Page 312 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

310 BOMBER AIRCRAFT 1939–42 Ventral gun turret

1914–1945 During World War II, two different types of bomber aircraft

emerged: those designed to fly long-range “strategic” missions against
infrastructure targets, or drop bombs onto industrial cities in the hope

which were employed on and around the battlefield. Both had vital
ARS of causing significant disruption to manufacturing; and “tactical” bombers, ▲ HEINKEL HE 111 The most numerous of the medium
roles to play, but it was the “heavies,” the four-engined aircraft capable
of carrying many tons of bombs, which came to define the type. Aircraft
bombers with which the Luftwaffe
Date 1941 Origin Germany
entered the war, the He 111 was
such as these did not begin to enter service until war was already
ORLD W under way, operating alongside the twin-engined types, which Wingspan 74ft (22.6m) built in a bewildering array of variants,
Length 54ft (16.4m)
the most outlandish of which was the
had dominated production during the 1930s.
twin-fuselage, five-engined He 111Z.
Top speed 275mph (440kph)
Engine Two 1,300hp (1,969.4kW)
Junkers Jumo 211F-1 in-line V-12s
THE W Metal-and-wood composite (inverted)
framework

Long, thin fuselage gave
Front machine-
aircraft its nickname
gun turret had
▲ VICKERS WELLINGTON The “Wimpy,” as it was universally power traverse ▲ DORNIER DO.17 The Do.17—the “Flying Pencil”—
Date 1941 Origin UK known, had a fabric-covered metal- was relatively unimportant when
and-wood airframe, which was Date 1938 Origin Germany
1
Wingspan 86 ⁄6ft (26.26m) light and very strong but took a Wingspan 59ft (18m) compared to other German bombers
Length 61ft (18.54m) long time to assemble. It remained Length 52ft (15.79m) of the early war years, especially the
He 111. Thanks to its agility, however,
Top speed 255mph (410kph) in combat service with the UK’s it was a favorite with its crew.
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Top speed 255mph (410kph)
Engine Two 1,500hp (1,118.5kW) until October 1943. Engine Twin 1,000hp (745.7kW)
Bristol Hercules XI two-bank BMW Bramo 323P “Fafnir” single-bank
14-cylinder radials
9-cylinder radials
Waist gunners
Enormous tail fin for had a single .5in Two remotely controlled Two .303in Browning
high-altitude stability machine-gun each .5in machine-guns machine-guns

▲ BOEING B-17 FLYING FORTRESS Famed for its ability to absorb damage,
Date 1943 Origin US the Flying Fortress’s (see pp.314–17)
weakness was its limited bomb load—
Wingspan 103 ⁄4ft (31.62m) just half that of the Lancaster. Bristling Bomb-aimer’s
3
1
Length 74 ⁄3ft (22.66m) with guns, Fortresses flew in “combat position
Top speed 285mph (460kph) box” formation for mutual defense
against fighters during daylight raids.
Engine Four 1,200hp (894.8kW)
Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone single-bank
9-cylinder radials
Two .5in machine-guns
in manned turret
Tail fins canted
inboard from the vertical Eight .5in machine-guns
mounted in nose

Waist gunners
had .5in
Two remotely controlled machine-guns
machine-guns

▲ B-25 MITCHELL With war imminent, the US Army
Date 1943 Origin US Air Corps ordered the B-25 Mitchell
medium bomber “off the drawing
1
Wingspan 67 ⁄2ft (20.6m) board,” without waiting for a prototype.
Length 54ft (16.45m) Eventually, almost 10,000 were built in
Top speed 272mph (438kph) six main variants, including the B-25H/J Two .5in machine-
gunships, which had up to 18 machine-
Engine Two 1,700hp (1,267.6kW) guns in rear turret
Wright R-2600-92 Cyclone guns and a 75mm cannon.
two-bank 14-cylinder radials