During the First World War, planes were initially used for reconnaissance and observation, and the first aerial combat between powers was done by pilots throwing grenades or shooting pistols from the cockpit. Eventually, machine guns were mounted or integrated into the aircraft, but it was not until the interwar period and Second World War where the potential of aerial warfare was realized.
Aerial combat in the Second World War was fought on a scale never seen before. Aerial warfare was present in all theaters of war, and involved large scale bombing campaigns, support of ground and sea units, and battles in the air. While bombs caused the largest level of destruction, fighter planes were mounted with cannons and machine guns to shoot down enemy planes and provide assistance to ground assaults. Bombers were also mounted with defensive weapons to protect themselves from enemy attacks, and the size of heavy bombers allowed them to carry significantly more weapons than fighter planes.
Number of cannons and machine guns mounted on selected fighter and bomber aircraft of the major powers during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945
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University of Warwick. (January 1, 1998). Number of cannons and machine guns mounted on selected fighter and bomber aircraft of the major powers during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1337259/wwii-combat-aircraft-weapons/
University of Warwick. "Number of cannons and machine guns mounted on selected fighter and bomber aircraft of the major powers during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945." Chart. January 1, 1998. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1337259/wwii-combat-aircraft-weapons/
University of Warwick. (1998). Number of cannons and machine guns mounted on selected fighter and bomber aircraft of the major powers during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1337259/wwii-combat-aircraft-weapons/
University of Warwick. "Number of Cannons and Machine Guns Mounted on Selected Fighter and Bomber Aircraft of The Major Powers during The Second World War from 1939 to 1945." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Jan 1998, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1337259/wwii-combat-aircraft-weapons/
University of Warwick, Number of cannons and machine guns mounted on selected fighter and bomber aircraft of the major powers during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1337259/wwii-combat-aircraft-weapons/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Number of cannons and machine guns mounted on selected fighter and bomber aircraft of the major powers during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945 [Graph], University of Warwick, January 1, 1998. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1337259/wwii-combat-aircraft-weapons/