You dropped 400 bombs while flying over, and after blowing up 4 schools, 2 hospitals and 900 appartment buildings, you called the operation a success if only 1 of those bombs hit their target
While that is interesting as a historical niche, far more common was dive bombing, where pilots would literally nose down into the trajectory they wanted to the bomb to travel, literally line their target up in a scope like aiming a gun, and then let the bomb(s) go and pull up. Simple techniques that dated back even to the biplane/triplane era. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dive_bomber
There is a third solution besides accuracy and saturation. This, of course, is to get 'close enough', and it turns out that there are ways to dramatically increase just how far 'close enough' can go.
In one particular example, the AIR-2 Genie, this is accomplished via a 1.5 kt nuclear warhead, allowing enemy aircraft to be engaged without guided weapons and with a lot less aiming and uncertainty compared to alternative options.
usingYourMomAsAHat
You dropped 400 bombs while flying over, and after blowing up 4 schools, 2 hospitals and 900 appartment buildings, you called the operation a success if only 1 of those bombs hit their target
RummageSaleBubbler
SwissScars
Watch 1955's The Dam Busters.
JediUrsa
It's a hedgehog for the air
RummageSaleBubbler
sakm
While that is interesting as a historical niche, far more common was dive bombing, where pilots would literally nose down into the trajectory they wanted to the bomb to travel, literally line their target up in a scope like aiming a gun, and then let the bomb(s) go and pull up. Simple techniques that dated back even to the biplane/triplane era. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dive_bomber
ArcUlfr
There is a third solution besides accuracy and saturation. This, of course, is to get 'close enough', and it turns out that there are ways to dramatically increase just how far 'close enough' can go.
In one particular example, the AIR-2 Genie, this is accomplished via a 1.5 kt nuclear warhead, allowing enemy aircraft to be engaged without guided weapons and with a lot less aiming and uncertainty compared to alternative options.
CaldariBob
Bombers hate this one simple trick...