Rudolf Loeper

(Luftwaffe)

Rudolf flew throughout the war and was shot down five times by both ground fire and by other aircraft. I believe most of the following pictures were taken either before the war, or shortly after it began.

Rudolf flew the Junkers Ju-87 Stuka, which was, "Unquestionably the most famous German dive-bomber of World War II, the Junkers Ju-87, nicknamed Stuka, spearheaded the lightning invasions of other countries at the start of the conflict. Though vulnerable with a somewhat outdated design, the Ju-87 took advantage of virtually uncontested invasions of weak countries to rapidly create a reputation that went beyond its true significance. To create extra terror, it was fitted with an air-driven siren that issued a piercing scream during its dive. Used throughout much of the war, especially on the Russian front, the gull-winged Ju-87 later became easy prey for Allied fighters. Several advanced versions with upgraded engines were produced, but they did not prove any more effective than the original model."*




After a sucessful mission



Stukas in close formation



"Switches on!"



A ring of fire



* WWW Adventure.com Encyclopedia

Back to the Hangar