Ju-87G-2!
The Ju 87G was the final version of the Stuka. Dive-brakes were removed and an armament of two 37mm Rheinmetall-Borsig BK3,7 (Flak 18) anti-tank cannons were installed under the wings. These weapons fired special armour-piercing ammunition, with tungsten cores, at a muzzle velocity of 850m/sec. The guns were installed in gun pods fitted outboard of the landing gear legs. The ammunition was in six-round clips. The normal 7.9 mm or 20 mm wing guns were deleted. There were two versions, the Ju 87G-1 based on the short wing span D-3 and the Ju 87G-2 based on the long wing span D-5 model. Production of the Ju 87 was halted definitively on October 1944. A good proof of the power of the guns and the amazing shooting skills of Hans-Ulrich Rudel was one of his air victories. Rudel shot down a heavily armoured Il-2 Sturmovik while flying with "Kanonenvogel" at maximum range with only two rounds of his 37 mm guns.
First trials on the battlefield with gunplanes were made in March 1943. The Ju 87G proved to be very effective in its task. Although the 37 mm gun was ineffective on ground it still was effective gun in the air. Attacks were normally made from rear and above against the thin deck armours of the Russian tanks which were easily penetrated.
Because attacks were always made in very low flying altitude where anti-aircraft defence was very hard it became necessary to improve armouring. Because of increased armour and weight of the guns, 420 kg / gun, flying characteristics of Ju 87G were tricky. The success of the Ju 87G pilots simply based to their great experience. And the most famous of them was Hans-Ulrich Rudel.
Hans-Ulrich Rudel is the most successful pilot through the airwar history. He flew over 2500 missions and destroyed at least 519 tanks, sank one battleship, one cruiser, one destroyer and 70 landing crafts. Different type of land vehicles he destroyed over 800 and over 150 artillery sites, four armoured trains, many bridges etc. Rudel achieved also nine kills. He was shot down 32 times, he wounded five times and rescued six crews from enemy territory. Also the enemy appreciated his achievements, Stalin had promised 100 000 rubles reward of his head! Hans-Ulrich Rudel flew till the end of the war although he had his leg amputated.
PS It is not the end of AH TANK warfare, the fun factor is just the beginningg!
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