The Stuka was specifically designed for a vertical bomb run, or as popularly known as "dive-bombing". The 87-B model was the most widely used of the Stuka's and first saw service during the 1939 Polish Campaign. In May 1940, it successfully lead the German invasion of France and the Low Countries but, later in the year, had to be withdrawn from battle when it suffered heavy losses at the hands of Britain's Royal Air Force during the air "blitz" of southern England. The nickname Stuka is an abbreviation of "Sturtzkampfflugzeug"- the designation given this plane by the Immelmann Dive-bomber group.
