Essay about Bombers of World War II

Airplanes have become very popular ever since Charles Lindbergh made the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. Airplanes were used during World War I in dog fights. Dog fights were battles where to fighter planes fought in the air. Dog fights were popular during World War I but not as popular during World War II although they still did occur. Airplanes are always being improved and developed in size, structure, and power. Aircraft strength and power had increased over the years. There are now more powerful bombers, faster fighters, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that this time period is also known as the jet age. Hence the use of jet engines in airplanes. In World War II it was recorded that "aircraft strength went from 1,741 on hand to an authorized level of 15,000” (Lawson and Tillman 13). During World War II there were many improvements made to the

“Never before had so much brain-power been focused on a single problem.”(Laurence qtd. in “Eyewitness”). Many inventions can be said to have changed the world, and the way it worked. Only a core few of these many inventions can be said to change air warfare, and few of those are as game-changing as the B-29 Superfortress by Boeing. The B-29 was the plane that dropped the atomic bombs in World War Two (“bomber”). The plane by Boeing was used most in World War Two as a strategic long-range bomber. This invention revolutionized the concept of war, and war is a factor in all life on planet earth. The B-29 bomber changed warfare by sparking the innovation of aircraft technology, saving lives, and allowing more power to be carried by the means

World War II is one of the most recognized battles in the history of the world. The battle originated with Germany’s invasion of Poland. This sparked the beginning of the war, though the United States was not yet involved. The U.S. came into the picture after the attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. Though Japan was the more “direct opponent”, the United States Army Rangers, Marine Corps., and every other branch of military took on Japan and Germany.

Because of the tight formations and gutsy flying by the B-17 crews they were able to put thousands of tons of bombs on target with great accuracy. The insight and information of the crews was a vital part in the military to create bigger and better equipment to help the war come to a close. While many of the crews were lost, the steel on target and the information provided saved thousands of lives. The average death toll of a B-17 pilot during World War II was eighty percent. To put that in perspective CPT. Morgan, the pilot of the Memphis Belle, said it like this, “You eat breakfast with 10 of your closest buddies, go on a mission, and only two would be at

On July 28, 1935, the first porotype of the B-17 or also known as the B-299 took off from Boeing Field in south Seattle on its first ever test flight (Boeing “B-17”). Seattle Times reporter Richard Smith dubbed the new plane, with its many .30 caliber machine-guns, the “Flying Fortress,” (qtd.in Boeing). A name that Boeing quickly adopted and trademarked for the gigantic bomber (Boeing “B-17”). The U.S. Army Air Corps designated the plane as the B-17. Boeing created the plane in response to the Army’s request for a large, multi-engine bomber. The B-17 financed entirely by Boeing, went from the design board to flight tests in less than a year. In Boeings description of the B-17 was a low-wing monoplane that combined aerodynamic features

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” - President Franklin D. Roosevelt. December 7th 1941 marked an event in history that everyone in the world looks back to. On that date the Imperial Japanese Navy surprised attacked the American port of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. This marked the beginning of World War II for America. World War II was the bloodiest war in history with over 60 million deaths. World War II started in Europe when an Nazi controlled Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. Great Britain entered the war soon after along with the rest of her (Great Britain's) allies

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was a single-engine, single-seat, metal fighter plane and ground-attack aircraft that was made by the Americans. The P-40 Warhawk fighters first flew in 1938 and caught the attention of the United States Army Air Corps, who placed the largest fighter plane order it had ever made for fighters for a count of 524 at a cost of US$13 million. This was the earliest serious fighter in WWII and did its job until better fighters came out. It was known as a safe and secure aircraft that was able to fly pilots back home after being shot up in action. Many variants of this plane were later created. In addition, the shark teeth graphics were a big feature on this plane.

World War 2 was a war that lasted 6 dreadful years. It all started, September 1,1939, when Adolf Hitler started putting jews in concentration camps. Then he moved on by taking over many parts of Germany and Europe. The U.S. did not get involved until the day that the japanese struck Pearl Harbor with a bomb on , December 7,1941. The U.S.started sending their young boys and adult men to Germany to help free jews and stop Hitler. They finally did on, September 2,1945.

In 1941 the world was in chaos; In Europe the German army was using a Blitzkrieg method to dominate Europe. The Pacific had Japan jumping islands and expanding their empire. All this time America sat out of the war. Then on December, Seventh 1941 it all changed. Japanese planes destroyed twenty U.S ships,300 planes, and 2,000 soldiers and sailors lost their lives.1 After that America joined the war on the Allies side against the Axis. Pearl Harbor changed foreign policy, changed the American Economy and Hawaii , and started the growing military strength of the U.S military.

Before and during the Second World War people were fascinated with flight, the speed and the idea of flying high in the sky has kept people interested. Bombers and fighters alike both change dramatically in the twenty years after the Great War. From cloth wings to metal wings planes became bigger, faster, agile, and can hold a lot more fire power. The air war has changes significantly since the First World War. During the First World War bombers played a big role in the air war and after it left many questions whether it is the way to win wars. There has been speculation that future wars would be won by bombers and it can crush and the enemies at home and also the soldiers. Both book, Wartime by Fusslle and Why the Allies Won by Overy explain in depth what was the actual outcome of bombers and their roles before and after the war.

Sweeney and Bock switched airplanes, with Sweeney flying Bockscar and Bock flying The Great Artiste

Towards the end of the War the airplane becomes a practical device of war being able to carry weapons. Anthony Fokker and Louis Bleriot create the most successful of early modern biplanes known as the D-VII and D-VIII. Biplanes are eventually taken over by the monoplane, or one wing. This new design allowed for faster flight and better visibility for the pilot. Air-cooled engines lead the way for commercial aircraft, and Boeing introduces the first modern airliner the 247. Airplanes are effected the greatest by supply and demand of war. New styles of war begun to emerge so did new and improved types of aircraft. The population of the U.S. also begun to grow which leads to the modern most sophisticated commercial airliner the 777. Most aircraft improvements are found in the military and intelligence field. The most high tech aircraft known today for such things as spying are the SR-71 Blackbird, and the U-2 Spy plane. The most complicated and best aircraft performance is still held by the space shuttle and probably always will be. The last 200 years have seen incredible changes in aircraft from the man with wings to heavier than air flying machines that can travel at supersonic speeds.

After sucessfully selling military aircrafts adapted for troop transportation in the 1950’s and introducing commercial aircrafts model 707, 727 followed by 737, Boeing has since then become a leading producer of military & commercial aircraft.

Paul Tibbets was chosen to fly over Hiroshima and drop “Little Boy.” Tibbets named the B-29 that he flew during the mission after his mother’s maiden name, “Enola Gay.” Well before the planned

On August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb, "little boy" on Hiroshima, Japan. Hiroshima had been almost eradicated with an estimated 70-80,000 people killed. Three days later, a second, more powerful bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing over 100,000 people. Since Japan was economically and militarily devastated by the late summer of 1945, the use of the atomic bombs on an already overcome Japan was unnecessary and unwarranted in bringing about a conclusion to the war in the Pacific.