Aircraft · Germany · 1932-1945
Junkers Ju 52
transport aircraft
The corrugated-metal 'Tante Ju' was the Luftwaffe's standard transport, dropping the paratroopers who seized Maleme airfield in the airborne invasion of Crete and later flown in doomed mass airlifts trying to resupply the encircled 6th Army at Stalingrad. Losses over Crete were so heavy that Hitler concluded the age of large airborne operations was over.
| crew | 2-3 |
|---|---|
| capacity | 18 troops or 1.5 tonnes cargo |
| top speed | ~265 km/h |
| produced | ~4,850 |
Eastern Front, Balkans, Mediterranean and North Africa, Western Europe
