On the eve of World War II, some German air planners regarded the dive-bomber as a strategic weapon to strike with precision at enemy industry. Even factored into the army support groups, only fifteen percent of Luftwaffe front-line strength contained specialist ground-attack aircraft in September 1939. The lack of specialist close support aircraft left the general-purpose dive-bomber, the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, most suited to the close support role.[1]