Medium bomber

A bomber class designed to carry a moderate bomb load over an intermediate range, between light and heavy bombers. Its meaning varies by era and air force.

Bombing: The use of aircraft to attack targets with explosive or incendiary weapons. Medium bombers were built around delivering bombs at ranges and loads beyond light aircraft.
North American B-25 Mitchell: A twin-engine American bomber used extensively in World War II. The B-25 exemplifies a versatile medium bomber used in both land and maritime theaters.
Light bomber: A relatively small bomber designed for a lighter payload and shorter-range missions. The light-bomber category marks the lower payload and range boundary of medium bombers.
Interwar period: The years between the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. Air forces formalized bomber classes and developed many medium-bomber designs during these decades.
Doolittle Raid: A 1942 American air raid on Japan launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. B-25s demonstrated that medium bombers could be adapted for an unusual carrier-launched mission.
Bomb bay: An enclosed compartment in an aircraft fuselage for carrying and releasing bombs. Internal bomb bays let many medium bombers carry ordnance without excessive drag.
Martin B-26 Marauder: A fast, twin-engine American bomber used in World War II. The B-26 combined a substantial bomb load with speed and demanding flight characteristics.
Heavy bomber: A large bomber designed to carry a heavy payload over long distances. Heavy bombers define the upper end of the payload-and-range distinction.
Giulio Douhet: An Italian general whose theories argued that air power could decisively attack an enemy’s vital centers. Douhet’s strategic-air-power arguments helped shape the missions assigned to bomber forces.
Battle of the Atlantic: The prolonged World War II campaign to control shipping routes across the Atlantic Ocean. Land-based medium bombers helped patrol maritime approaches and attack Axis shipping.

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