The German Warplane Whose Siren Made WWII Ground Soldiers Tremble

Birth of a Fearsome Dive Bomber

In the mid-1930s a new kind of aircraft appeared in Germany’s growing air force: the Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber. Designed with inverted gull wings and a fixed undercarriage, it first flew in 1935 and soon became known as the Stuka, short for Sturzkampfflugzeug, or “dive combat aircraft.” Its purpose was simple but demanding—drop bombs with precision by diving almost straight down on a target. To help the pilot keep control during such steep dives, the plane carried automatic dive brakes and a pull-out system that could recover from speeds of nearly 600 kilometers per hour. A gunner in the rear seat manned a defensive machine gun while the pilot aimed the bomb racks, which swung clear of the propeller before release.

From the invasion of Poland in 1939 to early campaigns in France, Norway, and the Low Countries, the Stuka served as a close partner to advancing ground troops. Its sudden appearance and accurate bombing supported the fast-moving tactics that marked the opening phase of the war. Soldiers on the ground quickly learned to fear not only its bombs but also its sound.

The Jericho Trumpets

Mounted on the aircraft’s landing gear were small ram-air sirens nicknamed “Jericho Trumpets.” As the Stuka plunged, these propeller-driven horns produced a piercing wail that grew louder with speed. The sound was not an accident. German planners wanted the shriek to frighten defenders and break their morale before the bombs even fell. During the evacuation at Dunkirk and across early European battlefields, that eerie scream became a symbol of approaching danger. For many soldiers and civilians, the noise alone caused panic long before the explosions.

Roots in Foreign Inspiration

The idea of precision dive bombing had earlier impressed a celebrated German World War I pilot who visited the United States in the early 1930s. After watching American Navy aircraft perform steep diving attacks at an air race, he returned home convinced that Germany needed a similar weapon. Although engineers were already drafting plans for the Ju 87, his enthusiasm helped keep the project alive when some officials wanted it cancelled. His support ensured that the Stuka moved from drawing board to front-line squadrons.

Combat and Adaptation

The Stuka first saw action in the Spanish Civil War, where German crews tested the design in real combat. Early successes continued in Poland and Western Europe, but the aircraft’s weaknesses soon showed. By the Battle of Britain in 1940, faster British Spitfires and Hurricanes intercepted the slow dive bombers with deadly effect. Losses mounted, and the Stuka could no longer operate safely in daylight over well-defended skies.

Rather than abandon it, German commanders adapted. New versions gained heavier armor and larger guns for attacking tanks on the Eastern Front. Others switched to night operations, flying low and slow with instruments dimmed to stay hidden. At sea, Stukas destroyed ships in the Mediterranean and the Arctic, proving effective long after their first appearance. British Admiral Andrew Cunningham later admitted, “We could not but admire the skill and precision of it all,” acknowledging the aircraft’s deadly accuracy even as it threatened his own fleet.

Lasting Impression

Though eventually outclassed by newer fighters, the Ju 87 left a mark on military history. Its combination of steep-angle bombing and the unforgettable howl of the Jericho Trumpets created one of the most feared sights and sounds of the early war years. Even when its sirens were later removed to reduce drag, the memory of that wailing dive remained fixed in the minds of those who heard it—a sound that signaled destruction from the sky.