German Junkers (Ju.87) Stuka dive bombers fly with fighter escort of Messerschmitt fighter squadron Bf.109F JG5 «Eismeer» ("Polar Sea") in the Arctic sky.

Dive bombers and escort planes

A 1945 view of the Berlin Zoo flak tower and its environs.  The fact that the flak towers were, to some extent, special targets in the general context of carpet bombing made them difficult to live with for their immediate neighbours - unless they had actually fled inside the tower.  It is arguable that the annihilation by bombing of the historic Berlin Zoo was contributed to by the presence of the flak tower, which attracted additional and particularly heavy bombing.  On one occasion (in 1943) a bunker-busting bomb hit the Zoo's vintage, Indian/Burmese-style elephant house, killing eight elephants.  Another elephant - which had escaped in circumstances somewhat unclear, had to be shot later.  Best regards, JR.

Berlin Zoo flak tower - difficult neighbour.

Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers go into attack dive, possibly in North Africa.  One of the fundamental mistakes made by the moribund French High Command in 1940 was to assume that, as the Panzers threatened breakthrough at Sedan and Dinant, the Germans would have to pause to await the arrival of their conventional artillery.  However (as the tank-fixated Heer commanders at the front may not have fully appreciated themselves) the Luftwaffe's dive bombers and medium level bombers were ideally equipped to supply what amounted to an alternative artillery arm, and did so to great effect.  Best regards, JR.