To attack these Allied ships, which were heading for the Soviet port of Murmansk, the German Luftwaffe deployed its Kampfgeschwader 26 (26th Bombardment Wing) to Banak in the far north of Norway. One of the aircraft models that were part of this German unit was the Junkers Ju-88, a twin-engine aircraft initially designed as a dive bomber. It made its first flight in 1936 and entered service in 1939. It had a crew of four, was armed with five 7.92-caliber machine guns, and could carry up to 1,400 kg of bombs or torpedoes. More than 15,000 units were built. Today only a few remain and only two are complete.
The Junkers Ju-88 0881203 4N+EH bomber from Kampfgeschwader 26, protagonist of this story (Image: Bengt Stangvik / Bodø Luftfartshistoriske Forening).
In September 1942, the Kampfgeschwader 26 took off to attack the allied convoy PQ.18, which had set sail on September 2 from Loch Ewe, Scotland, with 40 merchant ships and fifty escort ships . In these attacks, Kampfgeschwader 26 used Ju-88 and Heinkel He-111 bombers. During that operation, the Luftwaffe lost 37 aircraft and the Allies lost 13 merchant ships.