World War II Bombers in Photographs

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.

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Heinkel He 111

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 April 1, 2023).