The Stuka dive bomber became the symbol of Germany’s swift and terrifying Blitzkrieg (lightning war) tactics in the early years of World War II.  
 
Dropping nearly vertically from 15,000 feet at up to 370 mph, the Stuka could deliver its bombs with pin-point accuracy.  The intimidating nature of the attack was often supplemented by a pair of screaming propeller-driven sirens, nicknamed, “Jericho trumpets.”
 
Though a somewhat antiquated design, the crude-looking Stuka was amazingly tough, its stout airframe built specifically for the stress of high-speed dives and crushing pullout procedures.  The plane however was slow and vulnerable when pitted against modern combat planes.  As losses mounted, Stukas were shifted away from the western front and saw sustained service as tank busters on the eastern front where Luftwaffe air superiority lasted longer.  Some Stukas even participated in the defense of Berlin in 1945.