Here is a list of the ten greatest WWII bombers:
10. Douglas A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader is a twin-engine light bomber and ground assault aircraft that proved to be a highly efficient light bomber for the US Air Force. It was more or less America’s counterpart to the British Mosquito and German Ju-88.
9. Grumman TBF Avenger
The Avenger is the most effective and most successful torpedo bomber of WWII destroying super battleships such as the Yamato and 30 submarines.
8. Douglas SBD Dauntless
This is an American scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured from 1940 to 1944.
During the Battle of Midway, Dauntless dive bombers sunk 4 Japanese strike ships, which was the turning point in the Pacific War.
7. Hanley Page Halifax
The Halifax is a British Royal Air Force four-engine heavy bomber. It was the main component of bomber command, doing routine strategic bombing missions against the Axis powers mostly during nighttime.
During their service with bomber command, they flew 82,773 operations, dropping 224, 207 tons of bombs.
6. Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The B-24, along with the B-17, was the backbone of US strategic bombing and because of its range, it was useful in Pacific bombing missions including the bombing of Japan.
5. De Havilland Mosquito
This British twin-engine shoulder-winged multi-role combat plane was used as a medium bomber, reconnaissance, tactical strike, anti-submarine warfare, and night fighter duties until the war’s end.
It also turned out to be one of the most successful warplanes of WWII and arguably the best light bomber ever produced.
4. Avro Lancaster
This plane first saw service with RAF bomber command in 1942 and became the strategic bombing offensive over Europe.
It was one of the most heavily used WWII night bombers delivering 608,612 long tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties.
3. JU-87 Stuka
This was a German dive bomber and ground attack plane that first flew in 1935. It was in charge of air assaults during the September 1939 Invasion of Poland.
Its ability to deliver bombs precisely to their targets later influenced German bomber design.
2. Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
This is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the US Air Corps and was mainly used by the USAF in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of WWII. It was a long-range bomber that was reasonably quick, high-flying, and had substantial defensive weaponry.
During WWII, it dropped more bombs than any other American plane.
1. Boeing B-29 Superfortress
This is an American four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber flown mainly by the US. It was one of the largest aircraft of WWII and could carry up to 20,000 pounds of bombs internally in the two bomb bays.
B-29s ended the Second World War by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, becoming the only bomber that had ever used nuclear weapons in combat.
