Humanities › History & Culture Selected Bombers of World War II Share Flipboard Email Print Bettmann Archive / Getty Images History & Culture Military History Aerial Battles & Aircraft Battles & Wars Key Figures Arms & Weapons Naval Battles & Warships Civil War French Revolution Vietnam War World War I World War II American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History The 20th Century Women's History View More By Kennedy Hickman Military and Naval History Expert M.A., History, University of Delaware M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. our editorial process Facebook Facebook Kennedy Hickman Updated July 30, 2019 World War II was the first major war to feature widespread bombing. While some nations--such as the United States and Great Britain--built long-range, four-engine aircrafts, others chose to focus on smaller, medium bombers. Here is an overview of some of the bombers used during the conflict. 01 of 12 Heinkel He 111 Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-408-0847-10 / Martin / CC-BY-SA Developed in the 1930s, the He 111 was one of the principle medium bombers employed by the Luftwaffe during the war. The He 111 was used extensively during the Battle of Britain (1940). Nation: Germany Type: Medium Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1939-1945 Range: 1,750 miles Airspeed: 250 mph Crew: 5 Payload: 4,400 pounds Powerplant: 2× Jumo 211F-1 liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 1,300 hp each 02 of 12 Tupolev Tu-2 Alan Wilson/Flickr/https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajw1970/9735935419/in/photolist-WAHR37-W53zW7-fQkadF-ppEpGf-qjnFp5-qmtwda-hSH35q-ezyH5P-fQkdpv-hSHnpX-HySWGK-hSuLpR-hStUTZ-hSH1KU One of the Soviet Union's most important twin-engine bombers, the Tu-2 was designed at a sharaga (scientific prison) by Andrei Tupolev. Nation: Soviet Union Type: Light/Medium Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1941-1945 Range: 1,260 miles Airspeed: 325 mph Crew: 4 Payload: 3,312 pounds (internal), 5,004 pounds (external) Powerplant: 2× Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engines, 1,850 horsepower each 03 of 12 Vickers Wellington Heavily used by the RAF's Bomber Command in the first two years of the war, the Wellington was replaced in many theaters by larger, four-engined bombers such as the Avro Lancaster. Nation: Great Britain Type: Heavy Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1939-1945 Range: 2,200 miles Airspeed: 235 mph Crew: 6 Payload: 4,500 pounds Powerplant: 2× Bristol Pegasus Mk I radial engine, 1,050 hp each 04 of 12 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Elsa Blaine/Flickr/https://www.flickr.com/photos/elsablaine/14358502548/in/photostream/ One of the backbones of the American strategic bombing campaign in Europe, the B-17 became a symbol of US airpower. B-17s served in all theaters of the war and were renowned for their ruggedness and crew survivability. Nation: United States Type: Heavy Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1941-1945 Range: 2,000 miles Airspeed: 287 mph Crew: 10 Payload: 17,600 pounds (maximum), 4,500-8,000 pounds (typical) Powerplant: 4× Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp each 05 of 12 de Havilland Mosquito Flickr Vision / Getty Images Built largely of plywood, the Mosquito was one of the most versatile aircraft of World War II. During its career, it was modified for use as a bomber, night fighter, reconnaissance plane, and fighter-bomber. Nation: Great Britain Type: Light Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1941-1945 Range: 1,500 miles Airspeed: 415 mph Crew: 2 Payload: 4,000 pounds Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Merlin 76/77 (left/right) liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,710 hp each 06 of 12 Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" The Ki-21 "Sally" was the most common bomber used by the Japanese Army during the war and saw service in the Pacific and over China. Nation: Japan Type: Medium Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1939-1945 Range: 1,680 miles Airspeed: 235 mph Crew: 5-7 Payload: 2,200 pounds Powerplant: 2x Mitsubishi Army type 100 Ha-101 of 1.500 hp 07 of 12 Consolidated B-24 Liberator Photograph Courtesy of the US Air Force Like the B-17, the B-24 formed the core of the American strategic bombing campaign in Europe. With over 18,000 produced during the war, the Liberator was modified and used by the US Navy for maritime patrols. Due to its abundance, it was also deployed by other Allied powers. Nation: United States Type: Heavy Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1941-1945 Range: 2,100 miles Airspeed: 290 mph Crew: 7-10 Payload: 2,700 to 8,000 pounds depending on the target's range Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney R-1830 turbo supercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp each 08 of 12 Avro Lancaster Stuart Gray / Getty Images The RAF's principle strategic bomber after 1942, the Lancaster was known for its unusually large bomb bay (33 feet long). Lancasters are best remembered for their attacks on the Ruhr Valley dams, the battleship Tirpitz, and the firebombing of German cities. Nation: Great Britain Type: Heavy Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1942-1945 Range: 2,700 miles Airspeed: 280 mph Crew: 7 Payload: 14,000-22,000 pounds Powerplant: 4× Rolls-Royce Merlin XX V12 engines, 1,280 hp each 09 of 12 Petlyakov Pe-2 Alan Wilson [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Designed by Victor Petlyakov during his incarceration at a sharaga, the Pe-2 developed a reputation as an accurate bomber that was capable of escaping German fighters. The Pe-2 played a key role in providing tactical bombing and ground support to the Red Army. Nation: Soviet Union Type: Light/Medium Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1941-1945 Range: 721 miles Airspeed: 360 mph Crew: 3 Payload: 3,520 pounds Powerplant: 2× Klimov M-105PF liquid-cooled V-12, 1,210 hp each 10 of 12 Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" By U.S. Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons One of the most common bombers flown by the Japanese, the G4M was used in both strategic bombing and anti-shipping roles. Due to its poorly protected fuel tanks, the G4M was mockingly referred to as the "Flying Zippo" and "One-Shot Lighter" by Allied fighter pilots. Nation: Japan Type: Medium Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1941-1945 Range: 2,935 miles Airspeed: 270 mph Crew: 7 Payload: 1,765 pounds of bombs or torpedoes Powerplant: 2× Mitsubishi Kasei 25 radial engines, 1,850 hp each 11 of 12 Junkers Ju 88 Apic/RETIRED / Getty Images The Junkers Ju 88 largely replaced the Dornier Do 17 and played a large role in the Battle of Britain. A versatile aircraft, it was also modified for service as a fighter-bomber, night fighter, and dive bomber. Nation: Germany Type: Medium Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1939-1945 Range: 1,310 miles Airspeed: 317 mph Crew: 4 Payload: 5,511 pounds Powerplant: 2× Junkers Jumo 211A liquid-cooled inverted V-12, 1,200 hp each 12 of 12 Boeing B-29 Superfortress csfotoimages / Getty Images The last long-range, heavy bomber developed by the United States during the war, the B-29 served exclusively in the fight against Japan, flying from bases in China and the Pacific. On August 6, 1945, the B-29 Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. A second was dropped from the B-29 Bockscar on Nagasaki three days later. Nation: United States Type: Heavy Bomber Wartime Service Dates: 1944-1945 Range: 3,250 miles Airspeed: 357 mph Crew: 11 Payload: 20,000 pounds Powerplant: 4× Wright R-3350-23 turbo supercharged radial engines, 2,200 hp each Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Hickman, Kennedy. "Selected Bombers of World War II." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/selected-bombers-of-world-war-ii-4063155. Hickman, Kennedy. (2020, August 27). Selected Bombers of World War II. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/selected-bombers-of-world-war-ii-4063155 Hickman, Kennedy. "Selected Bombers of World War II." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/selected-bombers-of-world-war-ii-4063155 (accessed August 5, 2021). copy citation