Acclaimed by the Germans as the "scourge of Europe", the "aircraft that conquered nations", the "supreme weapon", the Junkers JU87 dive-bomber attained greater notoriety than any other weapon in the arsenal with which Germany launched the Second World War.

It was more widely discussed and aroused greater controversy than many other more worthy aircraft. It was slow, unwieldy and the most natural prey of the fighter, yet within the first nine months of the war the JU87 acquired a legendary reputation.