Air Power in World War I 1914 - 1918

Attention What comes to mind when you think about war? Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Objectives Describe the contributions of US pilots during World War I Describe the role of air power in World War I Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Vocabulary Escadrille Stalemate Strafe Strategic Dogfight Chapter 2, Lesson 3

World War I Most World War I battles were fought on land or at sea Airplanes were still fragile when the war started in 1914 But during the war, aviation engineers made tremendous advances In a few key instances, aircraft contributed to the Allied victory Aircraft had important functions—from conducting aerial reconnaissance to shooting down enemy aircraft Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Outbreak of WWI World War I began in Europe, when a Serb assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914. Ferdinand was next in line to the Austro-Hungarian throne Because of alliances among different nations in Europe, one country after another soon declared war Soon the Allies were at war against the Central Powers The Allies The Central Powers Serbia Austria-Hungary Russia France Germany Turkey Britain Chapter 2, Lesson 3

The Lafayette Escadrille US President Woodrow Wilson vowed that the United States would remain neutral Some American pilots didn’t wait for the United States to join the war and the French Foreign Legion could sign up these volunteers So, in April 1916 seven American pilots formed a fighting group called Escadrille Américaine An escadrille is a small squadron of planes They had to change the name to the Lafayette Escadrille By the time the United States Air Service brought the unit under its supervision in 1918, its pilots had made 199 kills Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Raoul Lufbery Raoul Lufbery was the most famous pilot of the Lafayette Escadrille He had 17 combat victories during the war He died in action when his plane became engulfed in flames after being shot by a German aircraft Chapter 2, Lesson 3 Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Eugene Bullard Eugene Bullard was the only African-American to serve as a pilot during World War I He tried to join the US Air Service, but the Army turned him down Bullard signed up with the French Foreign Legion in October 1914 He was wounded four times while with an infantry unit After his fourth wound, he transferred to the French Air Service and became a pilot. Chapter 2, Lesson 3 Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Eugene Bullard He was the first black man to get a pilot’s license, and the first black American fighter pilot. He shot down two German aircraft while in the French Air Service The French government awarded him a Croix de Guerre (War Cross) medal, which it gave to individuals who displayed heroism during fighting with enemy forces Chapter 2, Lesson 3 Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Stalemate By 1917, the war in Europe was at a stalemate A stalemate is a situation in which further action is blocked A force was needed to tip the balance one way or the other The Allies hoped that force would be the United States Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Which Allied country had a foreign legion that could sign up American pilots Great Britain France Russia Turkey 19 1 (AS100-U2C2L3:LQ6)

A French term for a small squadron of planes Allies Central Powers U-Boats Escadrille 20 (AS100-2C2L3:VQ4)

A situation in which further action is blocked Stalemate Appropriate Strategic Strafe 20 (AS100-2C2L3:VQ9)

The US Enters the War Over time it proved impossible to stay out of the war Germany asked Mexico to make war with the United States if the United States did not remain neutral German U-boats - German submarines —targeted all American ships headed toward Britain The United States declared war on Germany and entered World War I in April 1917 Chapter 2, Lesson 3

US Involvement In August 1917 the US Congress vowed to “darken the skies over Europe with US aircraft” Congress had good intentions, but it had made an empty promise While the United States never built more than a handful of airplanes during the war years, it did provide considerable manpower in the air It entered the European conflict with 100 pilots and trained 10,000 more before the war’s end in November 1918. In all, 781 enemy planes fell to US pilots. US pilots took part in 150 bombing raids. Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Edward Rickenbacker America’s ace of aces started out as a professional racecar driver Like Glenn Curtiss, who’d broken speed records on motorcycles, Rickenbacker set a record in a racecar. His top speed was 134 mph In 1917, he asked the US Army to consider forming a squadron of pilots made up of racecar drivers. The military didn’t take him up on his offer, but they did ask whether he would like to enlist and serve as a staff car driver. Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Edward Rickenbacker Rickenbacker said yes, and fate stepped in. One day while Rickenbacker was driving a member of Gen John J. Pershing’s staff, they passed the broken-down car of Col William “Billy” Mitchell, chief of the US Air Service. Rickenbacker pulled over to the side of the road. Drawing on his expertise in engine repair, he fixed the car. Col Mitchell was impressed. Later he asked Rickenbacker to be his driver. Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Edward Rickenbacker Before long, Rickenbacker had Mitchell’s permission to train as a pilot Rickenbacker rose from an enlisted Soldier to the rank of captain and took command of the 94th Squadron. He did two important things for his men.  He got them equipped with parachutes.  And he figured out how to keep an airplane’s machine gun—an automatic rifle that uses belt-fed ammunition—from jamming. Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Edward Rickenbacker Chapter 2, Lesson 3 Courtesy of Bettman/Corbis

The Battle of Saint Mihiel September 1918: Air power played a tremendous role in this offensive Billy Mitchell commanded nearly 1,500 Allied airplanes at the Battle of Saint Mihiel The Allied pilots had two goals: To destroy German planes in the air To destroy German aircraft in hangars on the ground The Battle of Saint Mihiel helped lead to Allied victory two months later Chapter 2, Lesson 3

What did the US provide in WWI that tipped the balance in favor of the Allies Airplanes Airplane parts Manpower (pilots) Fuel 20 (AS100-U2C2L3:LQ6)

He was America's "ace of aces" during World War I. Edward Rickenbacker Frank Luke Roland Garros Raoul Lufbery 18 1 (AS100-U2C2L3:LQ6)

The Role of Airpower in World War I Reconnaissance Strafing Long Range Bombing Air to Air Combat Chapter 2, Lesson 3

The Role of Airpower Reconnaissance Until WWI, most people thought the role of aircraft in combat was limited to aerial reconnaissance Dropping bombs from the sky seemed an unlikely idea Conducting battles between squadrons of planes also seemed far-fetched Chapter 2, Lesson 3

The Role of Airpower Strafing Airplanes now offered possibilities that challenged age-old warfare strategies In traditional battles, troops dug trenches and assaults were from the front But now airplanes could fly over an enemy’s trenches and bomb from overhead – known as strafing To strafe is to attack with a machine gun from a low-flying aircraft Chapter 2, Lesson 3

The Role of Airpower Long-Range Strategic Bombing Airplanes could also hit important targets behind enemy lines, such as factories - known as Long Range Strategic Bombing London, 1915: German airships floated over the city and dropped bombs Through 1917 the Germans worked on perfecting these long-range strategic raids Strategic means designed to strike at the sources of an enemy’s military, economic, or political power Chapter 2, Lesson 3

German Airship Chapter 2, Lesson 3 Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Role of Airpower Air to Air Combat As technology advanced air combat operations expanded After the WWI innovation of the airplane-mounted machine gun both sides sent up airplanes to shoot down reconnaissance aircraft and each side had to protect its reconnaissance aircraft This resulted in air to air combat for the first time in history Chapter 2, Lesson 3

The Machine Gun French pilot Roland Garros was the first to bolt an automatic rifle to his plane The Germans asked Dutchman Anthony Fokker to improve it—he built an interrupting gear But soon the Allies and the Central Powers were again on equal footing The famous dogfights commenced —a dogfight is a battle between fighter planes Chapter 2, Lesson 3

To attack with a machine gun from a low-flying aircraft Stalemate Strategic Dogfight Strafe (AS100-2C2L3:VQ7)

Designed to strike at the sources of an enemy's military, economic, or political power Stalemate Strategic Dogfight Strafe (AS100-2C2L3:VQ7)

A battle between fighter planes Stalemate Strategic Dogfight Strafe (AS100-2C2L3:VQ8)

Necessity Is the Mother of Invention The technology of the Allied and Central Powers’ air power would leapfrog one over the other: Speeds picked up Aircraft became stronger and sturdier Maximum altitudes climbed from 10,000 feet to 24,000 feet Chapter 2, Lesson 3

Why War Sped Up US Aviation Development Congress appropriated $64 million for airplanes in 1917 At that time the United States was far behind other nations in air power Curtiss Aircraft was the only aviation manufacturer in the country Chapter 2, Lesson 3

New Developments in Aviation Once war broke out, the pace of invention picked up By 1918 three specialized types of aircraft had emerged: The observation aircraft The bomber The fighter Sopwith Camel Most Successful Fighter Plane of World War I Chapter 2, Lesson 3 Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force