Aircraft of World War II
During World War II (WW2) the aeroplane proved to be the military’s greatest asset. It was dominant as it was versatile. Unlike the tank, boat or even the foot soldier the planes can serve in all areas of one countries military, land, sea and of course the air. They could fight where ever needed. Not only did they attack in dog fights or bombing raids they could go for a surveillance or reconnaissance to assist their forces. They destroyed many enemies industrial plants and provided many ground combat support.
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
…show more content…
As Allied armies fought their way deep into occupied Europe, it was the P-51 Mustang which sought control of the skies from the Luftwaffe and in most cases succeeded. More than just a ferocious dogfighter, the P-51 Mustang was one of the fastest piston-engine fighter and could fly higher and go further than any other combat aircraft of the war. The P-51 Mustang claimed the most Allied kills with no fewer than 281 pilots earning the “Aces” (5 kills) distinction in a Mustang. It was the greatest fighter of the war. Focke-Wulf Fw-190
One of the best fighters of all time, no Allied pilot who fought in the skies of Europe will forget the feats of the Fw-190. Introduced in September 1941, this fighter shocked RAF pilots and inflicted cruel punishment to Allied bombers flying over Europe. Highly respected by Allied pilots, the Fw-190 was a superb fighter, fighter-bomber and anti-tank aircraft. Oberleutnant Otto Kittel a German pilot scored most of his 267 kills in a Fw-190, forever immortalizing him as the fourth top scoring ace of the
…show more content…
It also holds the record as the most produced aircraft, with over 36,000 units built during the war. It was heavily armored and is the fastest ground attack aircraft in its class. The Germans called it the “Black Death”, while Stalin was quoted “The Red Army needs the Il-2 as it needs air and bread.” Pretty much they needed this aircraft to survive. After the war, the improved Ilyushin-10 Shturmovik went to serve in Communist countries until the late 1950s.
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Undoubtedly, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress significantly influenced the turn of events during the Second World War. This long range heavy bomber led the US Air Force assault in occupied Europe, carrying out strategic bombing which brought the industries of Nazi Germany to a standstill. Although formidably armed, crews of the B-17 faced unspeakable horror in the onslaught by veteran Luftwaffe fighters and ground flak fire. More than 47,000 airmen lost their lives during daylight raids in Germany, but the mighty Flying Fortresses pressed
For as long as most of the world can remember aviation has played a major factor in how wars are fought. Starting in World War I the worlds fighting forces began using aircraft to conduct surveillance missions over enemy territory. While these aircraft were not the masters of stealth that todays aircraft are there was no technology to take down these planes at the time. Air-to-air combat was an event that rarely happened and was almost never effective.
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.
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.
The P-51 Mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. With the technological advancements this plane achieved, to it’s service record, to it’s importance in winning World War Two, the Mustang is truly one of the greats. The Mustang played a key role in long range bomber support and saved countless bomber crew’s lives, and pilots loved to fly it. The P-51 had the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War Two and it was flown by some of America’s top aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter plane
The British were outnumbered 900 fighters to 640 fighters plus the Germans had an additional 1,300 bombers. With these statistics, the Luftwaffe thought that they would have a very easy time defeating the Royal Air Force. Even though the British were outnumbered, they had a few advantages that the Luftwaffe was unaware of. First, they develope...
Bombers have been around since the start of the 20th century during World War I. However, strategic bombings became more popular and used form World War II on. The bomber plane had evolved since World War I. Many bomber planes that were bi-planes, meaning the plane had two main wings on both sides instead of one. They also used dual engines. The Germans, however, used the zeppelins which were big targets for fighter planes and the design was not continued after the war.
The Supermarine Spitfire was designed by Reginald Mitchell and flew for the British Royal Air Force for the first time in 1938. It was in use in Britain from the end of the biplane era until 1954, when jets were becoming increasingly more popular, which made it the only Allied aircraft to be continuously produced throughout the Second World War. During the aircraft's lifetime over 20,000 Spitfires were produced across 24 variations, and it was used in 30 Air Forces across 6 continents. The Spitfire's ability to be modified and developed was what made it such a successful aircraft. It was able to be adapted to various climates such as the deserts of North Africa, the humid jungles of Borneo and Bengal, or the moist maritime cli...
The Vietnam War provided challenging and exciting times for United States (US) military aviation. Jets were still considered new technology at the beginning of the 1960’s and had not been tested thoroughly during the Korean War. As the situation in Vietnam started to escalate, US leadership recognized the importance of air superiority and the need to use and adapt newer technology. Air superiority can be achieved through multiple means, but none as romanticized and iconic as aerial combat. The general concept remains the same even to this day—defeat the other plane. However, the means to winning a dog fight had changed greatly due to the quick advancement in jet propulsion and guided weapon technology. This paper provides a summarization of the US efforts towards achieving air superiority through the means of aerial combat.
He describes how the B-29 was fashioned and produced notwithstanding the difficulties of the ever-changing design, and the implementation of the aircraft in the Pacific Theater. One of the most advanced aircraft flown during World War II, the Superfortress was created to expand on the capabilities of the B-17 and meet the demanding needs of Pacific. As the first bomber with a pressurized cabin, as well as, feature advanced radar, avionics, and defensive capabilities required of an unescorted bomber. The updated version of his book also includes detailed statistical tables showing the impact of the B-29 on the war
The people of Great Britain were bracing themselves for attack. The Royal Air Force had lost about one thousand airplanes fighting in Norway and France, leaving them with only 470 aircraft in early June 1940. By the time the Battle of Britain began in July, the Royal Air Force was equipped with about 650 aircraft and had 1253 pilots, many of which had very little training. This was opposed to the Luftwaffe’s 2075 aircraft and pilots who had experienced war before. These numbers are one reason the British pilots were often referred to as “The Few”. (Franks 11-13)
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...
By the time the Tuskegee airmen had arrived at their base in Ramitelli, Italy the United State Air Corps needed them. By 1944 the Allied Powers were carpet bombing Germany; While Great Britain bombed under the cover of darkness, the much more precise Americans bombed in board daylight. The gargantuan bombers were colossal sitting ducks for the German Air Force. The Luftwaffe tremendous success in bomber-hunting almost halted the crucial carpet bombing missions. Instead, the plan was saved by a new invention, the P51 Mustang. In Red Tails one former pilot points out the Intricacy of this new plane “There were 21 switches I had to hit before I could turn the engine on – it was a complicated engine. (Holway 163). The strong perseverance of the Tuskegee Airmen meant they adapted to the P51 before many of their white counterparts. This fighter plane had the capacity to fly all the way to the bombing site and back. Numerous regiments of bomber escorts were deployed throughout Europe to protect the fragile bombers. The 332nd Fighter Group was one of the best regarded escorts. This was the first time many Europeans had ever seen Black people outside the context of a racist caricature or human zoo. The majority of Europeans thought that Black were a savage and insubordinate. However, after witnessing the precision and brilliance of the Tuskegee airman, their perception changed. The Germans were humiliated that airmen from this ‘inferior race’ were helping to annihilate there once great Luftwaffe. One of the Tuskegee airmen even shot down a Nazi jet! “Even Thompson didn’t realized that he had just defeated the fastest plane ever built” (Holway
"Wrights’ Perspective on the Role of Airplanes in War." Wright Stories Wright Brothers Inventing The Airplane History of Flight Kitty Hawk Wright Contemporaries Military Airplane RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr.
The air war over Europe during the 1940s was a dangerous one. Bombing was used to weaken the manufacturing capabilities of the Axis powers in an effort to prepare for the upcoming invasion of mainland Europe, in particular, Germany. Defensive positions on these heavy bombers were necessary because the long range escorts –such as the P-51 Mustang- could not follow all the way over enemy territory. Gunners were necessary to ensure that the bombers could
The Royal Air Force (RAF) provided the first successful display of air power in a defensive and offensive strategy. In the fall of 1940, the Battle of Britain was the first airpower only operation. The German objective was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF) by attacking military and civilian targets in and around the United Kingdom. The RAF defense of the homeland by tactical aircraft and ground anti-air weapons slowed German aggression. The success of the offensive strategic bombing of Berlin caused Adolf Hitler and the Luftwaffe to shift air resources to protect Germany. The combination of tactical defense and strategic bombing enabled the RAF’s defense of Britain; this was one of the first successful air operations of WW2.