The interest of the Wehrmacht command in the creation of an anti-tank aircraft capable of hitting the armor of KV-1 and T-34 tanks forced them to look for an opportunity to install a 75-mm VK 7.5 cannon on the Ju-88. At the end of the summer of 1942, a decision was made on the advisability of converting a small batch of Ju 88A-4 bombers into anti-tank Ju 88P-1 bombers. In March 1943, the batch size was specified - 13 vehicles. A month later, the number of ordered P-1s was increased to 30 units, but by the beginning of June only six machines had been produced. Officially, the reason for such a low rate of conversion is the lack of scarce 75-mm anti-tank guns, but the likely reason should probably be considered that a smaller caliber gun was enough to penetrate the relatively thin upper armor of the tank. From the planned series of Ju 88Р-1 with 75 mm by September 1943, only 18 cars were manufactured.

The prototype Ju 88Р-2, which had the designation Ju88V57/1 (serial No. 140452), made its first flight on June 18, 1943. Unlike the first version of the anti-tank "eighty-eighth", this machine, similar to the Ju-87G, was armed with two cannons VK 3,7 (Flak 38) of 37 mm caliber (according to other sources, two 30-mm MK 103 cannons). After several flights in mid-July, it was decided to re-equip the aircraft once again, this time to the R-4 variant. The Ju88P-3 variant differed from the P-2 mainly in its enhanced armor protection. One prototype was built, but the aircraft was not produced in series.

The last modification of the anti-tank "eighty-eighth" was the P-4, the same Ju88V57/l, but with one 50-mm VK 5 cannon. During firing at captured T-34 tanks, the vehicle's speed was increased to 390 km / h, and the planning angle is up to 20 °.

Armament. One 75-mm cannon Rak-40, one course MG-81 and two defensive MG-81Z.

It is believed that the P-4 series, released in early 1944, numbered 32 copies. In February 1944, squad 14 (Eis) / KG3 was formed at the Orsha airfield on the basis of detachment 9 / KG1 and several crews from 6 / KG3, the next month it received seven Ju 88Р-4, and in April-May - more six such aircraft. Contrary to the assumptions about the high vulnerability of the attack aircraft, in four months from enemy exposure, the detachment lost only one car, but in April seven Ju 88Р-4s needed repair. Two months later, the remaining five vehicles were transferred to another unit, and the detachment received the usual Ju 88A-4.

Photo	Description
	Drawing Ju-88 P-4

Bibliography

• Luftwaffe Aviation / V.N. Shunkov /
• Combat aircraft of the Luftwaffe / Ed. David Donald /
• Wings of the Luftwaffe / Translated by Andrey Firsov, 1993