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use of airplanes in ww1
military use of airplanes in ww1
military use of airplanes in ww1
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A: Plan of Investigation
This investigation will examine the extent to which World War I encouraged aeronautical advancements in Germany from 1914 to 1918. A comparison of the crude airplanes developed before the brink of war to the end models will be evaluated to determine the Great War’s impact on aviation. Motivations for these advancements such as excellent piloting, number of deaths, need for ground assistance and competition with other countries will be considered, but specificities other countries aeronautical advancements will not be studied. Furthermore, the use of the airplane, which changed dramatically during the war, will be assessed to see its effect on Germany’s aeronautical advancements.
Sources 1001 Questions Answered About Aviation History by C.H. Hildreth and Bernard C. Nalty and War in the Air 1914-1945 by Williamson Murray will be evaluated during this investigation.
B. Summary of Evidence
American brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright largely inspired by German aeronautical engineer Otto Lilienthal, were able to achieve flight with their glider, the Kitty Hawk, in September of 1903 (Bell 13). At the brink of World War I ten years later, aircrafts were light and could only travel short distances because of their small fuel tank (Hildreth 111). Military use of the airplane was thought to have been practical solely for observation and most military authorities felt investment in experimentation would be a waste (Hildreth 125). As the war progressed, however, “the military believed that aircraft had a far greater value than just” (Trueman) aerial photography or reconnaissance- observation of enemy. The men that flew planes for this purpose had an “unspoken code” (Copper 4) that prevented them from shootin...
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Munson, Kenneth. Aircraft of World War 1. New York: Doubleday, 1968. Print.
Murray, Williamson. War in the Air, 1914-1945. London: Cassell Military, 2002. Print.
Rolfe, Douglas, and Alexis Dawydoff. Airplanes of the World: 1490 to 1962. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1962. Print.
Trueman, Chris. "Aircraft and World War One." Aircraft and World War One. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
Unikoski, Ari. "Firstworldwar.com." First World War.com. N.p., 22 Aug. 2009. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .
Winter, Frank H., and Van Der Linden F. Robert. 100 Years of Flight: A Chronology of Aerospace History, 1903-2003. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2003. Print.
By the end of World War I the world was beginning to realize the ability air combat presented. When World War II started planes became much more effective. Though still fabric covered, the aircraft were faster and more agile than the variants used in the Great War. In 1938, the first year of the Second World War, Curtiss unveiled their P-40 Warhawk. This aircraft was one of the best of its time and laid the foundation for modern aircraft engineering. But by 1940 the German Luftwaffe had begun to develop faster, long-ranged fighter-bombers. All current Allied aircraft could not keep up with the long range of the B-17 bombers who needed escort. In 1940, North American Aviation received an order from Britain requesting another shipment of
Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949.” Oct. 2012. Vol. 65 Issue 4, pg. 316-319. 4p. Ebsco Host. Tucker, Phillip Thomas, 1953. Web.2014.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
Canadian Air Force Office of Public Affairs. (1996). The Flying Career of William Avery Bishop. [WWW Document] Retrieved May 2nd, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ukans.edu/~kansite/ww_one/comment/bishop.html
Alex Kershaw’s “The Few The American ‘Knights Of The Air’ Who Risked Everything To Fight In The Battle Of Britain” doesn’t just tell the story of the seven American aviators who flew for the British as but also their enemies, the Luftwaffe’s point of view. This book is told through this group of Americans and from the viewpoint of the Royal Air Force pilots they fought with but also the perspective of the Luftwaffe fliers that they fought against during the battle. For example, in one part of the book, there was this one German lookout who had commented on how much of an advantage the British had because of their radars that could locate enemy planes while they crossed the English Channel; the lookout considered the radar an “unfair” tool.
World War One was known as the war that would end all wars. At first, airplanes in the war were thought to have just little combat use. An unknown British general even commented, " The airplane is useless for the purpose of war." In the beginning of the First World War, the airplanes were pretty simple and raw. By the end of the war, aircraft had become more advanced and had split off into fighters, bombers and long-range bombers. The specifications of the airplanes were changed to meet the war's requirements. When the War started in August of 1914, British airmen were associated with the British army and their commissioned officers had army ranks. Before the United State’s declaration of war in 1917, American nationals had enlisted in British and French air services including the Lafayette Escadrille. By the time the war ended in November of 1918, the Royal Flying Corps no longer prevailed and was absorbed into the recently developed Royal Air Force. The Royal Air Force now had its own command structure away from the army and provided its own ranks.
In the years WW2 was being fought plane designs progressed in leaps and bounds. From the old and obsolete designs of biplanes and triplanes the planes turned into worlds first Jet fighter, from ugly twin engine
With the recent innovation of the airplane revolutionizing the battlefields of World War I, American air warriors like 1st Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. and Captain Eddie Rickenbacker separated themselves through valiant actions that contributed significantly to the American war effort. Yet, the fearless determination to serve and the advances in tactical air warfare influenced by Lt. Luke Jr. greatly outweigh the amount of citations and medals earned by Capt. Rickenbacker setting the prescient for the massive contributions airmen could make in war.
World War II was one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. There were many different battles that took place within this war; some more important than others. World War II began once Germany’s new dictator, Adolf Hitler, decided that he wanted to gain power for Germany and for himself. One of Hitler’s first moves in power was invading Poland on September 1, 1939. Many other countries became involved in this war because of the alliance system. The two sides during this war were the Allies and Axis powers. German, Italy and Japan were on the Axis powers; France, Britain, and the United States were on the Allies. Germany first began with the Blitzkrieg tactic meaning “lightning war”. This tactic is based on speed, surprise and was the most popular tactic. It is set up with military forces based around tanks which are supported by planes and infantry. The Blitzkrieg tactic lead to air wars with airplanes between countries. All of the countries were allowed to participate in the air wars but the four main countries were United States, Japan, Britain, and Germany. During the 1920’s and 1930’s airplanes grew in size and structure giving them more power, and making planes more effective. Planes made it easier to drop bombs, or plan attacks. All of these countries fought over air superiority. Air superiority is the position in which the air force has control over all of the air warfare and air power of the opposing forces. Germany began with air superiority but they lost it when Britain defeated them at the Battle of Britain. Gaining control over the air is a very big advantage because it is easier to plan an attack on an opposing country. All of the countries relied on their aircrafts during this war. The issue about the use of...
Many new technologies appeared during World War I, including the machine gun, airplane, tank and barbed wire. It is important to examine the historical circumstances of their development, their introduction onto the battlefront and the effect each had in bringing victory to countries that employed them. It can be categorically said that without giant strides made prior to and during the World War I (914-1918) it would never have taken on titanic proportions that it did. The Perfection of technology in the hands of imperfect man or man-the-beast resulted in the tragedy of World War I. However, during this war, technology advancement that had led to the formation of colonies in countries received a new life and influenced WWI by a great degree.
Heppenheimer, T. (2001). A Brief History Of Flight: From Balloons to Mach 3 and Beyond. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The development of aircraft was encouraged by the wars requirements, also by the aircraft were used. Many people along with the military believed that aircraft had a wider purpose than just photography from the air the war continued, and throughout this ‘belief’ that the military had two completely different...
Aviation was big during the 1920’s. The first airplanes that were developed were made of wood and canvas, they were later modernized and than made of an increasing amount of metal during this era. Airplanes were typically only used to carrying heavy loads and for wars, but during this era they were able to start taking passengers as well. It was only in 1927 that an airport terminal in the form of a waiting room and ticket-office for airplane passenger...
The history of flying dates back as early as the fifteenth century. A Renaissance man named Leonardo da Vinci introduced a flying machine known as the ornithopter. Da Vinci proposed the idea of a machine that had bird like flying capabilities. Today no ornithopters exist due to the restrictions of humans, and that the ornithopters just aren’t practical. During the eighteenth century a philosopher named Sir George Cayley had practical ideas of modern aircraft. Cayley never really designed any workable aircraft, but had many incredible ideas such as lift, thrust, and rigid wings to provide for lift. In the late nineteenth century the progress of aircraft picks up. Several designers such as Henson and Langley, both paved the way for the early 1900’s aircraft design. Two of the most important people in history of flight were the Wright Brothers. The Wright Brothers were given the nickname the “fathers of the heavier than air flying machine” for their numerous flights at their estate in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville and Wilbur Wright created a motor-powered biplane in which they established incredible feats of the time. The Wright Brothers perfected their design of the heavier than air flying ma...
Weir, William. The Wright brothers: The First to Fly. New York: PowerKids Press, 2013. Print.