In 1942, the Luftwaffe was interested in replacing the venerable but ageing Junkers Ju 87, and Dr. Richard Vogt's design team at Blohm & Voss began work on project P 177.[1] The dive bomber version would have had a one-man crew with two fixed forward firing 15abbr=onNaNabbr=on MG 151 cannon and two rear firing 13abbr=onNaNabbr=on MG 131 machine guns, carrying 2000kg (4,000lb) of bombs.
A two-seat ground attack version was also proposed with two fixed forward firing 15abbr=onNaNabbr=on MG 151 cannon, three forward firing 30abbr=onNaNabbr=on MK 103 cannon with six 70kg (150lb) bombs.[2]
A final B-1 type was to incorporate a Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engine in a third nacelle slung underneath the wing, between the piston engine and the cockpit.
In early 1943 the B&V design, now called the BV 237, was shown to Hitler and he ordered it into production. However the order was not carried out.[3] In the summer, Allied bombing raids over Hamburg caused no damage to the Blohm and Voss facilities, but the Ministry of Aviation ordered all developmental work stopped. Work continued later and it was determined that construction could begin in mid 1945, but plans for a pre-production A-0 series were abandoned, leaving the project at the pre-production stage near the end of 1944,[1] with only a wooden mock-up completed.
P.177: Original project which led to the BV 237.