Exploring The Top 5 WWII Carrier-Based Dive Bombers

Dive bombers were somewhat common in World War II in both the naval and ground theaters. They were first made famous by the Junkers Ju 87 aka the 'Stuka'. The Stuka was a German dive bomber iconic for the ram-air sirens, and a potent symbol of German power early in the war. Dive bombers became even more famous after the United States entered the war with the carrier-based SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber. This dive bomber almost single-handedly blunted the Japanese charge across the Pacific during the Pacific War. Before the development of precision munitions, it was extremely difficult to hit a target accurately; diving on it was one way to increase accuracy.