WW1 In The Air: Introduction Flashcards
Was the use of aircraft in 1914 a completely new idea?
No- observation balloons were first used over the battle field in 1794
They were used for aerial reconnaissance throughout the 19th century
When did the British army’s royal engineers first have a balloon section?
1890
When was the aircraft invented?
Pioneered by the wright brothers in 1903
Military was slow to appreciate the potential of planes as a weapon
What is the RFC and when was it founded?
Royal flying Corps
April 1912
What was the RNAS and when was it established?
Royal Naval air service
July 1914
When were planes first used in war?
1911 by the Italians in their war with turkey
What was the attitude of the British military regarding aircraft in 1914?
They saw aircraft as ‘scouts’ for reconnaissance but not for use in offensive operation or as a fighting force equal to the Army or Navy
what limited aircraft use in 1914?
They were flimsy, slow (70mph), often crashed and were unable to fly in bad weather
What was the royal aircraft factory?
What the army balloon factory was renamed to in 1912
It was mostly experimental, and most of its designs weren’t successful
The factory did produce the SE5 which was one of the best British warplanes of the period
Number of British aircraft in 1914
Just over 100
Number of British aircraft in 1918
The RAF had more than 22’000 for various roles
What roles did aircraft play by 1918?
Reconnaissance,photography,artillery spotting,communication,supply,ground attack,bombing, air to air combat
How many people did the British aircraft industry employ by 1918?
350’000 workers
When was the first city bombed?
30 august 1914
The Germans bombed Paris
What were the initial targets of British aircraft attacks?
They were military targets
E.g. 22nd September RNAS planes attacked german airship sheds in Düsseldorf
