Junkers Ju 188
| Ju 188 | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Tactical bomber/reconnaissance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Junkers |
| Primary users | Nazi Germany France and United Kingdom (post-war) |
| Number built | over 1,000 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | February 1943 |
| First flight | 19 June 1941 (Ju 88 V27) August 1943 (Ju 188 V1) |
| Retired | 1951 (France) |
| Developed from | Junkers Ju 88 |
| Variant | Junkers Ju 388 |
The Junkers Ju 188 "Rächer" ("Avenger") was a German Luftwaffe high-performance medium bomber built during World War II, the planned follow-up to the Ju 88 with better performance and payload. More than 1,000 aircraft were built, although production of the Ju 188 was curtailed early, due to the emergence of improved versions of the Ju 88, as well as the increasingly effective Allied strategic bombing campaign against German industry, leading to an increased focus on fighter production.