divebombing

Dive bombing is a bombing technique in which an aircraft enters a steep, controlled dive toward a ground target and releases bombs at a low altitude to maximize impact accuracy. The dive is stabilized with flight controls and, in many designs, with dive brakes to prevent overspeed. This approach minimizes the distance between weapon release and the target, increasing hit probability on relatively small or moving targets, but it also exposes the attacker to intense anti-aircraft fire and fighter interception.

The tactic developed in the interwar period and became a defining method in World War II. The German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka is the most recognizable example, famed for its horn-like audible alert and precise dives. Allied forces employed the Douglas SBD Dauntless, notably at the Battle of Midway, and the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver as carrier-based dive bombers. Other aircraft such as the Fairey Barracuda and the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 conducted dive bombing in various theaters, adapting the profile to different payloads and ranges.

Technique and limitations: Attack runs typically began from a level or shallow climb, followed by a 60–80 degree dive toward the target. Bombs were released at a prescribed cue, often just before reaching the target. While dive bombing offered high accuracy against ships, fortifications, and industrial targets, it imposed severe demands on aircrews, exposed planes to concentrated anti-aircraft fire, and demanded robust airframes and reliable dive brakes.

Decline and legacy: With improvements in fighter defenses, escort doctrine, and the advent of precision-guided munitions, dive bombing waned after the mid-1940s. The concept influenced later guidance and training, even as frontline use diminished.