Airships In Ww1

As the start of the First World War swept through Europe, every nation involved, quickly came to realize the advantages and necessities of using aircraft throughout combat. Each country had their own different aircraft and the methods they used them in. For example, at the start of the war, the Germans used airships as bombers and observers. Although, they proved quite ineffective against ground enemies as they were slow and easily attacked (Millbrooke, 2006). Later on, the airships provided more useful as naval defense and scouts, not only by Germany, but by every nation capable of producing airships and dirigibles. Another German aircraft that revolutionized the war, was the Fokker Eindecker E.1, as the first aircraft to employ a forward

firing machine gun, which made the skies a deadly arena. On the other hand, the Russians used their very own Il’ya Mourometz as one the world’s first heavy bombers capable of carrying over a thousand pounds of payload, it proved to be very effective until the end of the war, where the ever expanding technological advances made the aircraft obsolete(Millbrooke, 2006). The British used the Sopwith Camel, the airplane that downed more enemy aircraft any other Allied airplanes. It was one of the most maneuverable aircraft out in the skies and it was credited with almost 1300 kills, which provided support for infantry, dominated the skies, and could even perform bombing runs (Trueman, 2015). Every nation employed a variety of aircraft along with their own implemented technologies that produced positive effect on the war effort.