The Bomber: Terror of World War II

Before WWII, bombs from Zeppelins hinted at horrors to come. From Shanghai to Guernica, air raids grew. The bomber emerged—not just as a weapon, but a harbinger of total war.

Bombers hit Polish cities in 1939. By 1940, Britain faced the Blitz. Axis and Allies believed bombing could break morale—but it put civilians on the front line of modern war.

Lacking long-range bombers, Germany fell behind. Britain and the U.S. bombed military and industrial targets. Strategic bombing spread across Europe and the Pacific.

Tokyo’s firebombing was catastrophic. B-29s and napalm leveled cities. In Europe, bombers struck day and night with bunker busters and bouncing bombs. Fear flew with them.

Germany’s V1s and V2s came too late. Kamikazes terrified, but one bomb ended it all. WWII closed with the A-bomb—and the bomber’s legacy shaped the nuclear age.