Product: Dive Bombers & Combat Aircraft of WW2
Rating: 4.0
More on ground attack aircraft than dive bombers...
The video's title implies that it is only on German Dive Bombers but it more a history of German Ground attack aircraft throughout the war. The emphasis (about two-thirds of video footage), however, is on one aircraft - the JU87 Stuka. Film footage of the JU87 Stuka is presented from the Spanish Civil War and to the many fronts of the war, ranging from North Africa to Balkans to Western Europe and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia for all major variants of the Stuka, from the first versions to the "tank buster" models armed with underwing 37mm guns. This footage is quite good in that it shows a variety of attacks (i.e., naval attacks, attacks on facilities, tank busting, infantry attacks, etc.). In addition, these are provided from a variety of angles (i.e., underwing, from cockpit, side views, from rear gunners position, from ground showing steep attack angle and aircraft angle, etc.). Hence the footage gives good idea of how this aircraft actually operated. This is the real strength of the video footage.In addition, there is some footage on predecessors of the Stuka (primarily biplances), the FW190 F (the ground attack version of the FW190) and the HS 129 ground attack planes. Unfortunately the footage for these aircraft only acount for about a quarter of the total video. A shame as the FW190 F, starting in late 1943, was more a more prominate (in terms of numbers) ground attack aircraft.On the negative side the video provides very little information on these aircraft that even a novice would not know. Hence, at least for this group of people, the video has limited informative value. For those with little knowledge, on the other hand, it provides a good intro (though for the time one could obtain a better knowledge of these aircraft by skimming some Osprey of Schiffler books on them).