,The Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber was a dive bomber used by the Nazi Luftwaffe in World War II, commonly known as the "Stuka", after the German word for dive bomber, "Sturzkampfflugzeug". "The Ju 87 dive-bomber is most recognisable by its twin curved gull-wing wings, fixed landing gear and its distinctive low whine. This aircraft was used in the Spanish Civil War from 1935 and was very successful in the blitzkrieg waged by the Germans in the early years of WWII. The Ju 87 was used extensively by the Germans in the Mediterranean and North Africa after 1940 for dive-bombing, and after 1943 for the Soviet Union and Germany until the end of the Second World War.