Top 10: WWII aircraft with significant firepower

During the First World War, most fighter planes were limited to just two light machine guns. By the Second World War, the firepower on combat aircraft had escalated significantly. Some planes were essentially flying artillery platforms, combining heavy machine guns, large-caliber cannons, and abundant ammunition into high-speed airborne battleships. Here are ten of the most heavily armed aircraft of the era:

Messerschmitt Me 262

Although famous as the first operational jet fighter, the Me 262s strength was not only in its speed but also in its armament. Designed to destroy bombers, it carried four 30-mm cannons firing explosive rounds at a rapid rate. Some variants were even planned to carry a 50-mm Mauser MK 214A cannon, capable of downing a B-24 or B-17 with a single round. Administrative delays and Hitlers insistence on bomber roles prevented widespread use, but its potential was devastating.

YB-40 Flying Fortress

In 1942, the US Eighth Air Force experimented with creating a heavily armed escort version of the B-17. The YB-40 could carry 1430 .50-calibre M2 Browning machine guns, with experimental 40-mm cannons also tested. The heavy armament made the aircraft too slow to effectively accompany bombers, ending the project. Despite its operational shortcomings, two YB-40s appeared in William Wylers The Best Years of Our Lives.

Northrop P-61 Black Widow

The P-61 was the first purpose-built night fighter. A twin-boom aircraft, it carried four 20-mm cannons in the belly and, in many variants, an electric dorsal turret with four heavy machine guns. With firepower concentrated along the centreline, it was both accurate and deadly. Fully loaded, it weighed up to 18,000 kg, comparable to seven fully loaded Spitfire Mk Is.

B-25 Mitchell

Some B-25 medium bombers were upgraded with a 75-mm cannon in the nose for strike and anti-shipping roles. The gun was hand-loaded by the navigator, and the aircraft could also carry 1218 .50-calibre machine guns, rockets, and bombs. These upgunned B-25s excelled against ships, sinking barges, freighters, and even damaging destroyers with precision hits.

Mosquito Mk. XVII Tsetse

The British Mosquito fighter-bomber was adapted to carry the 57-mm QF 6-pounder Molins gun, fully automatic and capable of firing 55 rounds per minute. Retaining two to four .303 machine guns, the Tsetse variant excelled in anti-shipping missions. Over 14 months, it helped destroy eight U-boats, and at least one Ju 88 was damaged by a single 57-mm round.

Beaufighter

The Bristol Beaufighter, entering service in 1940, carried four 20-mm cannons and six machine guns, with a total ammunition load of 367 kg. It could also carry bombs or rockets. With its large wings and heavy weight, it excelled as a night fighter, strike aircraft, and torpedo bomber.

Junkers Ju 88

The versatile Ju 88 served as a bomber, heavy fighter, night fighter, torpedo bomber, and reconnaissance plane. Some variants were adapted for anti-tank roles, carrying 75-mm, 50-mm, or twin 37-mm cannons in ventral gun pods. Though limited in numbers, these Ju 88s were a threat to enemy armor.

Hawker Hurricane Mk IID

The Hurricane was modified for anti-tank operations with wing-mounted 40-mm Vickers S cannons. The Mk IID variant, operating in North Africa, destroyed 47 tanks and 198 other vehicles. Later Mk IV versions added armor and the option to carry 40-mm cannons or rockets.

Yak-9T

The Soviet Yak-9T was an evolution of the Yak fighter family, equipped with a 37-mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon, effective against armored vehicles. It carried 30 rounds of ammunition and could penetrate up to 40 mm of tank armor from 500 meters. A total of 2,748 Yak-9Ts were produced.

Henschel Hs 129

Designed specifically for close air support and anti-armor missions, the Hs 129 featured armored protection and a 20-mm cannon, with some variants mounting the massive BK 7.5 cm anti-tank gun. Though slow and difficult to fly, it was highly effective in tank destruction. Pilot Rudolf-Heinz Ruffer destroyed 80 tanks with this aircraft.

These aircraft represent the extremes of firepower during the Second World War, combining innovation, destructive capability, and specialized roles to dominate the skies and battlefields alike.

Author: Sophia Brooks