Figure 1.--The German Zeppelins at first made headlines, but the British dirigibles/air ships actually proved more important and were used by the Royal Navy to help protect shipping. Here we see one over the Belgian Cannel port of Ostend in 1914. Ostend was overun by the Germans and developed as an important U-Boat base. .

World War I was the first important war in which aircraft were employed in any numbers. The war exploded upon Europe only a decade after the Wright Brother's flight (1903). As a result, airlanes (the heavier-than-air craft) in existence on both sides were still very fragile, primitive unarmed craft. (Weapons and ammunition were heavy.) Many military experts thus dismissed aircraft as a weapon of war. They soon, however, critical for both reconnaissance and artillery spotting. The most substantial aircraft at first were air ships/dirigibles (lighter-than-air craft). The best known was the German Zeppelins. There were also observation balloons, but they were tethered. Tethered observation balloons had already been deployed in earlier wars, but the massive reliance on artillery in World War I made them very important than ever before for artillery spotting. This was the major importance of aircraft during the war, although other operations gradually increased as rapid technological advances increased the effectiveness of airplanes. The Germans used Zeppelins for reconnaissance over the North Sea and Baltic and then strategic bombing raids over Britain and the Eastern Front. At first the British did not have aircraft that could reach the Zeps. Interestingly virtually unreported are the British dirigibles which were used by the Royal Navy to protest shipping. Eventually British aircraft got to Zeps and the Germans had to scrap them. The Royal Navy used dirigibles throughout the War and the Germans could not get to them. Airplanes rapidly replaced lighter-than-air craft in the air war. Innovations came at a rapid pace expanding the utility of the airplane. Both sides made important advances. As a result, there were sharp swings in the balance of the air war. Because relatively simple steps could make a major difference the balance swing rapidly back and forth. Planes were short down over the trenches of both sides of non-man's land. Neither side was able to keep secret the advances that they made. As a result, any advance by one side was quickly detected and adopted by the other side. Airplanes were just coming into military use when the war broke out. They were used mostly for reconnaissance and artillery spotting, but as newer more robust planes, appeared their used expanded. We see many specialized types being developed fighters, bombers, and trench strafers. Airplanes during the War were primarily used in a tactical rather than strategic mode. There was direct cooperation with ground forces (artillery spotting). Support of ground forces was limited because it was not yet possible to install radios in planes. The Germans began strategic bombing, but at the time the Germans asked for an armistice, the Allies were preparing a massive bombing campaign. Quite a large number if aircraft were used in the War, but several reached legendary status. They were mostly fighters. The British had the Bristol Scout, Sopwith Camel, Spad, and Vickers. The main French plane was Nieuport. The Germans had the Albatros, various Fokkers, and the Pfalz. Fokkerf was Germany's most important producer of advanced aircraft. For an extended period, the Allies struggle wuth the Fokker's Curse. After the NAZIs seized power, a decade later, Anthony Fokker refused to comply with their orders. Göring seized his company and Fokker died soon after undr unexplained circustances. German technology was on a par if not better than Allied technology, but Germany's failure to win a quick victory, meant disaster in the air war. The country's industrial capacity could not match that of the Allies. The Italians had only one plane, the Ansaldo Balilla. Bombers include the German Gotha and the the British Handley Page. The Russian created aircraft, but did not have the industrial capacity to build them in any numbers. The Americans did not yet have an advanced aircraft, but used British and French aircraft. The American Jenny as used for pilot training. The Americans did begin building Liberty air craft engines for the Allies. Engines were the major constraint in aircraft production. The American Liberties, but did not reach Europe in numbers before the Germans asked for the Armistice (November 1918). If it had the Germans who were already being overwhelmed in the air would have been swept from the skies. The NAZIs, especially Luftwaffe chief Herman Göring ignored this and dismissed America. Of course this is exactly what happened in World War II. American fighters swept the Luftwaffe from the skies over the Reich and Germany's industrial cities were turned into mounds of rubble.

Created: 4:59 PM 9/14/2022
Last updated: 4:59 PM 9/14/2022