Bomber: Warriors of the Skies The Untold History of Aerial Warfare

By Fouad Sabry

What is Bomber

A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. Bombs were first dropped from an aircraft during the Italo-Turkish War, with the first major deployments coming in the First World War and Second World War by all major airforces, damaging cities, towns, and rural areas. The first bomber planes in history were the Italian Caproni Ca 30 and British Bristol T.B.8, both of 1913. Some bombers were decorated with nose art or victory markings.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Bomber

Chapter 2: Strategic bombing

Chapter 3: Military aircraft

Chapter 4: Interceptor aircraft

Chapter 5: Light bomber

Chapter 6: Strategic bomber

Chapter 7: Heavy bomber

Chapter 8: Aerial warfare

Chapter 9: Tupolev Tu-4

Chapter 10: Tupolev Tu-22

(II) Answering the public top questions about bomber.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Bomber.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Jun 19, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Bomber

A bomber is a type of military combat aircraft used to attack ground and maritime targets by torpedoing, dropping bombs, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first time a bomb was dropped from an airplane was during the Italian-Turkish War, and the first significant deployments by all major air forces caused terrible damage to cities, towns, and rural areas during the First and Second World Wars. The Italian Caproni Ca 30 and the British Bristol T.B.8, both produced in 1913, were the first specifically designed bombers. Some bombers had victory marks or nose art on them.

Bombers can be divided into two categories: tactical and strategic. Heavy bombers are used for long-range operations against strategic targets during strategic bombing to hinder the enemy's ability to wage war by limiting access to resources by destroying infrastructure or decreasing industrial output. Tactical bombing is frequently carried out by smaller aircraft at closer ranges, usually against enemy ships or close to the ground forces in order to disrupt enemy military activity and support offensive operations.

Because engine power was such a critical constraint during World War II, along with the need for precision and other operational considerations, bomber designs tended to be specialized to certain duties. However, bombers served as a deterrent and were the sole way to deliver nuclear weapons to adversary targets during the early stages of the Cold War. Bombers needed to avoid being intercepted after guided air-to-air missiles were developed. Flying at high speeds and altitudes became a strategy for avoiding capture and attack. The development of ICBMs changed the role of the bomber, placing a greater emphasis on stealth technology for strategic bombers and a more tactical approach in close air support missions.

Heavy bombers are used for long-range bombing missions against important targets such supply bases, bridges, factories, shipyards, and cities itself in order to limit the enemy's access to resources by destroying infrastructure or decreasing industrial output. The B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, Tupolev Tu-95 Bear, Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire, and Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack are examples of strategic nuclear-armed bombers that are currently in service. Notable historical examples include the Gotha G.IV, Avro Lancaster, Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Boeing B-29 Superfortress, and.

Tactical bombing is frequently carried out by smaller aircraft at closer ranges, usually in close proximity to the ground forces or against enemy shipping, with the goal of thwarting enemy military activity and assisting offensive operations. The class of tactical bombers, which includes light bombers, medium bombers, dive bombers, interdictors, fighter-bombers, attack aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, and others, fills this role.

Xian JH-7, Dassault-Breguet Mirage 2000D, and Panavia Tornado IDS are current examples.

Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik, Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Hawker Typhoon, and Mikoyan MiG-27 are some instances from history.

Italian Second Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti made the first use of an air-dropped bomb—actually, four hand grenades made specifically for the purpose by the Italian naval arsenal.

On October 16, 1912, Bulgarian observer Prodan Tarakchiev dropped two of those bombs on the Turkish railway station of Karağaç (near the besieged Edirne) from an Albatros F.2 aircraft piloted by Radul Milkov, when the First Balkan War was raging.

Gianni Caproni created the Caproni Ca 30 in Italy. It made its first flight in October 1914 and had three 67 kW (80 hp) Gnome rotary engines. The engine plan was found to be problematic during test flights, and Caproni quickly switched to a more traditional strategy by installing three 81 kW (110 hp) Fiat A.10 engines. The Italian Army purchased the upgraded design, and it began receiving it in large quantities in August 1915.

Avro 504s were mostly deployed as trainers, but the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) also temporarily employed them as bombers during the outbreak of the First World War when they conducted raids against the German airship facilities.

During the War, French and British forces mostly carried out bombing raids and interdiction operations because the German air arm was compelled to focus its resources on a defensive strategy. Notably, bombing missions were a component of the British advance during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915, when squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps attacked German railway stations in an effort to obstruct the German army's logistical supply. Various Entente air power strategists, particularly Major Hugh Trenchard, were the first to advocate for sustained [strategic bombing] attacks with a view to interrupting the enemy's railway communications in conjunction with the main operations of the war. These early, improvised attempts at bombing gradually gave way to a more organized and systematic approach to strategic and tactical bombing.

At the beginning of the war, bombing was quite primitive (hand-held bombs were tossed over the side), but by its conclusion, long-range bombers outfitted with sophisticated mechanical bombing computers were being created, with the purpose of carrying heavy loads to destroy enemy industrial objectives. The French Breguet 14, the British De Havilland DH-4, the German Albatros C.III, and the Russian Sikorsky Ilya Muromets were the most significant bombers deployed during World War I. During World War I, the Russian Sikorsky Ilya Muromets was the first four-engine bomber to be equipped with a specialized strategic bombing unit. As the Central Powers did not possess equivalent aircraft until much later in the war, this heavy bomber was unmatched in the early phases of the conflict.

The majority of bombing was done by single-engined biplanes with one or two crew members flying short distances to attack enemy lines and the immediate hinterland; long range bombing raids were carried out at night by multi-engine biplanes like the Gotha G.IV (whose name was synonymous with all multi-engine German bombers), and later the Handley Page Type O. Since the weight and precision of a bomber's bomb load determined how effective it would be, ever-larger bombers were constructed beginning in World War I, and significant funds were spent creating appropriate bombsights.

Bomber designs typically tended to be adapted to certain duties because engine power was a significant constraint, as well as the need for precision and other operational considerations. Before the war began, these included:

dive bomber - enhanced for attacks while vertically dipping for improved precision

Depending on size and/or payload capacity, the terms small bomber, medium bomber, and heavy bomber are arbitrary classifications.

Specialized aircraft fitted with torpedoes are known as torpedo bombers.

aircraft that strike combat targets like infantry or tank concentrations on the ground

night bomber: a weapon designed specifically for use at night, when enemy defenses are weak

Long-range bombers used for maritime patrol and against hostile ships, especially submarines

A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft converted to carry small bombs.

Although the majority of them were equipped with defensive armaments, bombers of this era were not designed to attack other aircraft. High speed bombers started to be used extensively during World War II, beginning to reduce defensive armament in order to increase speed. Night fighters were built on a few minor concepts. In place of older traditional light bombers that were unable to defend themselves while carrying a decent bomb load, a handful of fighters, like the Hawker Hurricane, were deployed as ground attack aircraft.

The sole way to deliver nuclear weapons to adversary targets at the start of the Cold War, bombers served as a deterrent. Bombers needed to avoid being intercepted after guided air-to-air missiles were developed. Flying at high speeds and altitudes became a strategy for avoiding capture and attack. Compared to modern fighters, designs like the English Electric Canberra could fly higher or faster. When high-flying bombers