I started playing War Thunder recently and heard bombers where vital to winning, but it seems to me that the only way bombers can help win is to either take down both carriers or all ground/naval units. Since the biggest bomb load doable seems to be about 6000lb and each carrier takes that, AND there are far more ground units than a bomber can take out in even 3 trips, AND (even the toughest of heavy) bombers are often taken down within the first 5 minutes, never given a chance to come close to reach the enemy carriers or 1/2 of the ground units, it seems to me that bombers are almost totally useless to winning the game in Realistic mode and their positions would be better served by fighter jets who could help kill off the other team to win.
I've yet to see a Realistic mode game won by bombers. So, are bombers really important to winning?
Perhaps I'm wrong, afterall I am new to the game. This is just what I've found so far.
13 Answers
Yes, bombers are important
I don't know specifics on how hitting ground targets is actually scored, but bombers are indeed valuable. As you've noted the problem is that they can get wiped out pretty quickly by opposing forces.
Bombers and Bases
When you play as a bomber you can drop bombs on the opposition bases. Currently each match usually has three opposition bases. Once you've knocked these out, you can then strike at the opposition airfield.
The opposing team loses points for each base lost, and if you knock out the airfield, it will cause the opposition's life meter to begin dropping. If bombers can take out the enemy airfield, the game will end within seconds.
Over War Thunder's life, the developers have experimented a bit with the "hit points" the bases have. In some earlier releases the bases were stronger. As of this writing, the three smaller bases on each map are a bit weaker but the enemy airfield can take a lot of damage.
Other ground targets
All ground targets are worth some points to you. Some, like tanks and boats are worth a lot more and will cause the opposing team to lose points. On some maps that have no main airfield, taking out the ground targets are often the main objective. Even on maps with bases that haven't been destroyed, I have seen games where knocking out the other ground targets can accelerate a victory.
1Based on the wiki it seems that bombers are a key essential to winning.
Heavy Bombers are the pinnacle of target bombing. They contain the largest bomb loads of all the bombers with around 2000kg up to 5000kg worth of bombs. With about 5-9 turrets, every bomber is a flying fortress. The main point of the heavy bomber class is to destroy several groups in a single run, or even go after the coveted base destroyer.
There is a video below to show the importance of the bomber. But, because of it's power and load capacity the heavy bomber can wipe out tons of units which paves the way to victory.
4Some games, especially those containing large maps, will have objectives/enemies that can only be taken out by bombers. With that in mind, some bases can be defeated faster with this type of planes.
