Bomb

:This article is about explosive devices. This can also refer to water bombs or volcanic bombs. Bomb is also a slang term.

Bombing

Although a bomb may be delivered by being thrown or may be concealed in a car or truck or by the roadside, the usual method of delivering bombs to their target is by dropping them from a bomber airplane. Modern bombs, precision-guided munition, may be guided after they leave an airplane by remote control or (in the case of atomic weapons) mounted on a guided missile.

Related Topics:
Bomber - Airplane - Precision-guided munition - Atomic weapon - Guided missile

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Bombing may be directed at military targets such as ships or armament factories or at civilian targets such as office buildings or cities. Bombing of particular targets such as ships or tanks is called tactical bombing; bombing of areas such as military bases or cities is called strategic bombing. Strategic bombing of civilian targets is controversial and considered a war crime by some and a defining characteristic of terrorism by others, see terror bombing. Area or carpet bombing of cities using Incendiary bombs may result in a firestorm and extensive casualties especially when it is windy.

Related Topics:
Military target - Tank - Tactical bombing - Strategic bombing - War crime - Terror bombing - Carpet bombing - Incendiary bomb - Firestorm

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Bombing of civilian targets

During World War II there were instances where civilian targets had been bombed—first, during the German invasion of Poland in 1939 and the Netherlands (Rotterdam), then following The Blitz directed at London and other British cities and the British bombing of German cities such as Dresden. Towards the end of the Pacific War, when air defense over Japanese cities had become weak, U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific engaged in extensive bombing of Japanese cities such as Tokyo. This campaign culminated in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic weapons, which would play a major part in ending the war. Due to the huge size of a nuclear blast, such weapons can either intentionally or unintentionally cause massive civilian casualties both from the initial blast and subsequent nuclear fallout.

Related Topics:
World War II - German invasion of Poland in 1939 - Netherlands - Rotterdam - The Blitz - London - British bombing of German cities - Dresden - Pacific War - U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific - Tokyo - Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Atomic weapons - Nuclear fallout

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• BLU = Bomb/mine Live Unit
• GBU = Guided Bomb Unit
• LGB = Laser Guided Bomb
• C4 = a type of plastic explosive