Figure 1.--World War I involved the first large scale air combat in history. It began with primitive unarmed planes carrying out reconisance missions, but soon dogfights were occuring over the trenches of the Western Front. The Germans introduced anew dimension, bombing French and British cities. The first employed Zeppelins, but when the British began shooting them down, they deployed their new Gotha bomber. Inevitably bombing cities, a school was hit--the Upper North School (June 1917). The first daylight air-raid on London with the Gothas. Here we see children with their floral tributes at the memorial unveiling ceremony for the victims of the Upper North Street School bombing. The memprial had the names of the 18 children killed. It was one more item in the litany of German war attrocities.

None of the combatant countries began the War with well equipped air forces prepared for combat. In fact, pilots at first had to resort to carry pistols or shotguns aloft to do battle. The ininital use was reconisance. Even so, the impact of the air plane was felt very early in the War. A French pilot who spotted the deformation in the German lines that resulted in the Miracle on the Marne (1914). The war of motion descended into trench warfare. Planes would be used in all fronts and strategic bombers even appeared, but the primary focus of the air war from the beginning was over the trenches of the Western Front. The early planes were not armed. Pilots began taking pistols and shot guns to take pot shots at each other. The initial problem was how to fire forward so the pilot could aim is plane and not the gun. The problem here of course was the propeller. A Frenchman created the first effective if primitive sollution by armoring the propeller blades. The Germans solved the problem first by inventing the interuptor device. This was fitted on a Dutch-built Fokker plane the Eindeker. The result was the Foker Surge in which large numbers of British and French planes were shot down (1915). It was the Germans who also created the first tactical doctrine of aerial warfare. The author was Oswald Vilkie, a German air ace. He advises attacking from the sun leading to the British phrase, "Beware of the Hun in the sun." He advised fighter pilots to attack only when they had an advantage and to rush in, get in close, fire, and get out. The air war evolved into mass fighter engagements in which fighters in dog fights attempted to control the skies. A low point for the Allies came in 1n 1917 with Bloody April. The Germans introduced the highly effective Albatross plane. It was built with plywood and the regidity of the fusulage reduced the need for bracing, making it the most aerodynamic plane in the conflict. The inline engines gave it extra power which allowed the Germans to mount two machine guns, doubling the fire power. The Royal Air Corops (RAC) lost 189 planes in April. The Allies had much great industrial resources and thus could outproduce the Germans, gradually leading go Allied air dominance over the trenches in 1918. By the final year of the war, the fragile unarmed aircraft in 1914 had become high-powered killing machines with increasingly potent arament.

1914

None of the combatant countries began the War with well-equipped air forces prepared for combat. Commnders did not know how to use air planes and many dismissed them. Nor had the new air servuces developed weapons to put on airplanes, let alone combat tactics. From an early point we see examples of galentry and ingenuity. The early planes were not armed. In fact, pilots on their own ininative began to carry pistols or shotguns aloft to do battle, taking pot shots at each other. This was more difficult than it sounds because the pilot had to fly the plane, the ride could be herky, and the wings and struts made handing guns difficult. The ininital use of air planes was reconisance. [Franks] Even so, the impact of the air plane was felt very early in the War. A French pilot who spotted the deformation in the German lines that resulted in the Miracle on the Marne (1914). The war of motion descended into trench warfare. Planes would be used in all fronts and strategic bombers even appeared, but the primary focus of the air war from the beginning was over the trenches of the Western Front. Here from the beginniung the planes were used to gain intelligence on ememy trench defenses and troop dispostion. Here is where the War would be decided and the most of the combatant air power would be deployed. There would be diractions, but control of the aifr ovdr the trenches and the invaluable intelligencr it brought was the prkimary purpse pf the air war.

1915

The Germans early in 1915 bgan Zeppelin raids on British cities. For all of 1915 the Zepplins were able to reach altitudes which British aircraft and anti-aircraft guns could not reach. Early developments in the air war were strongly associated with technological advances which gave one side or the other an advantage. The primary initial problem was how to fire forward so the pilot could aim his plane and not the gun. It became obvious that the best tactic was for the pilot to essentially aim the plane rather than a gun. The problem here which immediately presented itself was of course the propeller. A Frenchman created the first effective if primitive sollution by armoring the propeller blades. The Germans solved the problem first by inventing the interuptor device. The device was invented by Anthony Fokker, Dutchman whose aircraft company was mostly associated with Germany. The device was fitted on a Dutch-built Fokker plane the Eindeker. The result was the Fokker Scourge in which large numbers of British and French planes were shot down (1915). This gave the Germans air superority for some time and thus a greater reconisance capability. It was the Germans during this time who created the first tactical doctrine of aerial warfare. The author was Oswald Vilkie, a German air ace. He advises attacking from the sun leading to the British phrase, "Beware of the Hun in the sun." He advised fighter pilots to attack only when they had an advantage and to rush in, get in close, fire, and get out. The air war evolved into mass fighter engagements in which fighters in dog fights attempted to control the skies. The Allies began production of figters wjich reached the front (late-1915 and early-1916). They helped the Allies restore a ballance to the air war and because of the large numbers of planes, air superority in many sectors. . The British introduced two new fighters that could had comparable capabilities to the Fokkers. The first to reach the front was the F.E.2b (September 1915), The D.H.2 reached tghe front a little later (February 1916). Both planes were 'pushers' and thus could fire forward without gun synchronisation. The French introduced the small Nieuport 11 (January 1916). It was a tractor biplane equipped with a forward firing gun which was mounted on the top wing outside the arc of the propeller. These new planes put an end to the "Fokker Scourge" and allowed the British to gain air superiority in preparation for the epic Battle of the Somme.

1916

The British launched their primary operation during 1916--the Battle of the Somme (July 1). It proved an unmitigated disaster. The growing RFC was committed not only for reconisance, but new offensive actions such as 'trench staffing' an early form of close comat support employed in World War II. Both sides after the Somme used aerial machine gun fire and small bombs against enemy infantry. The British had air superiority during the battle (July-November 1916). The Somme was. however, a disaster for the British on the ground because of the huge losses. The RFC, however, performed well and the losses would have been even worse without RFC support. The sucess of the British caused considerable consternation in the German High Command. [Chessman, p. 76.] The result was a major reorganization of the Luftstreitkr�fte and the adoption of new tactics. [Franks] One of these was the formation of Jagdstaffeln (specialist fighter squadrons). Oswald Boelcke played a key role if forming the Jasta system that devestated the RFC. These units began reaching the front (late-1916). These uhits were equipped with the new Albatros fighters. They quickly restablishef German air superiority. The Luftstreitkr�fte reorganisation eventually produced the German strategic bombing squadrons that were to produce such consternation in England (1917-18) Specialist close support squadrons (Schlachtstaffeln) shot up the British infantry at Cambrai and during the German Spring offensive they hoped would win the War (1918.)

1917

The Germans introduced the Jagdstaffeln formations and highly effective streamlined Albatross plane (late-1916 and early 1917). The Albatross was built with plywood and the regidity of the fusulage reduced the need for bracing, making it the most aerodynamically advanced plane in the conflict. It had the look of a World War II plane, but with biplanes The inline engines gave it extra power which allowed the Germans to mount two machine guns, doubling the fire power. Baron von Rictoffen was given comand of Yasta 11. A low point for the Allies came in early-1917 with Bloody April. The Royal Air Corops (RAC) lost 189 planes in April. The German kill rate was 4 to 1. The average British pilot entered combat with 18 hours flying experiences. Losses were horific. America entered the War (April), but did not have a well equipped air force to commit. American aviators arriving in France were mostly given French aircraft as they began training. More immediartely important was that the British began introducing advanced aircraft that could compete with the German aircraft. The Royal Air Craft factory was working on an advanced fighter to counter the deadly Albartross--the SE 5. There were, however, problems. A major problem was an under-powered engine. These were worked out and the the SE 5A began reaching the front (mid-1917). Not only did the fast SE5a begin reaching tghe front, but the highly maneuravle Sopwith Camel arrived in even larger numbers as well as the two seater Bristol. The British not only had two fighters superior to the Akbatross, but had them in much greater numbers than the Germans could produce. This gradually gave the Allies control of the air--and would hold it for the rest of the year. After the British began shooting down Zepelins, the Germans intriduced the new Gotha bombers and began daylight raid on London (figure 1).

1918

By the final year of the war, the fragile unarmed aircraft in 1914 had become high-powered killing machines with increasingly potent arament. Success in the air was in the early years of the war largely determined by technological advances giving one side or the other a momentary advantage. This had changed by 1918. Both the Allies and the Germans had advanced aircraft, albeitg the Allied planes were somewhat superior. And the Allies had much great industrial resources and thus could outproduce the Germans, giving the Allies air dominance over the trenches in 1918. And by 1918, American squadrons were activated. Most had French aircraft, but there were two squadrons with British Sopwith camels. The German response to the increasing Allied dominance was to combine Yasta swquadrons. And to deploy them in small sectors of the front to gain local air dominance. These large air units came to be called flying circuses. The most famous flying circus was of course the one commanded by Baron Rictoffen who flew a brightly painted red plane. And Vokker had personally provided von Rictoffen the highly maneuravle DR1 triplane. It was not easy to fly, but was deadlky in the hands of a skilled pilot like Rictoffen. The final year of the war saw the Germans launching their final grand ground offensive to win the War (Spring). The Germans introuced the formidable metal fuselage Fokker D.VII (May 1918). They produced it in large number, but not enough to regin air dominance over the trenches. In the air massive dogfights occurre, often with 60 more planes engaging in great swirling swarms.

Sources

Cheesman, E.F. (ed.) Fighter Aircraft of the 1914�1918 War (Letchworth, UK: Harleyford, 1960).

Franks, Norman. Great War Fighter Acrs, 1914-16 (2014), 152p.

Created: 3:37 AM 12/4/2006
Last updated: 2:22 AM 4/24/2015