The deadliest bombings in military history
Aerial warfare has been around for much longer than modern aircraft have. More than 1,000 years ago, armies in China used incendiary kites known as fire crows to rain fire and debris upon their enemies. Since then, everything from kites to hot air balloons and airplanes have been used to inflict damage from above. The 20th century saw more aerial warfare tactics than any era before or after. With the advent of unmanned drones and satellite surveillance systems, the days of B-52 bombers and dogfighters are over, but it can be argued that's for the best. In World War II alone, an estimated 2.7 million tons of explosives were dropped from airplanes flying high above their targets, and with no targeting systems to speak of, the collateral damage proved to be enormous. Close to one million civilian deaths were caused by the indiscriminate bombing campaigns carried out by both the Allied and Axis powers. Some of these events are well known, such as the unfathomably destructive atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while others remain in the shadows of history. So, which bombing campaigns proved to be the most destructive ever? Read on to find out.
2025-04-24T16:08:19Z
