[clarification needed] The dive-bomber is often associated with German aerial development in the pre-war era, but the type remained a low-priority for air planners who shaped the embryonic Luftwaffe.

[1] This apparent regression from the practices and experiences of World War I stemmed from the belief among the General Staff (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe) that army support aviation in 1917–1918 was purely a reaction to trench warfare.

[1] On the eve of World War II, some German air planners regarded the dive-bomber as a strategic weapon to strike with precision at enemy industry.

Even factored into the army support groups, only fifteen percent of Luftwaffe front-line strength contained specialist ground-attack aircraft in September 1939.

Later in the morning Dinort led the group in the bombing of Wieluń, ostensibly to destroy a Polish Army cavalry unit reported in the town.

[24] Dinort's StG 2 played a crucial role in supporting the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael by preventing Belgian reinforcements from counterattacking German paratroopers.

[8] De Gaulle later remarked about III./StG 2's Stukas; They continued to bomb us until sunset and consequently they destroyed our wheeled vehicles, which were confined to the roads, and our supporting artillery, which had no cover.

[34] On 18 May the Ju 87s assisted in the defeat of the French 1st Arnoured Division outside St Quentin, and attacked troop trains in Soissons, which blocked the exits from Amiens.

[37][38][citation needed] In a major action, Dinort led 39 Ju 87s from gruppen I. and II in an attack on Admiral James Somerville's forces off Calais on 24 May.

It supported the army in the battles of Péronne, Somme, Amiens, Roye, Chauny, and Nogent and the advances east of Paris over the Yonne and Loire.

[36] From 22 June to 10 July 1940 aerial skirmishes occurred over the English Channel between RAF Fighter Command and the Luftwaffe, operating from airfields in German-occupied Belgium and France.

The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe left the two German air fleet commanders, Sperrle and Kesselring to carry out attacks on targets of their choosing in June and early July for there was little direction from the OKL.

601 Squadron RAF were scrambled to intercept a reconnaissance Do 17, missed it and stumbled into a formation from III./StG 2 escorted by about 40 Messerschmitt Bf 110s, that British radar failed to locate.

At 19:25 III./StG 2 Ju 87s led by Gruppenkommandeur Walter Enneccerus sank the destroyer HMS Delight 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi) off Portland.

SS Empire Crusader, in the lead, was hit by StG 2 and sank several hours later; four ships were sunk and four were damaged in the attacks.

StG 2 carried out training exercises and occasional "special" missions which amounted to low-level attacks against coastal shipping at dusk.

On 18 January, the Germans switched to attacking the airfields at Hal Far and RAF Luqa in an attempt to win air superiority before returning to Illustrious.

It hit the forward flight deck, then destroyed the 4.5 inch (11.43 cm) turret and blew out the starboard side of the ship below the fo'c'sle.

It flew combat missions against the Royal Yugoslav Air Force bases and notably assisted in the seizure of the Corinth Canal on 26 April.

[104] The damaged cruiser York, immobilised by Italian naval forces, attracted the Stukas, whose dive-bombing destroyed the ship's superstructure and armament.

[109] Richthofen, Dinort and Walter Storp, commanding SKG 210, were awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves for their contribution to the Minsk battle.

Bruno Dilley [who replaced Hitschhold in October] commanding I group returned to Germany and did II./StG 2 which left Africa in January 1942; it became part of StG 3 and reformed in East Prussia.

The group began operating the Ju 87D at this time; it moved to Tatsinskaya Airfield on 20 July, then to Oblivskaya along the Chir River as the German 6th army advanced to Stalingrad.

Hozzel remarked that StG 2 had to abandon traditional dive-bombing in favour of improvised tactics;We had to do precision bombing to avoid danger to our troops entrenched too close to the target area.

[136] StG 1, 2, and 77 largely silenced Soviet artillery on the eastern bank of the Volga before bombing shipping that tried to reinforce the pockets of resistance.

The chaos of the evacuation of Stalingrad, partial elements of II gruppe, either some or all of 6 staffel under the command of Oberleutnant Heinz Jungclausen operated from inside the pocket until December.

[139] A notable success occurred when Rudel led 1./StG 2 into combat against elements of the 5th Tank Army, 8th Cavalry Corps reached the airfield at Oblivskaya.

Knight's Cross winner Siegfried Huber was killed in bad weather conditions, on his 434th combat mission representing the loss of another veteran.

Elements bombed the Black Sea port of Novorossisk on 27 February and it fought over the Mius and Taganrog front from Stalino, in the Donets Basin.

[148] In late June and early July 1943, StG 2 moved north to the Kharkov region in preparation for Operation Citadel, the Battle of Kursk.