When Junkers refused, he was placed under house arrest, and his patents and company were seized.
The Junkers Design
The Ju 52 was designed primarily as a passenger aircraft for the airlines.
The plane used a corrugated metal called duralumin, a Junkers proprietary material that strengthened the aircraft structure.
This restored Junkers Ju 52 performs a demonstration flight at the CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show in 2003. It is a three-blade propeller version. Image: DVIDS/U.S. Air Force
The production of this model was halted three years later for the more powerful tri-motor version.
Ford countersued in Prague and lost again with the court finding that Ford had infringed upon the Junkers design.
Hugo Junkers would ultimately lose control of his companies to the Nazi government before passing away.
German mountain troops wait to board a Junkers Ju 52 transport for the invasion of Crete. Image: AWM
Junkers built 4,835 Ju 52/3m aircraft, with the Luftwaffe receiving 2,804.
In the early 30s, The 17-passenger Ju 52 was used heavily by several airlines.
German Airline Lufthansa took delivery of its first aircraft in May 1932 and eventually grew its fleet to 231.
A German Junkers Ju 52 transport plane in white winter camouflage prepares to take off somewhere in the Soviet Union. Image: Weper Hermann/13 German Mobile Assault Unit
Lufthansa used the Junkers to fly commercial routes such as Berlin to London and Berlin to Rome.
Wartime Transport
The Ju 52 was used quite effectively as a transport/cargo aircraft by several nations.
The retreat was a bloodbath for the Junkers.
A Junkers Ju 52 as a passenger plane in the Estonian AGO airline. Image: Estonian National Archives
The Ju 52s transported 8,388 soldiers and ferried 5,040 tons of supplies for the operations in North Africa.
The Junker was also used to transport command staff and Hitler.
His aircraft was named Immelmann II after the World War I ace Max Immelmann.
Wounded German troops are loaded into a Ju 52 plane operated by the Red Cross. There is room for 12 people lying down and four sitting. Image: Netherlands National Archives
Another leader who used the Junkers as personal transport was Chiang Kai Shek.
The plane was modified with two bomb bays with 3,300 pounds of ordnance capacity.
It was also fitted with two MG-15 drum-fed machine guns for defense.
A Junkers Ju-52 aircraft belonging to Lufthansa is parked at the airport. Image: National Digital Archives of Poland
Germany did use Ju 52 planes in bombing missions against Warsaw during the invasion of Poland in September 1939.
This is believed to be the last use of these planes as bombers by the Luftwaffe.
On the first day, German casualties were high, and the Allied powers believed they would be victorious.
German paratroopers jump from Ju 52 planes during the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940. Image: Netherlands National Archives
With its reliability and performance, the Ju-52/3m earned its place in aircraft history alongside the Douglas DC-3 Dakota.
German paratroopers land in Tedingerbroek near The Hague, Netherlands. The paratroopers jumped from Ju 52 planes, which are visible at the top of the frame. Image: Netherlands National Archives
German Fallschirmjäger jump from a Junkers Ju 52 airplane above the Netherlands in 1940. Image: Netherlands National Archives
Adolf Hitler, during a visit to the headquarters of the Army “South”, stands in front of his Junkers Ju 52 aircraft. Image: National Digital Archives of Poland
Libyan soldiers watch as a Junkers Ju 52 taxis after delivering aircraft parts. Image: Netherlands National Archives
German paratroopers prepare to load onto a Junkers Ju 52 for the invasion of Crete in 1941. Image: AWM
German paratroopers jump from a burning Ju 52 that was hit by Allied machine gun fire during the invasion of Crete, May 1941. Additional Ju 52 planes and paratroopers are also seen. Image: IWM
A captured Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, nicknamed the Libyan Clipper. It was used by RAAF to transport mail, food supplies and small items from Cairo and back to the front line. Image: AWM
