Bomber

The first bombs were dropped in 1914 from reconnaissance aircraft; as early as August French Voisins attacked airship sheds near Metz. The first heavy bomber was Igor Sikorsky's four-engined Ilya Muromets: a Russian squadron flew its first raid in February 1915 and, according to different sources, more than 350 to more than 400 combat sorties before the revolution. From August 1915 the Italians bombed the Austro-Hungarian rear with Capronis, while the French and British formed squadrons to raid German industry.

In May 1917 twin-engined Gothas replaced airships in the raids on England; on 13 June fourteen of them bombed London in broad daylight. From the autumn they flew by night, joined by the huge Riesenflugzeuge, the Giants. By May 1918 German aeroplanes had killed more than 830 people in Britain and wounded nearly 2,000. The raids forced a reorganisation of air defence and contributed to the creation of the RAF. The British replied with Handley Page raids, and from June 1918 the Independent Force bombed factories and towns in Germany.