Advent of the Air Age:Advent of the Air Age:World War IWorld War I

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OverviewOverview

How the airplane was employed during WWI

Condition of air service at the beginning of WWI

Beginnings of strategic bombing Early airpower theorists

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World War I -- MissionsWorld War I -- Missions

Reconnaissance -- Collecting visual and photographic information

Counterair -- Air-to-air combat Close Air Support -- Support of ground forces Interdiction -- Striking enemy resources close to

the battlefield Strategic Bombing -- Strikes deep into enemy

territory to destroy war making capabilities

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WW I -- Early Uses of WW I -- Early Uses of AirpowerAirpower

Reconnaissance and artillery spotting• Took away the element of surprise• Hampered by weather / unserviceable aircraft

Pursuit aviation (Air superiority)• Grew out of attempts to deny reconnaissance• 1st air-to-air kill occurred in Oct. 1914• Developed rapidly in WW I• Key to winning the air war

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WW I Technological WW I Technological DevelopmentsDevelopments

Roland Garros (French) -- Developed metal strips for propellers so machine bullets would not shatter the props

Anthony Fokker (Dutch) -- Designed synchronizing gear so bullets would pass through the spinning propeller blades

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WW I Technological WW I Technological DevelopmentsDevelopments

Nieuports and Spads (French and British) -- most reliable and flexible aircraft in 1916

Fokker Triplane -- German aircraft that put the Germans back on top in 1917

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American Participation American Participation in WW Iin WW I

When US entered the war in in April 1917, the US Air Service was totally unprepared• Aviation Section had 56 pilots and less than 250

airplanes -- none ready for combat

Congress approved $640 million in July 1917 to raise 354 combat squadrons

At the end of WW I, Air Service had 200,000 personnel and 185 squadrons

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Strategic Bombing in WW IStrategic Bombing in WW I

Limited in scope and intensity Had a negligible outcome on the war Laid the foundation for future thought

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Bombing of BritainBombing of Britain

Germans conducted daylight bombing raids against Britain using Zeppelins - 1915-16 • Stopped because of poor results

Germans reinitiated daylight raids using Gotha bombers in 1917 -- ineffective

Germans begin night bombing using Zeppelins and Reisen bombers - 1917-18 -- primarily terror raids

Strengthened British morale, destroyed little war making capacity

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Allied Bombing of GermanyAllied Bombing of Germany

Began in 1914 -- generally ineffective British bombed German cities and

airfields in retaliation for German strikes - 1917

Allies created the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force (IAIAF) in 1919 for the purpose of bombing Germany• War ended before IAIAF was used

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Strategic Bombing TheoristsStrategic Bombing Theorists

Sir Hugh Trenchard Guilio Douhet Billy Mitchell

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Strategic Bombing Strategic Bombing Theorists: Sir Hugh TrenchardTheorists: Sir Hugh Trenchard

Commander of Royal Air Force Primary target should be civilian morale Believed allies should attack German

homeland Attack around the clock

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Strategic Bombing Strategic Bombing Theorists: Guilio DouhetTheorists: Guilio Douhet

General in the Italian Army Believed airpower was supreme after WW I Believed bombers would win all wars Air weapon would be used against ports,

railroads and economic structures Best way to gain air superiority was to

destroy the enemy’s ground organization

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Strategic Bombing Strategic Bombing Theorists: Guilio Douhet (cont)Theorists: Guilio Douhet (cont) Once air superiority was achieved,

bombers would concentrate on cities to destroy industry and morale

Influenced by Italian geography where there was little threat of a ground invasion

His doctrine led to total war concept -- war on the nation as a whole, not just military forces

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Strategic Bombing Strategic Bombing Theorists: General Billy MitchellTheorists: General Billy Mitchell Commanded Army combat units in WW I Believed Navies were obsolete Believed enemy cities should be attacked

to destroy war production and morale Advocated destruction of the enemy’s

ability to make war -- factories, food production, communications, fuel supply

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Strategic Bombing Theorists:Strategic Bombing Theorists:General Billy Mitchell (cont)General Billy Mitchell (cont)

Felt airpower could be used against ground forces -- bombers should not be the only type of aircraft

Saw airpower in global terms Overestimated the speed of technological

development Passionate advocate of airpower -- made

many powerful enemies within military

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SummarySummary

How the airplane was employed during WWI

Condition of air service at the beginning of WWI

Beginnings of strategic bombing Early airpower theorists