Warm-Up – 2/5 – 10 minutes Utilizing your notes and past knowledge answer the following questions: Describe the German, Japanese, and Italian air power.

Warm-Up – 2/5 – 10 minutes Utilizing your notes and past knowledge answer the following questions: Describe the German, Japanese, and Italian air power preparations for WWII? Describe the US and British air power preparations for WWII. Describe the German combined arms approach to warfare. Describe why the Japanese plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor attacked air power first. What valuable lesson was learned in the use of airpower in North Africa that became the standard for use throughout Europe by the allies ?

Questions / Comments

World War II The Treaty of Versailles prevented Germany from building military aircraft after WWI. However, they were allowed to build civilian aircraft …which they did.

World War II This is how they built their air force for WWII.
In 1932, had trained pilots and over 3,000 in trng By 1935, the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force, was officially formed.

An MC-205, among the best WW2 Italy airplanes
World War II Mussolini had built Italy’s Air Force too. Had only 100 in and had over 2,600 when WWII started The Italians were ready for WWII. An MC-205, among the best WW2 Italy airplanes

World War II The Japanese had two air forces.
1919 French trained Japanese Army 1920 built first aircraft carrier British trained in carrier ops The Army and the Navy – both were ready. Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero) Kawasaki Ki-100

Allied Preparedness At the end of WWI, England, France, and the United States had the most powerful air forces in the world. However, they all cut back after the war. So while WE were cutting back the Axis powers were rebuilding.

A New Type of War Germany – Blitzkrieg (Lightning war).
Blitzkrieg was also known as a combined arms operations.

A New Type of War This strategy combined planes and tanks and moved fast, capturing land or personnel quickly.

Pearl Harbor Japan’s needed to gain air superiority to attack Fleet with little or no interference. Plan was to eliminate force by surprise attacks while aircraft was on the ground.

Pearl Harbor The attack was a complete surprise and the losses were staggering. Japanese destroyed: 96 Army / 96 Navy aircraft and damaged 159 more Only 6 Army fighters and 36 Navy aircraft got in the air

Learning in North Africa
The allies went to a centralized control of aircraft, which allowed more planes to come to the aid of an attacked army. This worked so well Roosevelt and Churchill adopted this for the entire European Theater.

THIS DAY IN AVIATION February 5
1914 — Lt. J.C. Morrow became 24th and last flier to qualify as “Military Aviator.”

1919 — The first regular, daily passenger service in the world is launched at Berlin's city airfield. A German airline operates the new service on route from Berlin to Weimar via Leipzig.

1929 — Frank Hawks and Oscar Grubb land their Lockheed “Air Express” in New York after a record flight of 18 hours 20 minutes from Los Angeles.

1949 — An Eastern Air Lines Lockheed “Constellation” lands at LaGuardia, New York, at the end of a flight of 6 hours 18 minutes from Los Angeles, a coast-to-coast record for transport aircraft.

1951 — The United States and Canada announce the establishment of the Distant Early Warning (DEW), the air defense system that uses more than 30 radar stations located across the northern portion of the continent.

1962 — A Sikorsky HSS-2 “Sea King” of the United States Navy sets a world helicopter speed record of mph, in the course of a flight between Milford and New Haven, Connecticut.

Chapter 4 – Air Power Goes to War

Today’s Mission Requirements
Identify in writing the theories of the early air power theorists. Describe in writing the early Royal Air Force (RAF) bombing experience before the start of the Combined Bombing Offensive. Describe in writing the effectiveness of the Army Air Corps bombing strategy at the beginning of World War II. Describe in writing what changes in strategy and tactics led to the Allies gaining air superiority over Europe. EQ: What were some of the aviation developments during the 5 year period of WWII that influenced the Aviation Industry for years to come?

Video of the Day B-17 Bombing

Developing a Strategy (for air power)
Beginning of WWII many theories existed of how to use air power. Italian Air Marshal Giulio Douhet said to gain air supremacy with a massive first strike; a surprise attack on the enemy’s aircraft. Attack population and they would give in – no large ground war would be necessary.

Sir Hugh Trenchard – “Father of the RAF” - believed the proper force mix was two- thirds bomber aircraft and one-third fighter. He disagreed with Douhet on what targets to hit. Trenchard thought air power should knock out vital centers, like factories – workers have no where to work - destroy will to fight

American General Billy Mitchell thought air power should take the war to the enemy’s cities. He thought: 20% should be bombers 20% attack aircraft 60% fighter aircraft Navy should have at least 20 aircraft carriers.

All three had agreed in long range bombing and they could get to targets unmolested. The RAF did not agree and had tried early in the war and changed to nighttime after losses by German anti-aircraft and fighters.

American Claire Chennault did not believe that the bomber could get through.

The US developed the Norden bombsight – which placed bombs accurately on target. US theory was that a well-armed bomber could fly high over enemy guns.

US developed an unescorted high altitude, daylight, precision bombing, while the British bombed at night. This gave round-the- clock bombing of German targets.

The Combined Bomber Offensive
In the beginning, first priority targets were submarine factories, docks and ports.

Second priority targets were aircraft factories and munitions plants.

Third priority targets were communications and transportation systems.

B-17 Bomb Rack Diagram

Initially successful – BUT - by late summer, of 1943, the American bombers were getting chewed up by the Luftwaffe. The US lost 92 bombers in 6 missions from July 24 – July 30. Each bomber has a crew of 10 – which equates to over 900 aircrew lost

Aug 17 - over 60 bombers were lost and during Oct over 148 bombers were lost The Luftwaffe’s fighters forced the US to stop the air raids and to reconsider the unescorted, high- altitude, daylight, precision bombing

P-51 Mustangs began escorting the bombers and chased enemy fighters, too. They were equipped with modified extra fuel tanks that could drop off This allowed the bombers to get deep into Germany and bomb Berlin.

March 4, 1944 was the first raid on Berlin. Priority targets were fighter-manufacturing facilities and oil refineries. The most important product of the new offensive was air superiority.

The new tactics combined with the bombing of the oil refineries hurt the Luftwaffe. Aviation fuel became scarce for the Luftwaffe and now the Americans were gaining the upper hand.

The Luftwaffe ruled the air over Europe no more.

Beginning of WWII many theories existed of how to use air power. Italian Air Marshal Giulio Douhet said to gain air supremacy with a massive first strike; a surprise attack on the enemy’s aircraft. Attack population and they would give in – no large ground war would be necessary.