Best Medium Bomber

[Frtigern]

What is the best medium bomber of WW2? Please tell me why it was the best. How did it make an impact tactically and strategically, did it have the best speed, range, payload? Did it have high altitude, low altitude, anti-ship, or night fighting capabilities? Did it have good defensive armor and armament or did it use speed for it's defense? Was it efficient? Could it do one thing really good, or could it do a variety of things? Was it easily maintained, needing little mechanical or structural changes, or was it a nightmare requiring many hours of labor to keep running, although it's combat effectiveness outweighed it's mechanical and structural defects?

[johnbryan]

Originally Posted by Frtigern

What is the best medium bomber of WW2? Please tell me why it was the best. How did it make an impact tactically and strategically, did it have the best speed, range, payload? Did it have high altitude, low altitude, anti-ship, or night fighting capabilities? Did it have good defensive armor and armament or did it use speed for it's defense? Was it efficient? Could it do one thing really good, or could it do a variety of things? Was it easily maintained, needing little mechanical or structural changes, or was it a nightmare requiring many hours of labor to keep running, although it's combat effectiveness outweighed it's mechanical and structural defects?

I'd have to say the Junkers JU-88. It was a very effective level-flight, medium bomber, but it was also a dive bomber, a night fighter and a low level attack bomber. The B-25 runs a close second for me, but it was never a night fighter. The Mosquito also places because it was used to mark targets for British night time strategic bombing. I would place the Mosquito in the role of an attack bomber, rather than a medium bomber, although it excelled there early in the war.

[T. A. Gardner]

The DeHaviland was a work of art. Here was a true 400 mph + bomber that could haul 4000 lbs of bombs onto a target. It was made into one of the most effective night fighters of the war, and repurposed into many other roles too.
As a fighter bomber with its 4 .303 and 4 20mm it was heavily armed and still could deliver a serious bomb load.
It easily out performs the Ju 88.

I don't know why the Do 217 is on the list as the Germans considered it a heavy bomber (having two engines does not preclude this).

[triggerjockey]

My vote went to the DeHavilland Mosquito. It was a tough decision and I wish it was a multiple poll. Whatever the Mossy may have lacked, it made up for it with it's performance. Fast, very fast, for it's size.
My second vote would have been to the A-20 Havoc. Whether or not it was a good performer, I really love the lines of it. I would not want to see that silhouette over me if I were on the business end of it.

[Dibble201Bty]

There was only one, and that was the D.H Mosquito; the best all-round warplane of all time. Range, speed (at all heights), flight characteristics, bomb-load, armament, Photo reconnaissance at all levels....The list of categories were long, with the Mosquito excelling in them all.

Paul

[The Exorcist]

Well, being versatile is nice, but the purpose of a Bomber is to drop bombs, rain destruction down on ground targets, and get away with it.

Make mine an A-26 Invader.
Drops 6,000 pounds of bombs, pretty awesome for a twin-engine job.

Or, want guns?

Up to 8 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the nose (1,600 rpg)
8 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns paired in four optional underwing pods
2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled dorsal turret
2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled ventral turret
Max speed 355 mph.


Longevity of service;
Served in Korea, Vietnam up to 1969, Africa in the Congo, Indonesian retired their last two in 1977.
Several still flew against Forest fires in the US and Canada until just a few years ago.


Over all, hell of a nice airplane.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-26

[RichardS]

Split vote for the A-26 and Mosquito. Both were very lethal aircraft and very worthy of a vote.

[Scott Fraser]

I chose the Il-4. It was in production throughout the war and was the most common bomber on the Eastern Front. The next contender would be the B-25, but the Ilyushin carried twice the bombload twice as far as the US aircraft.

Regards
Scott Fraser

[Nick the Noodle]

Originally Posted by RichardS

Split vote for the A-26 and Mosquito. Both were very lethal aircraft and very worthy of a vote.

I like the A-26, but arrived too late imo to be included here.

That really leaves only one choice.

[Dibble201Bty]

Originally Posted by The Exorcist

Well, being versatile is nice, but the purpose of a Bomber is to drop bombs, rain destruction down on ground targets, and get away with it.

Yup! and the Versatile Mosquito did it best, and up against an equally technologically equipped, well trained enemy with the most heavily defended airspace in history.

Its war record speaks for itself.

Paul

[the ace]

Originally Posted by Frtigern

What is the best medium bomber of WW2? Please tell me why it was the best. How did it make an impact tactically and strategically, did it have the best speed, range, payload? Did it have high altitude, low altitude, anti-ship, or night fighting capabilities? Did it have good defensive armor and armament or did it use speed for it's defense? Was it efficient? Could it do one thing really good, or could it do a variety of things? Was it easily maintained, needing little mechanical or structural changes, or was it a nightmare requiring many hours of labor to keep running, although it's combat effectiveness outweighed it's mechanical and structural defects?

I voted the Mossie - all of the above. It carried the same bomb-load to Berlin as a B-17, but half as fast again. It engaged ships, bombers, night-fighters, canals, tanks, trains and even a prison - and interrupted Goebbels live on air for good measure. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

And a nod to the Ju 88 - some reckon it lengthened the war by around 2 years. Best possible weapons in the worst possible hands, indeed.

[redcoat]

Originally Posted by The Exorcist

Well, being versatile is nice, but the purpose of a Bomber is to drop bombs, rain destruction down on ground targets, and get away with it.

Mosquito's of No 8 Group, Light Night Striking Force (LNSF) flew over 27,239 missions over occupied Europe in 1944/5 from which only 108 aircraft failed to return.

[Von Richter]

Any idiot that don't vote for the Mossie is an idiot. Well done JB, JU88 and B25... if the cap fits, as they say!

[slick24]

Mosquito ftw, but I can't believe the B26 is not getting any love here. The "Incredible Prostitute" (no visible means of support) was a very rugged bomber. The pilots that flew it raved about it's speed and durability.

It had a reputation as a widow-maker in the states but the guys on the front lines loved it. It could fly nearly as fast a fighter and could absorb incredible amounts of damage and keep flying.

[Lance Williams]

Another vote for the Mossie. I would argue that it was the single most versatile airframe of WW II.