When did the Hurricane start carrying bombs?

Short answer

The Hawker Hurricane was given bombs once it became clear it was being outclassed as a pure fighter and was assigned other roles. In its Mk IIB version, two wing-mounted bomb racks were added, each carrying one 250 lb bomb and up to 500 lb by late 1941.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

When did the Hurricane start carrying bombs?

Hawker Hurricanes of No 1 Squadron, Royal Air Force, based at Wittering, Cambridgeshire, followed by a similar formation of Supermarine Spitfires of No 266 Squadron, during a flying display for aircraft factory workers, CH1561

From Pure Fighter to Fighter-Bomber

When it became clear that the Hurricane was being outclassed as a pure fighter, it was given other roles. In October 1941 the "Hurribomber" fighter-bomber was born, carrying two 113 kg (250 lb) or two 226 kg (500 lb) bombs under the wings. From autumn 1941, the Mk IIB was used to bomb small targets in occupied Europe.

The Mk IIB's Bomb Racks

The most significant novelty was the fitting of two bomb racks, mounted in the wing outboard of the undercarriage, which at first each carried one 250 lb bomb and from late 1941 moved up to 500 lb.

The Cost of Carrying Bombs

With two 250 lb bombs, speed came down to 320 mph (514 km/h) at 19,700 ft (6,004 m). With two 500 lb bombs it dropped to 307 mph (494 km/h) at 19,500 ft (5,943 m). In North Africa, the fighter-bomber variants ("Hurribombers") remained effective in ground attack thanks to their armament of four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon and a 500 lb (230 kg) bomb load.