By the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the typical bomber would be classified as a medium bomber, with two engines, monoplane design, and all-metal construction (save for control surfaces, which were often fabric covered). Most of these aircraft carried a bomb load of 1,000 to 4,500 pounds, and the best medium bombers had a range of about 2,500 miles. In contrast to the other combatants, the United States and Great Britain developed heavy bombers, with four engines, in addition to the medium bombers. These were capable of reaching higher altitudes, carrying heavier bomb loads, and attaining greater range.

Germany entered the war with twin-engine bombers such as the Heinkel He111 and the Dornier Do17 and with the single-engine dive bomber the Junkers Ju87, popularly called the Stuka. Within a short time after the start of the war, the Ju88, a twin-engine medium bomber, would become available and would serve throughout the war as Germany's most versatile bomber.

Germany's ally, Italy, flew the three-engine Savoia-Marchetti SM79 as its main bomber at the beginning of the war. In contrast to the German machines, the SM79 was mostly built of wood. It was soon replaced by the Cant Z1007, another trimotor aircraft, which proved successful as a torpedo bomber.

The bombers of Germany's early opponents, Poland and France, were wholly outclassed by the German planes. Although Poland's P.Z.L. P37 Los was technologically comparable to the German planes, it was never mass produced, and only 36 of the aircraft were in service at the time of the invasion of Poland. The French air arm was equipped with obsolete, slow bombers, and although the new Liore et Olivier LeO451 was rushed into production in 1939 and was, in fact, the fastest bomber of its time, France fell before many had been produced.

Great Britain entered the war with a mixture of obsolescent twin-engine medium bombers (such as the Bristol Blenheim) and the downright obsolete single-engine Fairey Battle. However, the Germans had nothing to compare with the British heavy bombers, including the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, the Handley Page Hampden, and the Vickers-Armstrong Wellington. The latter would become one the Royal Air Force's most important strategic bombers.

The Soviet Union, at the beginning of the war, flew few bombers except for ground attack and ground support.

The United States, which trailed other nations in many areas of military aviation at the beginning of World War II, was the first to fly an all-metal, truly modern heavy bomber, the B-17 Flying Fortress, which, after passing through several iterations, emerged as a tremendously durable, survivable aircraft capable of carrying a heavy bomb load, of absorbing a great deal of damage, and of defending itself with an array of guns. Following the B-17, which was introduced in 1935, was the B-24 Liberator in 1939, another large, four-engine heavy bomber. America also produced fine medium bombers, including the Douglas DB7, the B25 Mitchell, the B26 Martin Marauder, and the Douglas A26 Invader. . .

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