At the 1899 Hague Peace Conference, it was declared that any combat from aircraft would be considered a war crime. (Eyffinger 227) Merely 20 years later, World War One had seen the daily use of airplanes and pilots for unyielding combat. While slow at first, the recognition of the power of aircraft was quick as the Great War started. Out of all countries involved in the war, Germany had the deepest trust in their aircraft, and this would shortly be to their advantage. Whereas numerous air forces were by now in working condition, the fighting usage of airplanes was minimal. The airplanes were used mainly as recon, but the potential for air combat was yet to be seen. As the number of air force recruits increased, the number of planes manufactured followed suit. Through “hero pilots,” the air forces were used as propaganda tools, and the honour of being a pilot was never modest. Whether multiple wings for stability or lighter frames for speed, airplanes were under continuous upgrades. The rise of airpower overshadowed any other advancement of WW1. Through the advancement of aircraft and the use of hero pilots, WW1 transformed the role aircraft played, gave a much needed boost to morale and pride and presented vital advancements to aircraft technology. To begin, the war gave a new perspective of aircraft, ostensibly revisiting and rewriting the previous role and feeling towards aircraft. During major battles, airplanes were used primarily to report enemy infantry and artillery. While it was true aircraft were very useful for reconnaissance purposes, they were capable of much more. Pilots at first had only a pistol to protect themselves in case of danger. When pilots demanded that machine guns be fitted to their airplanes, the air f... ... middle of paper ... ...3/william-billy-avery-bishop.html>. "Manfred, baron von Richtofen,” Encyclopaedia Brittannica Online. 2011. Encyclopaedia Brittannica. Web. 02 Jan, 2011. < http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/502888/Manfred-Freiherr-von-Richthofen>. McCaffery, Dan. Air Aces : The Live and Times of Twelve Canadian Fighter Pilots. Toronto:Lorimer, 1990. Print. Eyffinger, Arthur. The First Hague Peace Conference of 1899:"The Parliament of Man, the Federation of the World. n.p. n.d., 1999. Print. "Manfred von Richtofen – The Flying Circus." Global Oneness. II. Experience Festival, n.d. Web. January 1, 2011. < http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Manfred_von_Richthofen_-_The_Flying_Circus/id/5522954 >. "WW1 Aircraft Development." Iola-Scandinavia School. n.p., n.d .Web. December 21, 2010. < http://www.iola.k12.wi.us/faculty/tuckerb/WWI%20Aircraft%202Development.ppt >.
For as long as most of the world can remember aviation has played a major factor in how wars are fought. Starting in World War I the worlds fighting forces began using aircraft to conduct surveillance missions over enemy territory. While these aircraft were not the masters of stealth that todays aircraft are there was no technology to take down these planes at the time. Air-to-air combat was an event that rarely happened and was almost never effective.
An aggressive pilot, due to his daring nature, a young Canadian became a legend and inspired a new generation of aces. Billy Bishop was a courageous man and the greatest fighter pilot to serve Canada during the times of war. The purpose of this essay is to learn and recognize the different contributions made by Billy Bishop and his journey to rising above his peers through strength and courage. This is true because he would go on to won 16 medals and become the first Canadian to win the Victoria Cross. First the difficult path he faced to achieving his dream will be discussed. Secondly his amazing victories and contributions during the war will be discussed. Lastly the ordeal he faced by people who believe he lied about his fights and the controversies of whether he deserved the Victoria Cross will be discussed.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
Throughout history, a Canadian by the name of William Avery “Billy” Bishop was considered one of the best fighter pilots of World War I. Bishop was a courageous, daring and dedicated hero, credited with 72 kills. However, the subject of his claims has always been a controversial topic for historians. Some say Bishop cheated and lied about the events that took place during the war, including his number of victories. The heart of this debate rests on the mission Bishop flew at the crack of dawn on June 2nd, 1917. After flying off on his own, he claims that he found a German aerodrome and took on seven planes on his own, shooting down three. The facts do not always add up, so it makes people wonder if and how he accomplished
Alex Kershaw’s “The Few The American ‘Knights Of The Air’ Who Risked Everything To Fight In The Battle Of Britain” doesn’t just tell the story of the seven American aviators who flew for the British as but also their enemies, the Luftwaffe’s point of view. This book is told through this group of Americans and from the viewpoint of the Royal Air Force pilots they fought with but also the perspective of the Luftwaffe fliers that they fought against during the battle. For example, in one part of the book, there was this one German lookout who had commented on how much of an advantage the British had because of their radars that could locate enemy planes while they crossed the English Channel; the lookout considered the radar an “unfair” tool.
World War One was known as the war that would end all wars. At first, airplanes in the war were thought to have just little combat use. An unknown British general even commented, " The airplane is useless for the purpose of war." In the beginning of the First World War, the airplanes were pretty simple and raw. By the end of the war, aircraft had become more advanced and had split off into fighters, bombers and long-range bombers. The specifications of the airplanes were changed to meet the war's requirements. When the War started in August of 1914, British airmen were associated with the British army and their commissioned officers had army ranks. Before the United State’s declaration of war in 1917, American nationals had enlisted in British and French air services including the Lafayette Escadrille. By the time the war ended in November of 1918, the Royal Flying Corps no longer prevailed and was absorbed into the recently developed Royal Air Force. The Royal Air Force now had its own command structure away from the army and provided its own ranks.
World War 2 was a technological war introducing aviation and navy advancements. However, Air forces played a major role in war minimizing casualties among infantry.This artifact rests on this fact and with a mission to aware you of a revolutionary British fighter plane “Hawker Hurricane” that enriched Canadian contribution in Allied victory leading to Canada’s Autonomy.
The people of Great Britain were bracing themselves for attack. The Royal Air Force had lost about one thousand airplanes fighting in Norway and France, leaving them with only 470 aircraft in early June 1940. By the time the Battle of Britain began in July, the Royal Air Force was equipped with about 650 aircraft and had 1253 pilots, many of which had very little training. This was opposed to the Luftwaffe’s 2075 aircraft and pilots who had experienced war before. These numbers are one reason the British pilots were often referred to as “The Few”. (Franks 11-13)
World War II was one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. There were many different battles that took place within this war; some more important than others. World War II began once Germany’s new dictator, Adolf Hitler, decided that he wanted to gain power for Germany and for himself. One of Hitler’s first moves in power was invading Poland on September 1, 1939. Many other countries became involved in this war because of the alliance system. The two sides during this war were the Allies and Axis powers. German, Italy and Japan were on the Axis powers; France, Britain, and the United States were on the Allies. Germany first began with the Blitzkrieg tactic meaning “lightning war”. This tactic is based on speed, surprise and was the most popular tactic. It is set up with military forces based around tanks which are supported by planes and infantry. The Blitzkrieg tactic lead to air wars with airplanes between countries. All of the countries were allowed to participate in the air wars but the four main countries were United States, Japan, Britain, and Germany. During the 1920’s and 1930’s airplanes grew in size and structure giving them more power, and making planes more effective. Planes made it easier to drop bombs, or plan attacks. All of these countries fought over air superiority. Air superiority is the position in which the air force has control over all of the air warfare and air power of the opposing forces. Germany began with air superiority but they lost it when Britain defeated them at the Battle of Britain. Gaining control over the air is a very big advantage because it is easier to plan an attack on an opposing country. All of the countries relied on their aircrafts during this war. The issue about the use of...
The author writes about the aircraft and ground units used in World War Two. The aircraft used in WWII were normally B-29 bombers or smaller P-36, P-39, P-40 or the P-63. The ground units were tanks, artillery and troops. These components all put in to one force working together brought about a bloody war.
Since the time of the World Wars and the Wright brothers, aviation has become a huge part of global society. The Orville and Wilbur Wright’s names will forever be remembered into United States history as the first men who were the first to fully realized human flight. Their successful invention of a working, powered airplane brought about whole new ways of wars, including new strategies for both offense and defense. Many technological advances might not have occurred without the need for new weapons and systems for airplanes. Travel and commerce would be much slower without the usage of airplanes. Orville and Wilbur have made a lasting impact on the world with their invention of a working, human-controlled, powered airplane; who knows what the world would be without it.
The development of aircraft was encouraged by the wars requirements, also by the aircraft were used. Many people along with the military believed that aircraft had a wider purpose than just photography from the air the war continued, and throughout this ‘belief’ that the military had two completely different...
Mortimer, G. (2013). Giving the machine gun wings. Aviation History, 23(6), 50-5. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2e489df0-5604-49cf-8709-9359f8a1feee%40sessionmgr4003&vid=3&hid=4211
Unikoski, Ari. “The War in the Air - Summary of the Air War”. First World War.com. 2009. http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/summary.htm
Aircraft are one of the biggest areas of advancement in the past. Military aircraft have become more sophisticated in variety, effectiveness, and maneuverability techniques in recent years. After it was found that aircraft could be very useful in war, they started to become a necessity of war. After World War 2, technological advances in aircraft began. The advances include stealth, targeting, maneuverability, etc.