to fly commercial routes such as Berlin to London and Berlin to Rome. The design was so popular that over 25 countries throughout Europe and North and South America purchased the aircraft for passenger use.
Wartime Transport
The Ju 52 was used quite effectively as a transport/cargo aircraft by several nations. The cargo version was fitted with a hatch on the roof for loading cargo via crane and a large cargo door on the starboard side.
Between July 29 and August 31, 1936, Spanish Nationalist Forces used the JU 52 to bypass a Spanish Republic naval blockade to airlift 7,350 troops of General Franco’s army from Morocco to Spain.
In September 1939, during Germany’s invasion of Poland, Luftwaffe Ju 52s flew over 2,500 sorties, carrying 1,600 tons of supplies and 20,000 troops to forward areas.
By April 1942, Ju52s flew up to 150 resupply missions per day from Sicily to Tunisia during the North Africa campaign. In November 1942, with the U.S. landings at Morocco and Algeria, the tide turned against the Axis forces, and the Ju 52 was tasked with evacuating Afrika Korps troops. The retreat was a bloodbath for the Junkers.
On April 5, 1943, P-38 Lightnings engaged over 50 Ju-52s off the coast of Sicily, shooting down 14 and destroying 60 on the airfield, and on April 18, U.S. fighters jumped 65 Ju-52s, shooting down 24. The Ju 52s transported 8,388 soldiers and ferried 5,040 tons of supplies for the operations in North Africa.
The Junker was also used to transport command staff and Hitler. His aircraft was named Immelmann II after the World War I ace Max Immelmann. Another leader who used the Junkers as personal transport was Chiang Kai Shek.
Interwar Period Bomber
In 1934, the Reich ordered Junkers to design a bomber version while waiting for the completion of the Dornier Do 11 bomber. The plane was modified with two bomb bays with 3,300 pounds of ordnance capacity. It was also fitted with two MG-15 drum-fed machine guns for defense. Ultimately, the Dornier design failed, and the Luftwaffe procured more Junkers until they were replaced with the Heinkel He 111 and other purpose-built bombers.
During the Spanish Civil War, the bomber version in service with the Nationalist Faction under Gen Francisco Franco flew 5,400 missions, dropping 6,000 bombs.
Germany did use Ju 52 planes in bombing missions against Warsaw during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. This is believed to be the last use of these planes as bombers by the Luftwaffe.
Mine Detection
The Ju 52 g4f Minesweeper (Minensuch) version first deployed in 1940 was fitted with a 46 ft diameter aluminum degaussing ring under the airframe, which could be energized to create a magnetic field that triggered magnetic sea mines. The mines had a seven-second delay and would explode approximately 300 meters behind the Junkers as it made a low-level pass.
Fallschirmjäger and the Battle of Crete
In May 1941, with only three weeks of planning, 493 Ju 52s participated in the first purely airborne assault on the island of Crete. Launching from seven different airstrips on mainland Greece, the Ju 52s transported almost all 22,750 Fallschirmjäger to their drop zones.
On the first day, German casualties were high, and the Allied powers believed they would be victorious. On day two, however, Maleme Airfield in western Crete fell, enabling the Germans to land reinforcements and overwhelm the defensive positions on the island.
While the airborne assault was successful, it came at a high cost, with 170 aircraft lost and 4,500 troops killed, bringing an end to large-scale airborne operations.
Specifications
- Armament: Two MG 15 machine guns chambered in 7.92×57 Mauser
- Engines: Three BMW 132T-2 engines with 830 hp each
- Maximum speed: 172 mph
- Cruising speed: 153 mph
- Range: 810 miles
- Service ceiling: 19,360 ft.
- Span: 95 ft. 11 1/2 in.
- Length: 62 ft.
- Height: 18 ft. 2 1/2 in.
- Weight: 24,250 lbs. loaded
Legacy in Aviation History
The Ju52 was an excellent aircraft designed for passenger transport and cargo, and it performed outstandingly in various roles it was not intended for, like a bomber version. With its reliability and performance, the Ju-52/3m earned its place in aircraft history alongside the Douglas DC-3 Dakota.
Ironically, the backbone of Germany’s Luftwaffe was designed by someone who opposed the very man who led that country into its ill-fated and evil war.
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