Bombers of the Second World War: Soviet, American, English, German

Dozens of different bombers operated on the fronts and in the rear of the Second World War. All of them had different technical characteristics, but they were equally important for their armies. Many land operations became impossible or extremely complicated without bombing enemy strategic targets.

Heinkel

One of the main and most common bombers of the Luftwaffe was Heinkel He 111. In total, 7,600 such vehicles were produced. Some of them were modifications of storm troopers and torpedo bombers. The history of the project began with the fact that Ernest Heinkel (an outstanding German aircraft designer) decided to build the fastest passenger aircraft in the world. The idea was so ambitious that it was skeptical of both the new Nazi political leadership of Germany and the industry professionals. However, Heinkel was serious. He instructed the design of the machine to the brothers Gunther.

The first experimental aircraft was ready in 1932. He managed to beat the then high-speed records in the sky, which was an undeniable success at first a dubious project. But it was not yet Heinkel He 111, but only his predecessor. Passenger aircraft became interested in the army. Representatives of the Luftwaffe began work on the creation of a military modification. The civilian aircraft was to turn into a fast, but at the same time, deadly bomber.

The first combat vehicles left their hangars during the civil war in Spain. The aircraft got the legion "Condor". The results of their application were satisfied by the Nazi leadership. The project was continued. Later Heinkel He 111 was used on the Western Front. It was during a blitzkrieg in France. Many enemy bombers of the Second World War were inferior to the German aircraft in technical specifications. His great speed allowed him to overtake the enemy and escape from the pursuit. The airfields and other important strategic sites of France were primarily bombed. Intensive air support enabled the Wehrmacht to operate more effectively on the ground. German bombers made a significant contribution to the successes of Nazi Germany at the initial stage of the Second World War.

Junkers

In 1940, Heinkel began to gradually replace the more modern Junkers Ju 88 (Junkers Yu-88). During the period of active operation, 15,000 such models were produced. Their indispensability consisted in universality. As a rule, bombers of the Second World War were intended for one particular purpose - the bombing of ground targets. With Junkers everything was different. It was used as a bomber, torpedo-bearer, scout and night fighter.

As in his time "Heinkel", this aircraft set a new speed record, reaching a mark of 580 kilometers per hour. However, the production of the Junkers began too late. As a result, at the beginning of the war, only 12 cars were ready. Therefore, at the initial stage, mainly Heinkel was used in the Luftwaffe. In 1940, the German war industry finally produced enough new aircraft. The aircraft fleet began to rotate.

The first serious test for the Ju 88 began in the battle for Britain. In the summer-autumn of 1940, German planes persistently tried to take possession of the sky over England, exposing cities and enterprises to bombings. Ju 88 in this operation played a key role. The British experience allowed German designers to create several modifications of the model, which were supposed to reduce its vulnerability. Rear machine guns were replaced and a new armor of the cabin was installed.

By the end of the battle for Britain in the Luftwaffe received a new modification, which had a more powerful engine. This "Junkers" got rid of all the previous shortcomings and became the most formidable German airplane. Almost all bombers of the Second World War changed throughout the conflict. They got rid of unnecessary features, updated and received new characteristics. The same fate was with the Ju 88. From the very beginning of their operation, they began to be used as dive bombers, but the skeleton of the aircraft did not withstand the heavy load exerted by such a method of bombing. Therefore, in 1943, the model and its scope were changed somewhat. After this modification, the pilots were able to drop shells at an angle of 45 degrees.

"Pawn"

In the succession of Soviet bombers, the Pe-2 was the most massive, widespread (about 11,000 units were produced). In the Red Army he was called "Pawn". It was a classic twin-engine bomber, designed on the basis of the "VI-100" model. The first flight was made in December 1939.

According to the design classification, "Pe-2" belonged to low-wing planes with a low-lying wing. The fuselage was divided into three compartments. In the cockpit sat the navigator and pilot. The middle part of the fuselage was free. At the tail was a cabin, designed for the shooter, who also performed the functions of a radio operator. The model received a large windshield - all bombers of the Second World War needed a large angle of view. This aircraft was the first in the USSR to receive electrical control of various mechanisms. The experience was trial, because of which the system had many shortcomings. Because of them, cars are often self-ignited due to the contact of a spark and gasoline fumes.

Like many other Soviet aircraft of World War II, during the German offensive, the Pawns faced many problems. The army was clearly unprepared for an unexpected attack. During the first days of Operation Barbarossa, many airfields were raided by enemy aircraft, and the equipment that was stored in those hangars was destroyed before even having made at least one combat sortie. "Pe-2" was not always used for its intended purpose (that is, as a dive bomber). These aircraft often operated in a group. During such operations, the bombing ceased to be point-like and became non-targeted when the command about the bombardment was submitted by the "leading" crew. In the first months of the war, "Pe-2" almost did not dive. This was due to the lack of professional staff. Only after several waves of recruits passed through the flying schools, the plane was able to open all its potential.

Pavel Sukhov's bomber

Less common was another bomber - "Su-2." It was distinguished for its high cost, but at the same time, advanced technologies in manufacturing. It was not only a Soviet bomber, but thanks to a good viewing angle and an artillery spotter. The aircraft designer Pavel Sukhoi achieved an increase in the speed of the model by transferring bombs to the internal suspension located inside the fuselage.

Like all World War II aircraft, "Su" has experienced all the vicissitudes of a difficult time. According to Sukhoi's plan, the bomber had to be completely made of metal. However, there was an acute lack of aluminum in the country. For this reason, the ambitious project has not been implemented.

"Su-2" was more reliable than other Soviet military aircraft. For example, in 1941, about 5 thousand sorties were carried out, while the Air Force lost 222 bombers (it was approximately one loss for 22 sorties). This is the best Soviet indicator. On average, irretrievable losses were one aircraft at 14 sorties, which is 1.6 times more frequent.

The crew of the car consisted of two people. The maximum range was 910 kilometers, and the speed in the sky was 486 kilometers per hour. The rated power of the engine was 1330 horsepower. The history of the application of "drying", as in the case with other models, is full of examples of the exploits of the Red Army soldiers. For example, on September 12, 1941, pilot Elena Zelenko made a ramming of an enemy airplane "Me-109", depriving him of his wing. The pilot was killed, and the navigator was catapulted according to her order. This was the only known case of a ram on the Su-2.

"IL-4"

In 1939, a distant bomber appeared, which made a serious contribution to the victory of the USSR over Germany in the Great Patriotic War. It was "IL-4", developed under the leadership of Sergei Ilyushin in OKB-240. Originally it was known as "DB-3". Only in March 1942 the aircraft was named "Il-4", which remained in history.

The model "DB-3" was characterized by a number of shortcomings that could become fatal during a battle with the enemy. In particular, the aircraft suffered from fuel leakage, cracks in the gas tank, brake system failure, chassis wear, etc. On this machine, the pilots, regardless of their preparation, it was extremely difficult to withstand the takeoff course during the ascent into the air. A serious test for the "DB-3" was the Winter War. Finns managed to find the car "dead" zone.

Correction of errors began after the completion of that campaign. Even in spite of the accelerated pace of aircraft modification, by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, not all the newly made IL-4s were spared the shortcomings of the previous model. At the first stage of the Germans' offensive, when the defense plants were hastily evacuated to the East, the quality of the products produced (including in aviation) declined markedly. The car did not have an autopilot, despite the fact that it constantly fell into a roll or lost its course. In addition, the Soviet bomber got improperly adjusted carburettors, because of which there was an excessive waste of fuel, and, consequently, a reduction in the duration of the flight.

Only after the turn in the war the quality of IL-4 began to improve noticeably. This was facilitated by the restoration of industry, as well as the implementation of new zadumok aviation engineers and designers. Gradually, "IL-4" became the main Soviet long-range bomber. The famous pilots and Heroes of the Soviet Union flew on it: Vladimir Vyazovsky, Dmitry Barashev, Vladimir Borisov, Nikolai Gastello, etc.

"Battle"

In the late 1930's. The company Fairey Aviation has designed a new aircraft. These were single-engine bombers used in the British Air Force and Belgium. In total, the manufacturer produced more than two thousand such models. Fairey Battle was used only at the first stage of the war. After the time showed its inefficiency compared to German aircraft, the bomber was recalled from the front. Later it was used as a training aircraft.

The main drawbacks of the model were: slowness, limited range, as well as vulnerability to anti-aircraft fire. The latter feature was particularly disastrous. Battle knocked down more often than other models. Nevertheless, it was on the bomber of this model that the first symbolic victory of Great Britain in the air during the Second World War was won.

Armament was (according to the bomb load) 450 kilograms - it usually included four 113 kilogram high-explosive bombs. The shells were held on hydraulic lifts, which were reared in the niche of the wings. During the discharge, the bombs fell into special hatches (except for the bombing when diving). The sight was under the control of the navigator, located in the cockpit behind the pilot's seat. The defensive armament of the aircraft included the Browning machine gun, which was in the right wing of the car, as well as the Vickers machine gun in the rear cockpit. The popularity of the bomber was explained by another important fact - it was extremely simple to handle. With the piloting, people with a minimum hourly incrustation coped.

"Marauder"

In the Americans, the niche of the average bomber was occupied by the twin-engine Martin B-26 Marauder. The first aircraft of this series first appeared in the air in November 1940, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. After several months of operation of the first B-26, a modification of the VB-26B appeared. She received reinforced armor protection, new weapons. The aircraft increased the wingspan. This was done in order to reduce the speed required for landing. Other modifications were distinguished by an increased angle of attack of the wing and improved take-off characteristics. In total, over 5,000 aircraft of this model were manufactured during the years of operation.

The first combat operations of the Marauders took place in April 1942 in the sky of New Guinea. Later 500 such aircraft were forwarded to the UK under the Lend-Lease program. A significant number of them operated in the fighting in North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. The B-26 debuted in this new region for itself a major operation. Eight days in a row there was a bombing of German and Italian troops near the Tunisian city of Susa. In the summer of 1943 the same B-26s participated in raids on Rome. The planes bombed airfields and railway junctions, causing serious damage to the infrastructure of the Nazis.

Thanks to their successes, American cars were in great demand. In late 1944, they participated in repulsing the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes mountains. During these fierce battles, 60 B-26s were lost. These losses could not be noticed, since the Americans supplied to Europe more and more of their aircraft. After the Second World War, the Marauders gave way to more modern Douglas (A-26).

Mitchell

Another American medium bomber was the B-25 Mitchell. It was a twin-engine aircraft with a three-wheeled chassis located in the forward fuselage compartment, and a bomb load of 544 kilograms. As a protective weapon, "Mitchell" received machine guns of medium caliber. They were located in the tail and nose of the aircraft, as well as in its special windows.

The first prototype was built in 1939 in Inglewood. Movement of the aircraft provided two engines with a capacity of 1100 horsepower each (later they were replaced by even more powerful ones). The order for the production of "Mitchell" was signed in September 1939. Within a few months the specialists made some changes to the design of the aircraft. His cockpit was completely redesigned - now both pilots could sit in close proximity to each other. The first prototype had wings on top of the fuselage. After completion, they were moved slightly lower - to the middle.

In the design of the aircraft were introduced new protected fuel tanks. The crew received enhanced protection - additional armor plates. Such bombers became known as the B-25A modification. These aircraft took part in the very first battles with the Japanese after the declaration of war. The model with machine gun turrets was named B-25B. The weapon was controlled with the help of the newest electric drive at the time. B-25B were sent to Australia. In addition, they were remembered participating in the raid on Tokyo in 1942. "Mitchells" were purchased by the Netherlands army, but this order was foiled. Nevertheless, the aircraft still went abroad - to the UK and the USSR.

"Hevok"

The light American bomber Douglas A-20 Havoc was part of the family of aircraft, which also included ground-attack aircraft and night fighters. During the war years, the machines of this model were immediately in several armies, including the British and even the Soviet. The bombers got the English name Havoc ("Hevok"), ie, "devastation".

The first representatives of this family were ordered by the Air Corps of the US Army in the spring of 1939. The new model received turbocharged engines, the power of which was 1,700 horsepower. However, the operation showed that they had problems with cooling and reliability. Therefore, in this configuration, only four aircraft were produced. The following machines received new engines (already without turbo-supercharging). Finally, in the spring of 1941, the Air Corps accepted the first bomber A-20 ready. His weapons consisted of four machine guns, pair-wise installed in the nose of the car. The aircraft could use a variety of shells. Especially for him began to produce 11-kilogram parachute fragmentation bombs. In 1942, this model had a modification of Gunship. She had a modified cabin. The place occupied by the scorer was replaced by a battery of four machine guns.

Back in 1940, the US Army ordered another 1,000 A-20B. A new modification appeared after it was decided to provide "Hevok" with more powerful small arms, including additional large-caliber machine guns. 2/3 of this party were sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program, and the rest remained in the American service. The most popular modification was the A-20G. Nearly three thousand such aircraft were produced.

Great demand for "Hevok" to the limit loaded factories company "Douglas." Its management even handed over a license for the production of Boeing, so that the front could get as many aircraft as possible. Machines produced by this company received other electrical equipment.

Mosquito

With the multifunctionality of De Havilland Mosquito during the Second World War, only the German Ju-88 could argue. British designers succeeded in creating a bomber, which, due to its high speed, did not need any defensive weapons.

The plane could not get into mass production, because the project was almost chopped off by officials. The first prototypes were produced in a limited series of 50 cars. After that, the production of aircraft was stopped as many as three times for a variety of reasons. And only the obstinacy of the management of the company "Ford Motors" gave the bomber a chance in life. When in November 1940 the first prototype "Mosquito" got into the air, everyone was amazed by its flight characteristics.

The basis of the design of the aircraft was a monoplane. A pilot was sitting in front of him, who had an excellent view from the cockpit. A distinctive feature of the machine was the fact that almost the whole body was made of wood. The wings were made of plywood, as well as a pair of spars. Radiators were located in the forward section of the wing, between the fuselage and the motors. This design feature was very useful during the cruise flight.

In the later versions of the Mosquito, the wing span was increased from 16 to 16.5 m. Thanks to improvements, the exhaust system as well as the engines improved. It is interesting that at first the aircraft was considered a scout. And only after it became clear that the lightweight design possesses outstanding flight data, it was decided to use the machine as a bomber. "Mosquito" was used during allied aviation raids on German cities at the last stage of the war. They were used not only for point bombings, but also for adjusting the fire of other aircraft. The model losses were among the smallest during the conflict in Europe (16 losses at 1000 sorties). Thanks to the speed and altitude of the flight, the Mosquito became unattainable for anti-aircraft artillery and German fighters. The only serious threat to the bomber was the reactive Messerschmitt Me.262.