#ju 88

Italian aviators near a German bomber Junkers Ju 88A at the airfield. 1940

German

From the Tri-State Warbird Museum via the Internet Archive

Junkers Ju 88 A-4 bomber with Jumo 211 engines.

Looks a bit dangerous. A Mort Kunstler cover to an issue of Male men's adventure magazine, September 1961. The profile art below is by Andy Hay from an issue of Flypast.

In World War 2 the German's developed 'Mistel' planes. These were usually unmanned Junkers Ju 88 bombers which had a charge in the nose and could be aimed at a target by the manned fighter plane (a Fw 190 or Bf 109) which was attached to it on struts.

Before becoming one of the most successful Ju 88 pilots and unit leaders in the Mediterranean with I. and II./LG 1, Joachim Helbig flew extensively in tne Western campaign in 1940 and mounted 80 sorties against England. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross on 24 November 1940, by which time he had sunk 22,000 GRT of enemy shiiping. He is seen here at far right in the cockpit of his Ju 88 at Eleusis, in Greece, in August 1941. Helbig’s radio operator, Oberfeldwebel Schlund, seen at rear, also wears the Knight’s Cross. Note that both Helbig and his observer, Major Stefan (left), are wearing throat microphones, while Unteroffizier Czirpka, as gunner, appears to have squeezed a steel helmet under his flying helmet