Junkers Ju 52 (WW 2): Books - History and Deployment

Ju 52/3m Bomber and Transport Units 1936-41 (Osprey)

The all-metal Junkers Ju 52/3m enjoyed a solid - indeed, revered - reputation amongst its crews and the troops and paratroopers who used and depended on it.
For more than ten years, it saw service as a successful military transport, with its distinctive, three-engined design and corrugated metal construction becoming instantly recognisable. It was a mainstay in the Luftwaffe's inventory, first seeing service in the 1930s in bombing and transport operations in the Spanish Civil War, and subsequently during the German invasion of Poland.

It then served on every front on which the Luftwaffe was deployed until May 1945. The Junkers served as a stalwart transport, confronting both freezing temperatures and ice, and heat and dust, lifting men, animals, food and supplies vital for German military operations.

This, the first of two books on the Ju 52/3m, details its service as a bomber in Spain and in South America, followed by its pivotal role in early war operations during the invasions of Poland and France, the airborne invasion of Crete and the early stages of Operation Barbarossa.

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The Junkers Ju 52 Story

The iconic and legendary Junkers Ju 52 first flew in 1930. Designed and built by the Junkers Aircraft Company of Dessau, Germany, the Ju 52 was originally intended as a single-engine cargo aircraft. An upgraded model, the Ju 52/3m, was powered by three engines and excelled as an eighteen-seat airliner.

By the late 1930s, hundreds of the safe, reliable and much loved Ju 52/3ms were serving with airlines in more than twenty countries, including the pre-war British Airways. Also, it was used as a bomber by the Luftwaffe, particularly in the Spanish Civil War. During the Second World War, the Ju 52/3m was the mainstay of Luftwaffe transport squadrons.

Affectionately known as 'Faithful Old Annie' and 'Iron Annie', the Ju 52/3m was used during the invasions of Norway, the Low Countries, Crete and the resupply of Stalingrad and Rommel's Africa Korps.
In all, around 5,000 were built and after the war, production continued in France and Spain. Amazingly, captured Ju 52/3ms were rebuilt post-war and briefly operated as airliners on domestic routes in Great Britain.

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Junkers Ju 52

The Junkers Ju 52 is presented in its early bomber, and later its famous transport roles. Covered are its use on a variety of war fronts and in detailed, up-close photos and line drawings.

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Ju 52 - Geschichte und Gegenwart einer Luftfahrt-Legende

Development and history of a flying legend: The Junkers Ju 52 is rightly considered a pioneer of today's modern aircraft construction. A solid construction, high comfort and great safety in operation: The Ju 52 celebrated its breakthrough in the early 1930s. The passenger aircraft mastered even the most difficult routes over the Alps and Andes without any problems.

Find out everything about "Tante Ju": from her time at Lufthansa, her missions in the Second World War and her current existence in museums and at vintage aircraft air shows. With a lot of newly researched archive material.

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Die Ju-52 - mit den Augen des Kapitäns - Flüge, Geschichten, Erlebnisse

There is probably no aviation fan who does not know the unmistakable Junkers Ju-52 - the legendary "Aunt Ju" with its corrugated iron skin and three radial engines. Almost 5 000 of the robust workhorses were built between 1932 and after the Second World War and were used in a variety of roles.

Today, only a handful of these "flying monuments" still exist. Long-time Lufthansa captain Claus Cordes flew such a historic aircraft for the Lufthansa Foundation for many years and here he shares his impressions and experiences, which he gathered in countless hours of flying, in an exciting and expert manner.

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