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How did Airpower and Development of an Airforce change British war…
How did Airpower and Development of an Airforce change British war strategy?
intro
Expansion and logistics of the RFC
The Smuts Report and impact on use of air power
Trenchard's philosophy for the RFC
air combat
the development of fighter aircraft
aces and fighter techniques
or attacking from below
british squadrons adopted formation flying
line abreast
line astern
echelon
attacking from out of the sun in order to dazzle the opposing pilot
war's most celebrated ace was Germany's Manfred von Richthofen
Trenchard disliked the cult of the individual created by these rewards and considered that artillery spotting remained the pilot's most important task
the impact of the Fokker Interrupter Gear
allowed a pilot to shoot through the arc of his propeller, without risk of hitting the wooden propeller blades
linked the gun's firing mechanism . to the engine to produce the first interrupter gear,
technological developments in bombing
importance of air combat in achieving victory
use of airpower
casualty rates
1 in 4 were killed
prevailing westerly winds over the western front favoured the Germans
casualty rate among aircrew was about the same as for the infantry soldiers
germans were running out of pilots and aircrew by 1918
german pilots were in faster, high flying aircraft so RFC pilots were fighting at a disadvantage
importance of the Western Front
strategic bombing
long-range bombing from the air of enemy industry, communications and civilians to destroy resistance and war capacity
aim was to degrade the enemy's morale and fighting ability
attacks on Britain by German Zeppelin airships led to demands that British aircraft retaliate, yet bombing Germany was a strategy for which the RFC and RNAS lacked adequate technology
the French were keener on strategic bombing and encouraged British participation
Haig insisted that 'terrorising the civil population' was no way to win the war
chimed with popular mood among the public but opposed by military leaders