World War II, the most dreadful conflict in human history, presented a new way of warfare. With new technological advancements, war was no longer fought on the ground in trenches like the previous World War had primarily done. World War II presented warfare fought immensely in the air, sea, and land as well. Throughout the European and Pacific theatres, Allied and Axis powers both utilized aircraft in bombing, supporting ground troops, and combating other enemy aircraft in air to air dogfights. As the importance of air superiority became apparent to the Allies, a need for a better, more durable aircraft engine was evident. Through the design and implementation of the Merlin engine, the allies were greatly able to turn the tides of the war, …show more content…
creating better fighters capable of more efficient combat and range. The Merlin Engine was first a product of the British Rolls-Royce company, however the massive American industry during WWII was much more ideal for producing mass quantities of the engine for both countries to use. The American production and version of the engine became known as the Packard V-1650 Merlin. The American Merlin, mostly used in the P-51, was most geared towards giving the aircraft longer range. Although the engine increased all of the plane’s specifications overall, it’s purpose was to be an effective bomber escort. Although most well-known for its implementation in the American P-51, The Merlin Engine was also very crucial for its use in British planes in the early war with the original British version of the engine. The British Hawker Hurricane used the strengths of the Merlin Engine to increase its air to air combat effectiveness. This aircraft was key in winning the Battle of Britain and stopping Hitler’s planned invasion of Britain. In July of 1940, Adolf Hitler utilized his incredibly powerful air force known as the Luftwaffe in an attempt to gain superiority over the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and lead a bombing campaign against bases and cities in order to prepare for Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Great Britain. This entire operation was stopped short as both sides raged in aerial combat over the English Channel. The Hawker Hurricane demonstrated the effectiveness of the Merlin Engine, destroying many German bombers before they could reach Britain while up against the incredibly advanced German bf-109 fighters. For three months, the British held their ground against the German war machine. The British fighters were essential in keeping the Germans at bay, as dominance over the RAF was necessary for the Germans to overpower Great Britain. Ultimately, the manufacturing of the Merlin Engine was a key step in resisting the powerful German fighters and maintaining air superiority in Europe. Later in the European campaign, the Allies went on the offensive. While Allied forces invaded North Africa and Italy, bombing runs left from Great Britain to Nazi occupied Europe. The American B-17 bombers that made these missions encountered heavy resistance and needed fighter escorts. Issued to Great Britain earlier in the war, the first variants of the P-51 used the Allison V-1710 Engine, which was much less effective at high altitudes and had a smaller range, making it the opposite of a bomber escort. Seeing the need for a fighter capable of escorting bombers, the US fit the P-51 with their Packard Merlin Engine and sent it off alongside the B-17s. With around 1400 horsepower, the new P-51 B, C, and D variants was easily capable of keeping up with the B-17s and operating well above 15,000 feet, competing with the Luftwaffe fighters. Most importantly, the P-51 with the Merlin Engine could make the trip to Germany and back, staying with the B-17 bombers for the entire trip. Thus, the Merlin Engine allowed the P-51 to meet all of the requirements necessary to escort the B-17s and combat the high-altitude German fighters in bombing raids over Europe. Late war, the need for the Merlin Engine and P-51 escorts continued.
In the Pacific Theatre, land bases were uncommon in the massive Pacific Ocean and typically far from the enemy. In order to use air power, both the United States and The Empire of Japan needed to use aircraft carriers to launch their planes from. The American naval planes aboard the aircraft carriers used engines that better suited short takeoffs and acceleration. This was so that they could get off the carriers quickly and dive easily while bombing enemy ships and carriers. Therefore the use of the Merlin Engine was not necessary, as the Pratt and Whitney engines and Wright Cyclone engines used in the naval fighters and bombers were effective at what they needed to do and thus needed no improvement. Large bombers like the B-29, on the other hand, could not be launched from aircraft carriers but were essential in taking out large island targets and bombing the mainland of Japan. These bombers could only be launched from island bases under US control which were typically quite far from their targets. Although the 99 foot long, four engine B-29 had no problem making this flight, there were few fighters capable of escorting them that far, let alone effectively, meaning the bombers were flying into enemy territory with only the protection of their gunners. Like in Europe, the P-51 with its Merlin Engine was the candidate for this job. Although P-51s could not be used to escort B-29s until the US capture of Iwo Jima in 1945, no other fighter was nearly as reliable and effective at escorting the bombers the 755 miles to mainland Japan. Dual engine fighters like the P-38 could use the power of two engines as well as drop tanks, which were extra fuel tanks held beneath the aircraft, to also fly this kind of distance. However, no planes had the balance of distance, speed, rate of climb, firepower, and maneuverability as the P-51. Therefore, even if an alternative fighter could manage the distance to escort
the B-29s, it would be useless in the event that the squadron encountered the extremely maneuverable Japanese fighters. In conclusion, the use of the Merlin Engine by both Great Britain and the US proved to be essential in air superiority and bomber escorts. The Merlin Engine influenced critical parts of the war, preventing a German invasion and keeping bombers safe in both war theatres. The British Hawker Hurricane kept up a defense against what would have been an unstoppable air power and American B-17s prevented German factory production while protected by P-51 escorts for the entire journey. In the Pacific, P-51s again ensured bomber protection, leading to a Japanese surrender. Had the Allies not used the Merlin Engine, air dominance in the war would have been lost and crucial victories in the war would not have been possible.
By the end of World War I the world was beginning to realize the ability air combat presented. When World War II started planes became much more effective. Though still fabric covered, the aircraft were faster and more agile than the variants used in the Great War. In 1938, the first year of the Second World War, Curtiss unveiled their P-40 Warhawk. This aircraft was one of the best of its time and laid the foundation for modern aircraft engineering. But by 1940 the German Luftwaffe had begun to develop faster, long-ranged fighter-bombers. All current Allied aircraft could not keep up with the long range of the B-17 bombers who needed escort. In 1940, North American Aviation received an order from Britain requesting another shipment of
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.
World War Warfare was one of the greatest examples of technological advancement and strategic challenge, with the introduction of inventions such as the aircraft and the tank the battlefield transformed from attrition as scene in the early years of the war to decisive by the end of the war.
The P-51 Mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. With the technological advancements this plane achieved, to it’s service record, to it’s importance in winning World War Two, the Mustang is truly one of the greats. The Mustang played a key role in long range bomber support and saved countless bomber crew’s lives, and pilots loved to fly it. The P-51 had the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War Two and it was flown by some of America’s top aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter plane
it opened the way to the Japanese home islands (Nalty, Shaw, & Turnbladh, 1966). " By November 1944, U.S. B29 bombers had commenced bombing operations on the Japanese capital city, Tokyo, from airfields located on the U.S. control island of Saipan. After the fall of Saipan, Imperial Japanese Army and Naval forces were deployed to the island of Iwo Jima; a very small island, approximately 8 sq.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Admiral Fletcher commanded the U.S.S. Yorktown before it was sunk by the Japanese. Then at 0750, Japan spots nine enemy (American) planes fifteen miles out. Tones, a Japanese cruiser, opened fire on the American pilot. Almost instantly, if an American bomber plane were hit, it would explode and go down. The bombers dropped their torpedoes far from their targets, so the torpedoes didn’t land a single blow to Japan.
The. Johnson, David E. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Print. The. "
The Japanese had more training and combat experience. Their leaders had better education and tactical knowledge. The fighter pilots of Japan were veterans. The Japanese doctrine to fuel under hangers on the deck caused issues. Fueling under the hanger caused delay in action for Japanese fighter. The US weren’t as experienced in air combat. The Sailors and fighter pilots on USS Hornet were the least experienced in
On December 7th 1941, Japanese Planes and submarines attacked the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor. This event singlehandedly brought the U.S from its then neutral stance in World War Two to a fighting member of the “Allied Powers.” Pearl Harbor was the first of a long series of confrontations between the U.S and the Japanese in an effort to gain control of the Pacific. Unlike the “War in Europe” the Pacific strategy was dominated by naval and aerial battles, with the occasional land-based “Island Hopping” Campaign. As such, one of the most important factors in the war in the pacific was Fleet Size, the more ships a country could send to war, the better. Pearl Harbor was the Japanese’s way of trying to deal with the massive U.S Pacific fleet. However, Pearl Harbor was not the turning point of the war. After December 7th the United States began work on numerous technological developments which would ultimately help them in one of the most important battles of WWII, the largest naval confrontation of the war, The Battle of Midway. The battle, which took place from June 4th to June 7th , 1942 is widely considered the turning point of the Pacific Theater (James & Wells). Through the Post-Pearl Harbor desire for “Revenge” and various technological advantages including code breaking and radar, the U.S were able to outsmart the Japanese at Midway and ultimately win the battle, eventually leading to a victory in the Pacific.
Throughout the attacks Sailors and Airman, from the entire island of Hawaii, immediately was on alert. As the bombs, bullets, and torpedoes began to drop impacting vessels in the harbor, Soldiers of the American armed forces began to battle back. As the vessels and aircraft began to fight, the Japanese began to fight harder. It was eminent that Japanese fighter pilots had no plan on returning from this mission, for the aircraft soon began to shoot from the sky and set their point of impact on vessels. Along with numerous 550-pound general-purpose bombs, one of the most detrimental acts during this time was to our battle ships by the Japanese, was the 1,800-pound weapon that dropped from the clouds directly hitting one of the now famous American ships below, the USS Arizona.
The Vietnam War provided challenging and exciting times for United States (US) military aviation. Jets were still considered new technology at the beginning of the 1960’s and had not been tested thoroughly during the Korean War. As the situation in Vietnam started to escalate, US leadership recognized the importance of air superiority and the need to use and adapt newer technology. Air superiority can be achieved through multiple means, but none as romanticized and iconic as aerial combat. The general concept remains the same even to this day—defeat the other plane. However, the means to winning a dog fight had changed greatly due to the quick advancement in jet propulsion and guided weapon technology. This paper provides a summarization of the US efforts towards achieving air superiority through the means of aerial combat.
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...
As the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the United States officially entered World War Two. The Japanese government later learned later that this single event sets off an explosion that subsequently caused the United States to attack the Midway Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Pearl Harbor was one of the United States largest naval bases and the largest in the Pacific Ocean. This attack ceased all trade with Japan and officially added Japan as one of the US enemies. With a new world war started it created new concerns for the army. “World War II introduced a whole new set of problems in naval tactics” (Smith, 1). The main change driving these changes was the fact that aircraft carriers became more prevalent and common in every major countries naval force. Japan was able to pull off the Pearl Harbor attack as a result of aircraft carriers to launch their airplanes. As a result of the battles leading up to the Battle of Midway and conflicts with Japan this created a lot larger of an impact on WWII as a whole and to boost unity in America leading to a more prosperous period of history following the war.
Even though Japan attacked the US directly, the primary focus of the war was the threat of Germany. The United States Army Air F...
As the war continued to drag on, each country invented new weaponry to help them gain a strategic edge. In both theaters of the war, the U.S used advanced bombing planes to lay waste to cities, making it easier for land troops to move in. The U.S had used bombing planes for most of the war but it wasn’t until the B-29 that allowed the U.S to strike in a more advanced way. “[The B-29] could carry a full bomb load for 3,000 miles or more at a considerably faster speed than older heavy bombers (24).” Unfortunately, with the ability to