[caldrail]

I would imagine Heinkel had the idea of designing something to eclipse and supplant the Ju87. After all, Heinkel was frustrated by support for Messerschmitt regarding speed records and always had an eye for performance aeroplanes. However, although intended as a dive bomber (B model) or reconnaisance (F model), it was also put forward as a fighter-bomber (J model). Although pilots reported favourable handling characteristics, the design failed to reach the desired performance and the J model was abandoned. Twelve B0 pre-production airframes saw service for six months before being withdrawn on the eastern front, transferred to Rumania where they lingered on until the mid-war.