[fso301]

FWIW, In Europe, returning planes with bomb loads had a specific area in the English Channel to dump bombs before returning to base. It's speculated that Glenn Miller's plane strayed too close/into to that area and was hit by a bomb dump from a cancelled mission.

For bombers over Germany unable to find their target, their orders were to release over Germany under the belief that the bomb striking a forest or farmers field would in some manner, harm the German war effort.

[Fantasywriter]

It seems much better to drop the bombs wherever than just to dump them in the water. I read an account of a German farm that got blown up. It did undermine morale, which used to be part of winning a war.