A large German bomber, capable of bombing England. The plane is powered by two engines, and holds a crew of three with a pilot and front and rear gunners. The plane is likely a Gotha bomber, originally built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik, then built under license by Siemens-Schukert Werke and Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (LVG). Note the ground crew pushing on the lower wing and the men holding the tail up as the plane is moved backwards. Sanke postcard number 1040.

Deutsches Riesen-Flugzeug

(Englandflieger)



1040

Postkartenvertrieb W. Sanke

Berlin No. 37

Nachdruck wird gerichtlich verfolgt



German giant aircraft

(England flyer)



1040

Postcard distributor W. Sanke

Berlin No. 37

Reproduction will be prosecuted

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As aircraft developed during the war, they became more specialized. The pilot of a single-seat planes could drop flechettes or small bombs loaded in the cockpit, but two-seaters could carry and heavier payload with a crew member dedicated to the task. Two-seaters could be dedicated to reconnaissance, photography, gun registration, or bombing.

From the first days of the war, Germany used Zeppelins for heavy bombing, often of civilian targets such as Antwerp, but the Zeppelins were relatively slow and subject to rough weather. Anti-aircraft defenses improved over time, as did planes and incendiary bullets capable of downing the massive airships.

Specialized bombers took over the role of the Zeppelin. Bombers such as the Gotha G.V bombed Paris and London. The Gotha had a crew of three, with a pilot and front and rear gunners. The German Staaken Giant justified its name. It had four engines capable of producing 1,000 hp, and a crew of seven.

The British Handley-Page bombers Type O were the largest British bombers, and carried a crew of four or five. The planes two Rolls Royce engines produced 720 hp.

The Italian Caproni Ca.3 had a crew of four and three engines, two mounted on the wings, and a third pusher between the dual fuselages. Total power output was 450 hp.

Heavy bombers were multi-engine biplanes with a pilot and multiple gunners.

Aircraft: Heavy Bomber is a type of Aircraft.