Junkers JU 87R-2, WNr. 5856, LI+BL
History
The Ju 87R-2 variant was an extended-range version of the Ju 87B-2, equipped with additional fuel tanks to increase its operational radius. This modification was particularly useful for missions over the vast expanses of the Eastern Front during World War II. The aircraft featured the distinctive inverted gull wings and fixed undercarriage characteristic of the Stuka design.
Werknummer 5856, marked as L1+BL, was assigned to 3./St.G.5, a Stuka squadron operating on the Eastern Front. On July 2, 1942, during an attack on the Murmansk railroad in northern Russia, the aircraft was shot down following a skirmish with Soviet fighters. The pilot managed to crash-land the damaged aircraft near German lines. While the wreckage was initially found to be in relatively good condition, it suffered significant damage from vandalism during the two-year period before its recovery.
The wreckage of Ju 87R-2 5856 was discovered in 1994 near the Finnish-Russian border. Despite its deteriorated state due to exposure and vandalism, it was acquired by the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin in 1997. The museum chose to display the aircraft in its unrestored condition, allowing visitors to view the remnants of the aircraft as a poignant reminder of the conflict.
This aircraft is one of the few surviving examples of the Ju 87R-2 variant and serves as an important artifact for understanding the operational history of the Luftwaffe's dive bombers on the Eastern Front.