Transcript Advent of the Air Age: World War I

Airpower:
WW I through WW II
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WWI Thru WWII
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Background – The 1920’s
General Mitchell’s Crusade
The Air Corps Act of 1926
The Air Corps Tactical School
Move To Autonomy in the 1930’s
WWII Begins
The Battle of Britain
The U.S. Prepares for War
The Army Air Forces
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WWI Thru WWII
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The U.S. Enters the Second World War
America and its Allies Plan Strategy
The U.S. on the Offensive
U.S. Strategic Bombing Effort against Germany
The Air War against Japan
Tactical Airpower in the Pacific
Strategic Airpower in the Pacific
The End of the Second World War
Review CFD Model
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The Interwar Years
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Interwar Years Background
 Following WW I, U.S. returned to isolationism
 Army Air Service reduced from 20,000 officers in
1918 to 200 in 1919
 Civilian aviation boomed, military budgets were
cut
 Air service sought to develop an air doctrine
 Period marked by organizational change and
personality clashes
 Few Airmen saw the potential of the airplane
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Billy Mitchell Video
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Interwar Years
General William “Billy” Mitchell
 Director of Military Aviation in 1919
 Believed the airplane would change the
defense establishment
 Believed the air service was an
offensive force equal to the Army and
Navy
 Views were strongly opposed by the
Army and Navy
 Americans wanted no part of a service
that looked offensive in nature.
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Billy Mitchell (Cont)
 A visionary, fanatic and prophet
 Alienated many due to constant
attacks and need for 100%
support
 Technology was not capable of
meeting his expectations -- cost
him credibility
 Feuded extensively with the Navy
-- Claimed the battleship was
obsolete
• His planes bombed and sunk 3 ships
• Infuriated the Navy leadership
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Mitchell’s Last Campaign
 1922 - 1924 -- Mitchell concentrated on
developing doctrine
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advocated strategic bombardment
 1925 -- Demoted to Lieutenant Colonel
because of his unrelenting bid for a
separate air force
 After the crash of the dirigible,
“Shenandoah,” he accused military
leaders of “incompetence and criminal
negligence”
 Court-martial -- October 25, 1925
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Mitchell’s Legacy
 Focused attention on airpower
 Forced people to accept the potential of
airpower
 Mentored many aviators who would
carry on his work -- some became
instructors at the Air Corps Tactical
School (ACTS)
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Air Corps Tactical School
(ACTS) Origins
 Founded in 1920 at Langley
Field VA
 Moved to Maxwell Field AL in
1931
 Original mission was to teach
air strategy and tactics
 Changed to developing and
teaching air doctrine
(principles and philosophy)
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Air Corps Tactical School
Teachings
 Future wars would be decided by airpower
 Airplane would be the primary offensive
weapon
 High-altitude strategic daylight bombing
could paralyze and defeat an industrialized
enemy without heavy losses
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Air Corps Tactical School
 Preoccupation with bombers and their
missions overwhelmed other teachings
• Claire Chennault, who led the Flying Tigers
in WW II, taught pursuit aviation -advocated escorting bombers and strafing
enemy rear areas
• George Kenney, who commanded the
Pacific Air Force in WW II, taught attack
aviation -- strafing attacks on enemy troops
and behind enemy lines
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Organizational Change
 Army Reorganization Act of 1920
• Air Service gained autonomy in R&D, procurement,
personnel, supply, and training
 Air Corps Act of 1926
• Changed the name of the Air Service to Air Corps -implied the Air Corps was capable of independent
operations
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Interwar Years
Organizational Change
 General Headquarters Air Force - 1935
• Placed all tactical units under the
Commander, GHQ
• Recognition of an independent aviation
branch within the Army
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Airpower in
World War II
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German Aggression Leading to U.S.
Involvement in WW II
 Germany attacks Poland -- 1
Sep 39
MESSERSCHMITT ME 109 Fighter
• The Luftwaffe was used to gain
air superiority, cut supply lines,
and support ground forces
 Germany then easily
conquers Denmark, Norway,
JUNKERS JU 87 “STUKA” Dive bomber
The Netherlands, Belgium,
and France
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Battle of Britain
JUNKERS JU 88 Bomber
 Britain stands alone against
German aggression -- June
1940
 Germany attacks in four phases
• Attacks against shipping lines
• Day and night bombing of RAF
airfields
• Daytime bombing of the cities
• Nighttime bombing of the cities
HEINKEL HE 111 Bomber
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Phase I
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Phase II
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Phase III
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Phase IV
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Reasons for Luftwaffe’s
Defeat
 Luftwaffe not trained or equipped to conduct
strategic bombing
 British had excellent command, control, and
communication systems in place
 Luftwaffe had poor intelligence capabilities
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United States
Prepares for War
 Army Air Corps was expanded
• July 1940 -- Air Corps expands to 54 combat
groups to include 14 heavy bomb groups
• March 1941-- Air Corps expands to 48 combat
groups to include 24 heavy bomb groups
 Emphasis placed on bombers, not escort
aircraft -- hurts U.S. bombing efforts
B-17
B-24
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Air War Plans Division
Plan # 1
 Formulated in response to Roosevelt's call for
American air doctrine
 Established independent operating objectives
for the Air Corps
 Called for precision bombing of German
industry and economy
 Flawed because it did not provide for longrange fighter escort
P-51
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AWPD # 1 -- Target List
 Emphasized the offensive nature of the
mission.
 Ground support missions were secondary
 Four major targets were:
Sources of electrical power
Transportation systems
Sources of oil production
Aircraft industry
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Forming the Army
Air Force (AAF)
 Army Air Corps and GHQ Air Force merged in June
1941 to form AAF
 Resulted from the decentralization of the War
Department General Staff which was begun by
General George Marshall in 1940
 General Hap Arnold named commander
 One step from full independence as a separate
service
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U.S. Enters WW II -Background
 Relations between U.S. and Germany
deteriorate – U.S. destroyer Reuben James sunk
in Oct 41
 Relations with Japan worsened in 1941
• Japan continues Asian aggression
• Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in U.S. and halts all
American trade with Japan -- Jul 41
• Japan attacks Pearl Harbor -- Dec 7, 1941
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Allied Strategy for
Winning World War II
 Priority One -- Safeguard Britain and U.S.
 Priority Two -- Fight a decisive air
offensive against the Axis powers in
Europe and fight defensively in Asia
 Priority Three -- Sustained air offensive
against Japan after the Axis powers were
defeated in Europe
• Use land forces when, and if, necessary
I + II + III = Victory
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U.S. First Offensive Action
of WW II North Africa
 First use of U.S. ground forces
against the Germans
 Provided valuable combat
experience for ground and air
forces
 Opportunity for British and U.S. to
fight a combined arms campaign
 First defeat of the German forces
since 1930
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North Africa Video
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North Africa
 U.S. learned some valuable lessons
concerning the employment of
airpower in tactical situations
 Initial problems experienced by the
Allies
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Air units were split among ground units
Ground commanders didn’t share aircraft
Airpower was used defensively
Airpower was fragmented and inflexible
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North Africa (Cont)
 Allied airpower was reorganized in 1942
• Command of the air forces went to Airmen
• The air officer decided the missions and allocated forces
• Missions became offensive in nature
 Flexibility of Allied airpower was restored and air
superiority was attained
 Tactical missions followed and techniques refined.
 Allies achieve victory in North Africa in
May 43
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U.S. Strategic Bombing
of Germany
 Heavily influenced by ACTS and
bomber advocates
• Some felt strategic bombing alone would
defeat Germany
• Others believed strategic bombing would
weaken Germany and a ground invasion
would be required for her surrender
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U.S. Bombing Strategy
 Committed to high-altitude, daylight precision
bombing
 Believed heavy bombers, flying in formation,
could fight their way to the target and back
• Fighter escorts were not necessary
 Targets identified by AWPD were best hit in day
time
 Strategy ignored weather conditions, target
obstruction, fighter opposition and anti-aircraft
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artillery
Strategic Bombing of
Germany Early Efforts
 Strategic bombing of Europe was responsibility of the 8th
Air Force
 First raids were against marshaling yards in France
• little effect
 Late ‘42 and early ‘43 -- 8th attacked small targets in
Europe -- good experience, little effect
 Casablanca Conference (Jan ‘43) established strategic
bombing (destruction of German industry) as a major
objective
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Strategic Bombing of
Schweinfurt Germany
 8th Air Force bombs the ball-bearing
plants at Schweinfurt in Summer
1943
• Aug ‘43 -- 8th inflicts heavy damage but
lost 36 B-17s and 360 crewmen
• Oct ‘43 -- AAF lost 60 bombers, had 138
aircraft damaged and 600 men lost
 Losses were unacceptable
 No fighter escorts - bombers
vulnerable to enemy fighters and
anti-aircraft artillery
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Schweinfurt Bombing Video
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Strategic Bombing
in Europe: Ploesti
 Aug ‘43 – USAF launch attacks
against oil refineries at Ploesti,
Romania
• 180 aircraft launched, 55 aircraft
lost
• Raids were costly but needed to
shorten the war
 Attacks were designed to
reduce Germany’s oil and
lubricant production
• Generally ineffective and
deliveries increased until ‘44
when attacks resumed
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Strategic Bombing
in Europe (Cont)
 Long-range fighter escorts arrived in theater in Dec ‘43
• Took significant toll on German aircraft and their
experienced pilot force
 8th resumed raids into Germany in Feb ‘44
• Launched a 1000 plane raid by end of Feb ‘44
• Attacked Berlin in Mar ‘44
• German POL production was reduced to 25% capacity by
Sep ‘44
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Strategic Bombing
in Europe: Lessons Learned
 Target list was not what it should
have been
• Attacks on sub-pens and ball bearing
plants were ineffective
• Best targets were the POL production
facilities and sources of electrical power
 Terror bombing of civilians was
ineffective and did little to lower
morale
 Bombers needed fighter escorts to
and from the target
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Pacific Theater in
World War II
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The Air War Against Japan
Japanese Objectives
 Territorial expansion to reduce overcrowding at home and gain raw
materials
 Moved to fill the power vacuum in
the Southwest Pacific created
German aggression in Europe
 Keep the U.S. out of the war for 2
years with a knockout blow at Pearl
Harbor
• Underestimated American resolve and
anger
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Allied Strategy to
Defeat Japan
 China-Burma-India -- Japan’s back
door
• Campaign to re-supply troops in China
and recapture Southeast Asia
• AAF flew the “hump” -- supply route over
the Himalayas -- “A logistics triumph”
 South Pacific Offensive -- Island
hopping campaign led by General
MacArthur
 Central Pacific Offensive -- Island
hopping campaign led by Admiral
Nimitz
C-47 Skytrain
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Tactical Airpower in
the Pacific
 Far East Air Force (FEAF) -- formed to support
the South Pacific campaign
• Made up of the 5th and 13th Air Forces
• Used innovative techniques such as fragmentation
bombs to interdict enemy positions and troops
• Employed fighters and medium bombers,
P-38 was a huge success
• Won air superiority through a war of attrition
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Strategic Airpower in
the Pacific
 First strategic raid 18 Apr 1942
• Jimmy Doolittle led flight of 16 bombers from
the deck of the aircraft carrier, “Hornet”
• 600 mile flight, did little damage, but boosted
morale of US forces and shocked the
Japanese
 20th Air Force was formed in 1944 specifically to
bomb Japan
• Initial results were poor due to high altitude
bombing techniques
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Air War Against Japan Video
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Strategic Airpower in
the Pacific (Cont)
 Jan 1945 -- General Arnold put Gen Curtis LeMay
in charge of strategic bombing
• Changed tactics to use incendiary bombs
• Lowered bombing altitude to improve B-29s accuracy
• Launched first firebomb attack of Tokyo on
9 Mar 45 -- 279 B-29s participated
-- Burned 16 sq miles, destroyed 267,000
buildings and killed 85,000 people
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Strategic Airpower in the
Pacific The End of the War
 President Truman authorizes nuclear strikes
against Japan
• 6 Aug 45 -- Hiroshima bombed - 70,000
killed
• 9 Aug 45 -- Nagasaki bombed - 40,000
killed
 Japan surrendered 15 Aug 1945
 WW II ended formally with ceremonies on
the USS Missouri on 2 Sep 1945
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Review of CFD Model
 Distinctive Capabilities: Air and space
expertise, capabilities and technological
know-how that produces superior military
capabilities
 Functions: Broad, fundamental and
continuing activities of air and space
power
 Doctrine: fundamental principles which
military forces guide their actions in
support of national objectives
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Time
Period
Distinctive
Capabilities
Functions
(missions)
Pre WW I
Information Superiority
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
 Artillery Spotting
 Gathering Military
Info to support land
forces
Post WW I Information Superiority
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
Counter Air
Strategic attack
 Theater attack,
Of military targets
Pre WW II Precision Engagement
Information Superiority
Limited Air Superiority
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
Counter Air
Strategic Attack
Airlift
Strategic attack on
enemy homeland (enemy
war machine)
Precision Engagement
Information Superiority
Air Superiority
Agile Combat Support
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
Counter Air/Land
Strategic Attack
Airlift/Special Operations
Strategic Attack
Precision Engagement
Post WW
II
Doctrinal
Emphasis
Time
Period
Distinctive
Capabilities
Functions
(missions)
Pre WW I
Information Superiority
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
 Artillery Spotting
 Gathering Military
Info to support land
forces
Post WW I Information Superiority
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
Counter Air
Strategic attack
 Theater attack,
Of military targets
Pre WW II Precision Engagement
Information Superiority
Limited Air Superiority
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
Counter Air
Strategic Attack
Airlift
Strategic attack on
enemy homeland (enemy
war machine)
Precision Engagement
Information Superiority
Air Superiority
Agile Combat Support
Surveillance & Reconnaissance
Counter Air/Land
Strategic Attack
Airlift/Special Operations
Strategic Attack
Precision Engagement
Post WW
II
Doctrinal
Emphasis
WWI Thru WWII
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Background – The 1920’s.
General Mitchell’s Crusade.
The Air Corps Act of 1926.
The Air Corps Tactical School.
Move To Autonomy in the 1930’s
WWII Begins
The Battle of Britain
The U.S. Prepares for War.
The Army Air Forces.
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WWI Thru WWII
 The U.S. Enters the Second World
War.
 America and its Allies Plan Strategy.
 The U.S. on the Offensive.
 U.S. Strategic Bombing Effort
against Germany.
 The Air War against Japan.
 Tactical Airpower in the Pacific.
 Strategic Airpower in the Pacific.
 The End of the Second World War.
 Review CFD Model
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