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First use of air-dropped bombs -

The Italians pioneered the use of air-dropped bombs, a technique they adopted during the Italo-Turkish War (1911–1912) by using airships as a delivery method to attack Ottoman positions in Libya.

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The first bomb dropped from an aircraft -

On November 1, 1911, during the same conflict, Italian pilot Giulio Gavotti air-dropped the first bomb from an aircraft over the battlefield—in fact a cluster of four specially manufactured grenades.

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First use of aircraft for offensive military action -

However, it was the Bulgarian Air Force that was the first to use aircraft for offensive military action, doing so during the First Balkan War (1912–1913). Here, Bulgarian airmen prepare for a mission to drop a bomb by hand on Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey), from their Bleriot XI aircraft.

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The world's first "bombers" -

In 1913, the British and Italians designed the first heavier-than-air aircraft purposely designed for bombing—the Bristol T.B.8 and Caproni Ca 30 (pictured) respectively.

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The Zeppelin as a bomber -

During the early stages of the First World War, the Germans used their rigid airships, known as Zeppelins, as strategic bombers in raids on England, France, Belgium, and other Allied targets. By 1918, Zeppelin attacks on London alone had killed some 557 people and injured 1,358 others, and damaged thousands of pounds-worth of property.

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Emergence of long-range bombers -

As the conflict progressed, more complex, long-range bombers appeared, specifically the German Goth G.IV (pictured), the French Breguet 14, and the British de Havilland DH-4. These, plus the Russian Sikorsky Ilya Muromets, were designed to carry large loads of ordnance to destroy industrial targets.

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Strategic and tactical bombing -

The Great War split bombing into two fields: tactical and strategic bombing. Tactical bombing involved dropping bombs on or near the front line, the aim being to blast enemy troop concentrations or ships at sea. Pictured is the de Havilland DH-4, which could carry 460 pounds (208 kilograms) of bombs.

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Targeting infrastructure -

Strategic bombing targeted factories, warehouses, bridges, railway yards, airfields, shipyards, and other vital infrastructure. Pictured are industrial scale gas tanks destroyed during a raid in 1916.

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Sea-based airborne warfare -

In 1918, the Americans unveiled the Martin MB-1—the first large bomber flown by the US Navy and Marine Corps. Three years later, in 1921, Martin produced its KG.1 variant of the MB-1, designed as an antiship torpedo bomber under the designation MBT. The aircraft played a key role in the evolution of sea-based airborne warfare.

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JU 87 (Stuka) -

The period between the wars saw aircraft technology advance rapidly. One of the most effective bombers developed during this period was the Junkers JU 87, or Stuka. This aircraft first flew in 1935 and made its combat debut in 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. The Stuka became one of the most iconic symbols of Nazi Germany's Blitzkrieg victories of 1939–1942 and was known for its terrifying-sounding air sirens, activated when it was in a steep dive zeroing in on its target.

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Heinkel He 111 -

Arguably the best-recognized German bomber of the Second World War was the twin-engined Heinkel He 111. The aircraft saw extensive action during the Battle of Britain and served as a strategic bomber across the entire European, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African front.

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Handley Page Halifax -

Entering service with the Royal Air Force on November 13, 1940, the Halifax quickly became a major component of Great Britain's Bomber Command, and heralded the arrival of the four-engined heavy bomber.

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Avro Lancaster -

The Avro Lancaster heavy bomber entered service in February 1942. Its long, unobstructed bomb bay meant that the aircraft could take the largest bombs used by the RAF. Lancaster bombers formed 617 Squadron, which gained fame for delivering the "bouncing bombs" that breached the Möhne and Edersee dams in May 1943 and caused catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley. The aircraft involved became known as the "dambusters."

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B-17 Flying Fortress -

The Americans had developed the B-17 Flying Fortress in the 1930s. The aircraft saw early service in the Pacific during the Second World War, but later became a vital daylight component of the Allied strategic bombing campaign over Europe. In fact, during the European Theater of Operations, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during the entire war.

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Consolidated B-24 Liberator -

While less robust than the B-17 Flying Fortress, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator was nonetheless used extensively by the United States Army Air Forces and saw use in every theater of operations during the Second World War. Pictured is a squadron of B-24s with an escort of North American Aviation P-51 Mustang fighters during a bombing mission to Nazi-occupied Europe.

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Messerschmitt Me 262 -

Operational from mid-1944, the Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world's first jet-powered fighter aircraft. It makes this list because Adolf Hitler, in a last desperate attempt, ordered the aircraft be used as a fighter-bomber, specifically to mount large-scale attacks on Allied bomber formations. But it was too little, too late.

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B-29 Superfortress -

Introduced in May 1944, the Superfortress was one of the largest aircraft to fly during the Second World War. Designed for high-altitude strategic bombing, the B-29 featured the latest state-of-the-art technology.

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Destructive power -

Besides its strategic role, the B-29 was also used for low-altitude night incendiary bombing, specifically over Tokyo. Pictured is an aerial view of the city after a bombing raid carried out by B-29s on the evening of March 9, 1945. And it was over Japan that the aircraft took part in the most destructive bombing in world history.

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Atomic bombing -

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (pictured) and Nagasaki respectively. The bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians. B-29s dropped the devices, the only aircraft ever to deploy nuclear weapons in combat.

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Boeing B-47 Stratojet -

Bombers after the Second World War gained increased speed by jet propulsion. And at the start of the Cold War, bombers were the only means of carrying nuclear weapons to enemy targets. The primary mission of aircraft like the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, a turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude, was to strike targets within the Soviet Union.

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Tupolev Tu-16 -

But the Soviets were no sitting ducks. The Russian-made Tupolev Tu-16 Badger was equally capable of annihilating major cities with atomic or thermonuclear bombs in the event of war in Europe. A pair of Tu-16s are pictured being escorted by US Navy fighters during Cold War activities over the North Pacific Ocean in January of 1963.

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Avro Vulcan -

The mid-1950s saw the inauguration by the Royal Air Force of the Avro Vulcan. This jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude strategic bomber was the backbone of the United Kingdom's airborne nuclear deterrent during much of the Cold War. It was retired in 1984.

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B-52 Stratofortress -

The United States and the Soviets, meanwhile, vied for supremacy in the skies with bigger, more powerful aircraft. The American B-52 Stratofortress could carry up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kilograms) of weapons, and typically had a combat range of around 8,800 mi (14,200 km) without aerial refueling. The B-52 Stratofortress is still in service with the USAF.

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Tu-95 Bear -

Moscow responded in kind with the Tu-95 Bear. Possessed of equally impressive technological and operational specs, the Tu-95 differed from the B-52 in that it was powered by turboprop. The Tu-95 Bear is the only propeller-powered strategic bomber still in operational use today.

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Dassault Mirage IV -

As the Cold War progressed, the development of large strategic bombers stalled because of spiraling costs and the development of the intercontinental ballistic missile. NATO maintained a nuclear deterrent strike force, with member countries developing a new generation of supersonic strategic bombers. The French, for example, launched the Dassault Mirage IV in 1964. It was retired from operational service in 2005.

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General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark -

The Americans, meanwhile, put in the air the F-111 (designated a fighter but actually a strategic medium-range bomber). By the end of the 1960s, the Russians had developed the Tu-22M a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber.

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Rockwell B-1 Lancer -

The Americans had, in fact, developed their own variable-sweep wing heavy bomber, the B-1 Lancer, during the 1960s. But this supersonic powerhouse only came into production in the mid-1980s.

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F-117 Nighthawk -

By the late 20th century and with the Cold War long thawed, efforts turned to evading increasingly sophisticated radar early-warning systems. This led to the launch of the groundbreaking American F-117A Nighthawk, the first operational aircraft explicitly designed around stealth technology.

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Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit -

Stealth technology led to the development first of the B-1 and then the extraordinary B-2 Spirit, an American heavy strategic bomber that could drop conventional and thermonuclear weapons.

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Xi'an H-6 -

Today, only the United States Air Force, the Russian Aerospace Forces' Long-Range Aviation command, and China's People's Liberation Army Air Force operate strategic heavy bombers. Pictured is the Xi'an H-6 on display at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, China, in 2014.

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B-21 Raider -

Meanwhile, the United States Air Force maintains the legacy of the long-range heavy bomber. On November 10, 2023, the highly secretive B-21 Raider was unveiled to the world. This outstanding aircraft will replace the B-1 and B-2 starting in the early 2030s.

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Bombing in the age of artificial intelligence -

The B-21 Raider will function as an intelligence collection platform, battle manager, and interceptor aircraft, and will be capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. And one of the most radical features is its ability to operate without a human crew using artificial intelligence.

Sources: (Britannica) (Popular Mechanics) (International Bomber Command Centre) (1914-1918 online) (U.S. Naval Institute) 

See also: The worst bombings in the history of warfare 

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