The Stuka was specifically engineered for vertical bomb runs, commonly referred to as "dive-bombing." The 87-B model was the most extensively utilized variant of the Stuka and first entered service during the Polish Campaign of 1939. In May 1940, it played a pivotal role in the German invasion of France and the Low Countries; however, later that year, it had to be withdrawn from combat due to significant losses inflicted by Britain’s Royal Air Force during the air "blitz" over southern England. The term Stuka is a shortened form of "Sturtzkampfflugzeug," which is the designation assigned to this aircraft by the Immelmann Dive-bomber group. For Ages 14+