Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:10:08-1:10:53

Could Bf 109s and Ju 87s work from Graf Zeppelin?

The proposed German carrier air group is assessed as plausible in concept but uncertain in operational maturity.

German NavyGraf ZeppelinJunkers Ju 87Messerschmitt Bf 109Naval Aviation
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Question

Were Bf 109 and Ju 87 variants inherently bad choices for German carrier aviation?

Short answer

Not inherently, though the Bf 109 appears more plausible than the Ju 87 and the uncompleted carrier left the concept unproven.

Notes

The naval Bf 109 appears potentially workable, given German experience with related variants in Norway. Ju 87 carrier operations are less convincing. Graf Zeppelin never reached service, so neither type went through sustained German carrier trials. The proposed air group therefore remained plausible in concept but operationally unproven.