The Junkers Ju88 is considered to be one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the Second World War and was operated by the German Luftwaffe throughout the conflict and across all fronts. The first prototype, a civil endeavour, was airborne in December 1936, attracting military attention immediately. By late 1939 the Ju88 had entered service with the Luftwaffe as a tactical medium-range bomber. The aircraft was produced by Junkers Fluqzeug und Motorwerke AG, with production dispersed amongst 14 factories, churning out approximately 15,000 units by the end of the war.

The most widely used variant of the Ju88 was the Ju88 A-4, which was operated by a crew of four; a pilot, a bomb-aimer, an engineer and a radio operator, all of whom were placed in the glazed cockpit. In fact, the location of the glazed cockpit in the forward fuselage is considered to be one of the major drawbacks of the Ju88, along with its limited defensive armaments. Throughout the Second World War, Malta was the only Allied base between Gibraltar and Alexandria. With the arrival of the German Luftwaffe in Sicily, Malta became a prime target for Axis bombings. The short distance between Malta and Sicily enabled the German aircraft to participate in several air raids a day, with an average of 200 aircraft bombers flying over the island on a daily basis, the vast majority of which were Ju88s.

This Ju88 wreck sits upright on a sandy seabed. Some damage to the nose section of the aircraft can be noted, with the rest of the aircraft considered to be in good condition, suggesting a controlled ditching. There is some damage on the tail section, which points to the possibility of an allied aircraft shooting this aircraft down.

JU88 South

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