WAR IN THE AIR AND AIR POWER AT SEA: 1914 – 1918

Acknowledgements

Zeppelin: spartacus-educational.com The Bomber: historyhit.com Reconnaissance: flitetest.com Fighter: airscapemag.com Charts: from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft 1914 to the Present by the aviation historian Enzo Angelucci Birth of Aircraft Carrier: bookcover: Ian M. Burns HMS Hermes: en.wikipedia.org HMS Argus: Wills’s Cigarettesnavalencyclopedia.com

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MAJOR AIRFORCES

AIRCRAFTxPRODUCTION, COMBAT AIRCRAFT (1914 – 1918), AND LOSSES

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AIRxPOWER AT SEA

     Throughout the war, airpower played an important and ever increasing part in the battle raging at sea. The major warring nations wasted no time in attempting to find a means whereby warships, wherever they might be serving, could be given in full the assistance that this new source of power now offered. There was the need for some sort of “floating and travelling aerodrome” that – round the clock – provided not only on-the-spot aerial observation and an improvement in the accuracy of naval gunfire, but also added to the fight against the U-boat and enemy surface vessels. It was a task that was easier said than done, but the answer clearly lay in the development of seaplanes, flying boats and, ultimately, the provision of some sort of “aeroplane ship”. These were seen to be the major means of bringing airpower to the aid of the war afloat.

    Faced with a rigorous German blockade, Britain was particularly anxious to make full use of this new and highly promising assistance from above. Indeed,xas early as May 1913 – before the outbreak of the war – the Royal Naval Air Service had converted the light cruiser HMS Hermes into a “seaplane tender”, fitted with a launching deck, and with the aircraft housed in canvas shelters situated both stern and forward of the bridge. By such means, it was argued, seaplanes would thus be able to become an integral part of a nation’s fleet, useful in the detection of U-boats in addition to their reconnaissance roles. But, in fact, this solution was far from plain sailing. Apart from the time it took to prepare and off-load seaplanes (exposing the ship to a possible u-boat attack), these aircraft could not take off given a rough sea, nor indeed could they land safely on such a surface. They were far too prone to delay and accidents to provide a reliable service.

    This situation served to intensify the need for a workable aircraft carrier. Here, the British Navy led the way. InxJuly 1918 a converted battle cruiser, HMS Furious, its flight deck “cleared of clutter”, launched a bombing attack by seven Sopwith Camels on the German naval base at Tondern. It destroyed two airships, and is seen today as the first official air raid in history to make use of an “aircraft carrier”. Andxthis was followed in September by the launch of HMS Argus, a former Italian passenger liner. By housing aircraft down below, this turned the entire upper deck into a very long runway, quite sufficient for the aircraft of the day.

     Meanwhile,xairpower played an important part in developing methods to combat the U-boat threat and the menace of mines. At the end of 1916 an Anti-Submarine Division (known as ASD) was established, and this led to the Spider Web Patrol in April 1917, an efficient signals network. This assisted RNAS flying boats (including the long range Felixstowe F.2), in searching out U-boats and mine-laying over a wide combat area. Active at the right time, this greatly contributed to the success of the convoy system, then beginning to reduce Allied loses on the Atlantic crossing.

     As well as being used for air defence, the development of aircraft carriers opened up the possibility of their being used offensively at sea as well as against coastal targets. Torpedoes were widely used against shipping and submarines, but, at this stage, there was little enthusiasm for attacking enemy warships. Carrierxborne aircraft did not possess a torpedo specifically designed for that purpose, and were not likely to survive the intensity of the gunfire they themselves would encounter. And the introduction of the carrier-based Sopwith T1 Cuckoo – a torpedo bomber made to fit the purpose – came too late to show its worth …… though plans had actually been drawn up for an attack on the German High Seas Fleet in Kiel harbour! It was left to the Second World War to reveal what damage this improved weapon could wreak. This apart, however, by 1918 the use of airpower at sea had clearly proved to be an essential and developing feature of naval warfare.

     Incidentally, whenxthe war broke out the Royal Naval Air Service had 93 aircraft, six airships, 727 personnel, and 12 stations around the coast of Britain. At the time of the merger with the Royal Flying Corps, it had 2,949 aircraft, 103 airships, a force of 55,000, and 126 coastal stations. In essence, it presided over a revolutionary period of development that changed the nature of naval warfare for ever.

    THExBIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AIRPOWER

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The first of over fifty zeppelin raids is made upon

Britain. Bombs are dropped on three towns in Norfolk,

and attacks upon London begin in May. Then raids were

made across the country, and Paris, Versailles and

Warsaw were also bombed. At this stage, the airship flew

 too high to be intercepted by the aircraft of the day!

For the next eight months, the German Fokker fighter –

highly  manoeuvrable and firing bullets through the

spinning propeller – dominates the skies above the

Western Front. The Allies suffer heavy loses.  It is at this

time that aircraft begin to take a much greater part in

the battlefield itself, known as “tactical support”.

Following another period during which they have control

of air space over the Western Front – causing heavy

Allied losses  (particularly in “Bloody April”), the Germans

launch a new strategic bombing offensive. A strategy

which is virtually confined to air power, there are calls for

an independent Air Force to deal with this new threat.

Following Germany’s successful bombing raids on Britain

(plus a lack of defensive measures), on 1st April 1918,

Britain’s Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service

were combined to form the Royal Air Force. This was

the first independent air force. It ushered in a new form

of air power, one in which aircraft had the dominant role.

In the opening years of the war, aircraft were mainly used

for Reconnaissance and Surveillance. There was some

aerial combat, but the big increase in “dog fights” came

with the arrival of the German Fokker fighter in July 1915.

In the meantime, as we shall see, Zeppelins were used to

launch a series of bomber raids upon Britain.

August     1914

     Jan     1915

   June     1915

    May     1917

     April    1918