1. Advent of the Air Age: World War I1

2. Overview How the airplane was employed during WWI
Condition of air service at the beginning of WWI
Beginnings of strategic bombing
Early airpower theorists

3. World War I -- Missions
Reconnaissance -- Collecting visual and photographic information
Counterair -- Air-to-air combat
Close Air Support -- Support of ground forces
Interdiction -- Striking enemy resources close to the battlefield
Strategic Bombing -- Strikes deep into enemy territory to destroy war making capabilities 2

4. WW I -- Early Uses of Airpower
Reconnaissance and artillery spotting
Took away the element of surprise
Hampered by weather / unserviceable aircraft
Pursuit aviation (Air superiority)
Grew out of attempts to deny reconnaissance
1st air-to-air kill occurred in Oct. 1914
Developed rapidly in WW I
Key to winning the air war 3

5. WW I Technological Developments
Roland Garros (French) -- Developed metal strips for propellers so machine bullets would not shatter the props
Anthony Fokker (Dutch) -- Designed synchronizing gear so bullets would pass through the spinning propeller blades 4

6. WW I Technological Developments
Nieuports and Spads (French and British) -- most reliable and flexible aircraft in 1916
Fokker Triplane -- German aircraft that put the Germans back on top in 1917 5

7. American Participation in WW I
When US entered the war in in April 1917, the US Air Service was totally unprepared
Aviation Section had 56 pilots and less than 250 airplanes -- none ready for combat
Congress approved $640 million in July 1917 to raise 354 combat squadrons
At the end of WW I, Air Service had 200,000 personnel and 185 squadrons 6

8. Strategic Bombing in WW I
Limited in scope and intensity
Had a negligible outcome on the war
Laid the foundation for future thought 7

9. Bombing of Britain
Germans conducted daylight bombing raids against Britain using Zeppelins
Stopped because of poor results
Germans reinitiated daylight raids using Gotha bombers in ineffective
Germans begin night bombing using Zeppelins and Reisen bombers primarily terror raids
Strengthened British morale, destroyed little war making capacity 8

10. Allied Bombing of Germany
Began in generally ineffective
British bombed German cities and airfields in retaliation for German strikes
Allies created the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force (IAIAF) in 1919 for the purpose of bombing Germany
War ended before IAIAF was used 9

11. Strategic Bombing Theorists
Sir Hugh Trenchard
Guilio Douhet
Billy Mitchell

12. Strategic Bombing Theorists: Sir Hugh Trenchard
Commander of Royal Air Force
Primary target should be civilian morale
Believed allies should attack German homeland
Attack around the clock

13. Strategic Bombing Theorists: Guilio Douhet
General in the Italian Army
Believed airpower was supreme after WW I
Believed bombers would win all wars
Air weapon would be used against ports, railroads and economic structures
Best way to gain air superiority was to destroy the enemy’s ground organization 10

14. Strategic Bombing Theorists: Guilio Douhet (cont)
Once air superiority was achieved, bombers would concentrate on cities to destroy industry and morale
Influenced by Italian geography where there was little threat of a ground invasion
His doctrine led to total war concept -- war on the nation as a whole, not just military forces 11

15. Strategic Bombing Theorists: General Billy Mitchell
Commanded Army combat units in WW I
Believed Navies were obsolete
Believed enemy cities should be attacked to destroy war production and morale
Advocated destruction of the enemy’s ability to make war -- factories, food production, communications, fuel supply 12

16. Strategic Bombing Theorists: General Billy Mitchell (cont)
Felt airpower could be used against ground forces -- bombers should not be the only type of aircraft
Saw airpower in global terms
Overestimated the speed of technological development
Passionate advocate of airpower -- made many powerful enemies within military 13

17. Summary How the airplane was employed during WWI
Condition of air service at the beginning of WWI
Beginnings of strategic bombing
Early airpower theorists