The Junkers Ju 87, commonly known as the Stuka (short for Sturzkampfflugzeug, meaning "dive bomber"), was a German World War II dive bomber developed by Junkers and first introduced in 1937. It was deadly accurate and wrought more destruction on Allied ground forces than any other aircraft during World War II. Stukas dove almost vertically and dropped bombs with precision. They also attcked in swarms of fifty or more airplanes flying in a V or "finger" formation - a technique eventually copied by every air force in the world.The Museum's Stuka was originally on a North African German base. It is equipped with special camouflage, sand filters, desert survival supplies, and other modifications tailored for tropical combat. Flying in battle over the Mediterranean, it was damaged in a dogfight most likely by either a British Spitfire or Hurricane, but was able to safely fly back to base (the bullet holes are still visible). The Stuka was on the ground being repaired when the British attacked and captured the German base. They were forced to flee and did not have time to wreck the airplane (common wartime procedure designed to prevent the enemy from capturing your aircraft). By capturing the base, the British also captured the airplane. After the end of the war, the British donated the Stuka to the Museum. It is one of only three remaining Stukas in the world, out of the the 6,500 original built during WWII.