There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical.Strategic bombing is done byheavy bombers primarily designed for long-range bombing missions againststrategic targets to diminish the enemy's ability to wage war by limiting access to resources through crippling infrastructure, reducing industrial output, or inflicting massive civilian casualties to an extent deemed to force surrender. Tactical bombing is aimed at countering enemy military activity and in supporting offensive operations, and is typically assigned to smaller aircraft operating at shorter ranges, typically near the troops on the ground or against enemy shipping.
DuringWWII with engine power as a major limitation, combined with the desire for accuracy and other operational factors, bomber designs tended to be tailored to specific roles. Early in theCold War however, bombers were the only means of carryingnuclear weapons to enemy targets, and held the role ofdeterrence.
With the advent of guided air-to-air missiles, bombers needed to avoid interception. High-speed and high-altitude flying became a means of evading detection and attack. With the advent ofICBMs the role of the bomber was brought to a more tactical focus in close air support roles, and a focus onstealth technology for strategic bombers.
The first use of an air-dropped bomb (actually four hand grenades specially manufactured by the Italian naval arsenal) was carried out by Italian Second LieutenantGiulio Gavotti[1] on 1 November 1911 during theItalo-Turkish war in Libya – although his plane was not designed for the task of bombing, and his improvised attacks on Ottoman positions had little impact. Thesepicric acid-filled steel spheres were nicknamed "ballerinas" from the fluttering fabric ribbons attached.[2] Turks carried out the first ever anti-airplane operation in history during theItalo-Turkish war. Although lacking anti-aircraft weapons, they were the first to shoot down an airplane by rifle fire. The first aircraft to crash in a war was the one of Lieutenant Piero Manzini, shot down on 25 August 1912.[3][4]
The first heavier-than-air aircraft purposely designed for bombing were theItalianCaproni Ca 30 andBritishBristol T.B.8, both of 1913.[8] The Bristol T.B.8 was an earlyBritish singleenginedbiplane built by theBristol Aeroplane Company. They were fitted with a prismaticBombsight in the frontcockpit and a cylindrical bomb carrier in the lower forward fuselage capable of carrying twelve 10 pounds (4.5 kg) bombs, which could be dropped singly or as a salvo as required.[9]
The aircraft was purchased for use both by theRoyal Naval Air Service and theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC), and three T.B.8s, that were being displayed inParis during December 1913 fitted with bombing equipment, were sent to France following the outbreak of war. Under the command ofCharles Rumney Samson, a bombing attack onGerman gun batteries atMiddelkerke,Belgium was executed on 25 November 1914.[10][11]
The dirigible, or airship, was developed in the early 20th century. Early airships were prone to disaster, but slowly the airship became more dependable, with a more rigid structure and stronger skin. Prior to the outbreak of war,Zeppelins, a larger and more streamlined form ofairship designed by German CountFerdinand von Zeppelin, were outfitted to carry bombs to attack targets at long range. These were the first long range, strategic bombers. Although the German air arm was strong, with a total of 123 airships by the end of the war, they were vulnerable to attack and engine failure, as well as navigational issues. German airships inflicted little damage on all 51 raids, with 557 Britons killed and 1,358 injured. The German Navy lost 53 of its 73 airships, and the German Army lost 26 of its 50 ships.[12]
TheCaproni Ca 30 was built byGianni Caproni inItaly. It was a twin-boombiplane with three 67 kW (90 hp)Gnome rotary engines and first flew in October1914. Test flights revealed power to be insufficient and the engine layout unworkable, and Caproni soon adopted a more conventional approach installing three 81 kW (109 hp)Fiat A.10s. The improved design was bought by theItalian Army and it was delivered in quantity from August1915.
While mainly used as atrainer, Avro 504s were also briefly used as bombers at the start of theFirst World War by theRoyal Naval Air Service (RNAS) when they were used for raids on the German airship sheds.[13]
Strategic bombing
Bombing raids and interdiction operations were mainly carried out by French and British forces during the War as theGerman air arm was forced to concentrate its resources on a defensive strategy. Notably, bombing campaigns formed a part of the British offensive at theBattle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915, withRoyal Flying Corps squadrons attacking German railway stations in an attempt to hinder the logistical supply of theGerman army. The early, improvised attempts at bombing that characterized the early part of the war slowly gave way to a more organized and systematic approach to strategic and tactical bombing, pioneered by various air power strategists of theEntente, especially MajorHugh Trenchard; he was the first to advocate that there should be "... sustained [strategic bombing] attacks with a view to interrupting the enemy's railway communications ... in conjunction with the main operations of the Allied Armies."[8]
When the war started, bombing was very crude (hand-held bombs were thrown over the side) yet by the end of the war long-range bombers equipped with complex mechanical bombing computers were being built, designed to carry large loads to destroy enemy industrial targets. The most important bombers used in World War I were the FrenchBreguet 14, Britishde Havilland DH-4, GermanAlbatros C.III and RussianSikorsky Ilya Muromets. TheRussianSikorsky Ilya Muromets, was the first four-engine bomber to equip a dedicated strategic bombing unit duringWorld War I. This heavy bomber was unrivaled in the early stages of the war, as the Central Powers had no comparable aircraft until much later.
Long range bombing raids were carried out at night by multi-enginebiplanes such as theGotha G.IV (whose name was synonymous with all multi-engine German bombers) and later theHandley Page Type O; the majority of bombing was done by single-engined biplanes with one or two crew members flying short distances to attack enemy lines and immediate hinterland. As the effectiveness of a bomber was dependent on the weight and accuracy of its bomb load, ever larger bombers were developed starting in World War I, while considerable money was spent developing suitable bombsights.
With engine power as a major limitation, combined with the desire for accuracy and other operational factors, bomber designs tended to be tailored to specific roles. By the start of the war this included:
dive bomber – specially strengthened for vertical diving attacks for greater accuracy
torpedo bomber – specialized aircraft armed with torpedoes
ground attack aircraft – aircraft used against targets on a battlefield such as troop or tank concentrations
night bomber – specially equipped to operate at night when opposing defences are limited
maritime patrol – long range bombers that were used against enemy shipping, particularly submarines
fighter-bomber – a modified fighter aircraft used as a light bomber
Bombers of this era were not intended to attack other aircraft although most were fitted with defensive weapons. World War II saw the beginning of the widespread use of high speed bombers which began to minimize defensive weaponry in order to attain higher speed. Some smaller designs were used as the basis fornight fighters. A number of fighters, such as theHawker Hurricane were used as ground attack aircraft, replacing earlier conventional light bombers that proved unable to defend themselves while carrying a useful bomb load.
At the start of the Cold War, bombers were the only means of carryingnuclear weapons to enemy targets, and had the role ofdeterrence. With the advent of guided air-to-air missiles, bombers needed to avoid interception. High-speed and high-altitude flying became a means of evading detection and attack. Designs such as theEnglish Electric Canberra could fly faster or higher than contemporary fighters. When surface-to-air missiles became capable of hitting high-flying bombers, bombers were flown at low altitudes to evade radar detection and interception.
Once "stand off" nuclear weapon designs were developed, bombers did not need to pass over the target to make an attack; they could fire and turn away to escape the blast. Nuclear strike aircraft were generally finished in bare metal oranti-flash white to minimize absorption ofthermal radiation from theflash of anuclear explosion. The need to drop conventional bombs remained in conflicts with non-nuclear powers, such as theVietnam War orMalayan Emergency.
The development of large strategic bombers stagnated in the later part of the Cold War because of spiraling costs and the development of theIntercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – which was felt to have similar deterrent value while being impossible to intercept. Because of this, the United States Air ForceXB-70 Valkyrie program was cancelled in the early 1960s; the laterB-1B Lancer andB-2 Spirit aircraft entered service only after protracted political and development problems. Their high cost meant that few were built and the 1950s-designed B-52s are projected to remain in use until the 2040s. Similarly, the Soviet Union used the intermediate-rangeTu-22M 'Backfire' in the 1970s, but theirMach 3 bomber project stalled. The Mach 2Tu-160 'Blackjack' was built only in tiny numbers, leaving the 1950s Tupolev Tu-16 andTu-95 'Bear' heavy bombers to continue being used into the 21st century.
TheBritish strategic bombing force largely came to an end when theV bomber force was phased out; the last of which left service in 1983. The FrenchMirage IV bomber version was retired in 1996, although the Mirage 2000N and the Rafale have taken on this role. The only other nation that fields strategic bombing forces isChina, which has a number ofXian H-6s.
At present, these air forces are each developing stealth replacements for their legacy bomber fleets, the USAF with theNorthrop Grumman B-21, the Russian Aerospace Forces with thePAK DA, and the PLAAF with theXian H-20. As of 2021[update], the B-21 is expected to enter service by 2026–2027.[14] The B-21 would be capable of loitering near target areas for extended periods of time.[15]
Other uses
Occasionally, military aircraft have been used to bombice jams with limited success as part of an effort to clear them.[16][17][18] In 2018, theSwedish Air Force dropped bombs on a forest fire, snuffing out flames with the aid of the blast waves. The fires had been raging in an area contaminated withunexploded ordnance, rendering them difficult to extinguish for firefighters.[19]
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