Transcript CA Part 1 - WordPress.com

LO:
To investigate the impact of new technology on methods of fighting in the
air during the First and Second World Wars.
With a partner consider why a country would
want to fight in the air?
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Win air superiority – I.E. Control the sky
Help defeat the enemy
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Have a superior air force
Have an air force capable of various tasks
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Reconnaissance
Attacking enemy air force
Attacking enemy ground forces
Bombing important enemy targets
Bombing an enemies country and cities
Military aviation in Britain begins
1878 Royal Engineers Balloon unit
Royal Flying Corps (RFC) founded 1912
with one squadron of airships and three
of aircraft. Each squadron had twelve
machines.
5
Heavier than air vehicles (aeroplanes) had only been in operation
since 1903 but had quickly grown in civilian use.
 Militaries had seen their potential and they had already been used
prior to WWI by the Italians against the Turkish in 1911.
 Balloons and Airships were much older and had already seen
action as observation tools in previous wars.
 Planes were simple constructions of wood and canvas.
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The sky is about to become another battlefield no less important
than the battlefields on land and sea....In order to conquer the air,
it is necessary to deprive the enemy of all means of flying, by
striking at him in the air, at his bases of operation, or at his
production centres. We had better get accustomed to this idea,
and prepare ourselves. — Giulio Douhet (Italian staff officer), 1909
At the start of the First World War, aircraft like this B.E.2 were primarily used for
reconnaissance. Due to the static nature of trench warfare, aircraft were the only
means of gathering information beyond enemy trenches, so they were essential for
discovering where the enemy was based and what they were doing
These early aircraft were not fitted with radio sets, but
messages about enemy troop movements needed to be
communicated quickly. Pilots could either drop
messages in weighted bags or use message streamers
to drop messages to forces on the ground. This
message streamer was dropped on 9 September 1914
during the Battle of the Marne.
Reconnaissance Cameras
As trench systems developed and became more complex, it became harder for pilots to accurately record
what was happening on the ground and formal aerial photography was introduced early in 1915. The
first experimental photographs were taken by hand, but aerial reconnaissance was most effective
when using cameras which were attached to the aircraft, like this C Type camera.
Aerial Photographs
Aerial reconnaissance was a dangerous job. Taking photos of enemy
positions required the pilot to fly straight and level so that the observer
could take a series of overlapping images. This made them an easy
target. Here we can see a series of overlapping images being turned
into a larger map of the German lines near Arras in February 1918.
As the importance of aerial observation grew, both sides developed tactics to try and shoot down enemy
aircraft and to protect their own. By 1915, forward-firing machine guns were being fitted onto aircraft,
however there was the danger of damaging the engine, tail or propeller with the aircrafts own gun!
The real breakthrough came with the invention of an interrupter mechanism which allowed machine guns
to fire through moving propeller blades. The first one was fitted to the German Fokker Eindekker (model
above). This development gave the Germans a strong advantage for several months until French and British
designers succeeded in adapting the device for their own use about one year later. The period of German
dominance was known as the ‘Fokker Scourge’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faZiS1CYZs0 – Gear in action
Air-to-air combat
Throughout 1916 and 1917 aerial warfare developed from lone fighting to ever larger formations of aircraft and
patrols. Patrol leaders would try to give themselves an element of surprise by positioning themselves
above the enemy before attacking. At this point the formations would break up into individual dog fights.
'Air aces' were celebrated as heroes and used for propaganda by their governments.
Painting of a Dogfight commissioned by the British Military in 1919
As the war went on and airplane technology improved, large battles in the sky became an ever more common occurrence, and fantastic
legends and stories grew around great air aces, such as Manfred von Richthofen (the “Red Baron”) and Eddie Rickenbacker. These
men came to be seen by the public as modern-day knights, fighting a more exotic and elegant war than the grotesque nightmare
happening on the ground below.
The truth was quite different. Newly recruited pilots were often sent into the skies with only a crude understanding of how to fly (typically
less than five hours training). As the war progressed, it actually became unusual for a new pilot to survive the first few weeks of his
duty.
Due to this lack of experience, pilots not only fell victim to enemy aces but also succumbed regularly to bad weather, mechanical
problems, or loss of control due to pilot error. It was also common for pilots simply to become lost and then run out of fuel over
enemy lines. Most of those who were shot down lost their lives not in spectacular dogfights but after being shot from behind without
ever having even been aware of their attackers
Disrupting the enemy
Aircraft were also used to support ground troops. Ground attacks were aimed at disturbing
enemy forces at the front, often during active battles. At the same time crude attacks
were made on troops on the ground. Darts like these and other dangerous objects were
used by both sides. They were usually dropped in bundles from aeroplanes, as this
method ensured a wide dispersal. During ground attacks explosives, such as grenades
and bombs, were dropped from a low altitude to ensure accuracy and machine guns
were fired at targets on the ground.
Air raid in WWI http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zddy4wx
Danger at home
From 1915, air raids by aeroplanes and airships brought the realities of war to the home
front. They became a common threat with attacks aimed at both civilian and industrial
areas. The use of Zeppelin airships caused fear throughout Britain and the government
used this fear to help the recruitment drive. Incendiary ammunition that could shoot down
airships was eventually developed making defence easier, but air raids continued until the
end of the war.
WWI: Bombing - Propaganda
© IWM (Art.IWM PST 12052)
Selection of poster produced by Germany and Britain in response to bombing raids. (1915-1918)
Governments used the threat of the new technology as Black Propaganda against the enemy and as a method of
recruitment to their own armed forces. Newspapers in Britain organised relief funds for victims of Bombing and produced
identification charts to help warn the public of the threat.
British defences were totally inadequate to deal with the Zeppelin
threat. However, by 1916 a range of anti-airship defence measures
were introduced. Many more guns were deployed, and
searchlights. Fighter aircraft were also sent against them. British
defences learnt to pick up their radio messages, so had warning of
their approach, and a central communications headquarters was
set up.
It was realised that Zeppelins were extremely vulnerable to explosive
shells, which set light to the hydrogen, often in spectacular
fashion. Zeppelin raids were called off in1917, by which time 77 out
of the 115 German Zeppelins had been shot down or totally
disabled. However raids by heavier than air bombers continued,.
By the end of the war over 1500 British citizens had been killed in
air raids.
WWI: Strategic Bombing
British Bristol Braemar Mk. I 1917
German Gotha Bomber Artist Rendition 2000
Aircraft became larger as the need for bombers grew. These aircraft could carry large quantities of
explosives to drop on strategic targets, like factories and dockyards. They depended on long range and
reliability as targets were often well behind enemy lines. By the end of the war aircraft had developed
and improved dramatically.
© IWM (Q 67529)
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On Christmas Day 1914, for the first time, ship-borne aircraft
were used offensively when they attacked the Zeppelin bases
at Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven.
On the 12th August 1915, C.H.K. Edmonds became the first
pilot to sink a ship by torpedo.
Planes were used to locate U-boats and force them to remain
under water until they were to surface to recharge their
batteries leaving them vulnerable.
On 20th May 1917, the UC36 became the first submarine to be
sunk by a plane.
The British experimented with planes taking off from ships,
but they had no way of landing on the deck and had to ditch
into the sea and await recovery. HMS Argus in Autumn 1918
became the first true aircraft carrier.
How the air war led to victory: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zysy4wx
I wonder page http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zgxhpv4
Did not play a truly decisive role in the war but proved their capabilities in
various roles that were created and experimented with:
Tactical and Strategic bombing
Reconnaissance
Ground attack
Naval warfare
Dogfights
Furthermore Air Technology had developed significantly for example:
1914 BE2c biplane: 72mph, 90 horsepower
1918 SE5a fighter: 133 mph, 200 horsepower engine
Between 1918 and 1939 aircraft technology developed very rapidly. In 1918 most
aircraft were biplanes with wooden frames, canvas skins, wire rigging and aircooled engines. However, by 1939 military biplanes were in the process of being
replaced with metal framed monoplanes, often with stressed skins and liquidcooled engines. Top speeds had tripled; altitudes doubled; ranges and payloads
of bombers increased enormously. Most industrial countries also created air
forces separate from the army and navy.
Some theorists, especially in Britain, considered that aircraft would become the
dominant military arm in the future.They imagined that a future war would be
won entirely by the destruction of the enemy's military and industrial capability
from the air. This led to what would later be called a strategy of deterrence and a
"bomber gap", as nations measured air force power by number of bombers.
Others, such as Generals in the United States, saw the potential of air power to
augment the striking power of naval surface fleets.[German and British pilots had
experimented with aerial bombing of ships and air-dropped torpedoes during
World War I with mixed results.
Military aviation came into its own during the Second World War. The
increased performance, range, and payload of contemporary aircraft
meant that air power could move beyond the novelty applications of
World War I, becoming a central striking force for all the combatant
nations. - Overy (1981)
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Radar
Radio Communication
Pathfinding beacons
Rockets
Multipurpose aircraft
Aircraft continued to develop along
specialised lines of bombers and fighters.
Fighter planes such as the Supermarine
Spitfire were much quicker and agile
whilst bombers such as the Avro
Lancaster were large long range bombers
with multiple crew carrying out different
functions.
Prior to World War II, general limitations in available engine and aeronautical technology required that
each proposed military aircraft have its design tailored to a specific prescribed role. Engine power grew
dramatically during the early period of the war, roughly doubling between 1939 and 1943. This opened
the door to creating aircraft capable of multiple roles.
Planes were created that could be used as fighters, dive bombers, high speed photo reconnaissance, fast
bombers and in ground attack roles.
The development of rockets and very high frequency radio also greatly improved the roles an aircraft
could undertake.
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Hitler had planned to invade Britain using Operation Sealion. This required the Luftwaffe to destroy the
RAF’s ability to defend the UK. The Battle of Britain started officially on 10 June 1940, when
the Luftwaffe attacked a convoy of ships off Dover. But the real air war started on 12 August (when the
Luftwaffe attacked the RAF), and lasted until 31 October.
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At first the Luftwaffe attacked radar stations and airfields. Although the Luftwaffe lost more planes
than the RAF, by the 31 August the RAF was at its last gasp – in the previous fortnight the RAF had lost
295 planes destroyed and 170 damaged, 103 pilots killed and 128 wounded. Flying five or more ‘sorties’ a
day, the young British fighter pilots (nicknamed ‘Dowding’s chicks’) were becoming exhausted; more
importantly, the RAF was not training new pilots as fast the pilots were being killed. The weekend 30-31
August was the worst weekend of the battle for the RAF, with 65 fighters destroyed and 6 of the seven
sector stations in the vital south-east Group out of action.
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Just as Fighter Command was about to collapse, however, a miracle happened. On 24 August, by
accident, some Luftwaffe bombers had dropped their bombs on London. The next few nights, the RAF
replied by bombing Berlin. Hitler was angry. On 2 September he ordered his bombers to attack
London. On 7 September the Nazi bombing raid was so huge that a false alarm went round the southeast of England: code-word ‘Cromwell’ – invasion imminent. Church bells rang and the Home Guard
mobilised.
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Hitler’s decision to stop attacking the RAF gave it time to recover. On 15 September,
the Luftwaffe came by day in huge numbers. It expected to sweep the RAF from the skies. But the RAF
fought them off. At one point every British plane was in the sky – soon, some would have to come in to
refuel and there were no reserves to protect them. But the Luftwaffe, too, was at the limit and – just in
time – it turned back unable to win the decisive victory required.
Britain was able to win the battle of Britain due to several factors.
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Firstly, Britain had built a series of radar stations (July 1935). British radar was superior because,
not only could it tell where the enemy planes were coming from, but it had a way to telling the
fighters so that they could go and attack them.
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Secondly, in July 1937, Air Chief Marshall Dowding was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Fighter
Command. He was a brilliant commander who – on a small budget – was able to reorganise the
RAF into four Groups, each divided into a number of sectors (each with a main sector airfield with
a number of supporting airfields).
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Thirdly, the British developed two brilliant planes – the Hurricane (Nov 1935) which was reliable
and was used to shoot down the Luftwaffe bombers; and the Spitfire (March 1936), the fastest
plane in the world, which was used to destroy the Nazi fighters which protected the bombers.
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Fourthly, in May 1940, Churchill put Lord Beaverbrook (owner of the Daily Express) in charge of
aircraft production. He ran one appeal for aluminium – ‘We will turn your pots and pans into
Spitfires and Hurricanes’ – and another scheme where towns, groups or individuals could ‘buy’ a
Spitfire (for £5000) and send it off the fight the Nazis. He also set up a Civilian Repair
Organisation, which made new planes from the left-over pieces of planes which had been shot
down. Beaverbrook cut through government red tape, and increased the production by 250%; in
1940, British factories produced 4,283 fighters, compared to Germany’s 3,000.
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Finally though greatly advanced from WWI ranges German planes could only operate over Britain
for a limited time due to the fuel they needed to return to their bases. This left their bombers
vulnerable. RAF planes could spend much longer in the air due to their proximity to their airfields.
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 5835)
Chain Home by William Thomas Rawlinson (1946)
British Scientists had developed radar technology during the decade prior to the Second War (1939-1945). Chain Home was a series of ground
based radar stations which could detect approaching aircraft. This information was used to direct British fighter aircraft, like the Supermarine
Spitfire, to intercept the German raiders. During 1940 and 1941 radar technology was developed for use in aircraft. This enabled Royal Air Force
night fighter pilots to determine their enemies’ position even when they were out of visual range.
Blitz over Swansea http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zpgs34j
This photograph, published in the
Daily Mail in December 1940
Strategic Bombing had been greatly
improved by the advanced nature of the
bombers used. Long range planes carrying
large payloads of bombs could be
deployed on mass to target an enemy
cities such as the German attacks on
London, Manchester and Liverpool
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2243951/The-astonishing-interactive-mapEVERY-bomb-dropped-London-Blitz.html -Map of Bombs dropped on London during the Blitz
Both sides had developed
technologies that allowed
different bombs to be used in
raids.
Incendiary shells would start
intense fires.
High explosives caused great
damage to buildings.
Timed explosives could
wreck havoc after the
bombing raid had finished.
Everything was blown to pieces, you could see it
all by the red glow reflecting from the fires
that were still raging. I looked out the back
and saw that where my father's shed had
been was just a pile of rubble. Then I saw
two bodies, two heads sticking up. I
recognised one in particular: it was a Chinese
neighbour, Mr Say. He had one eye closed
and I realised he was dead. I just convulsed, I
was shaking all over. I thought, well, I must
be dead because they were, so I struck a
match and tried to burn my finger. I kept
doing it to see if I was still alive. I could see,
but I thought, I cannot be alive. This is the
end of the world.“
"
Len Jones recalls emerging from an air raid
shelter in east London after the first night of
the Blitz (from The Blitz: The British Under
Attack)
Staged picture of a milkman during the Blitz (1940) Posters
showing evacuation and the role of the Fire Service
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Mvy7uNHxY
Whilst the fundamentals of aerial combat ‘dog fighting’ remained the
same, technology greatly improved the ability of fighters engaged
in combat.
Radio was used to communicate between both pilots in the air and
coordinators on the ground. Belt fed machine guns located in the
wings of aircraft meant that pilots fired weapons via simple trigger
mechanisms in their cockpits. Speed and manoeuvrability of
aircraft meant that it advanced manoeuvres could be used to both
attack and evade enemy aircraft.
In many instances fighter planes were deployed to shoot down
enemy bombers rather than enemy fighter planes, slower moving
bombers would be strafed by fighters who in turn tried to avoid
the bombers machine guns. Fighters would engage enemy
fighters who were escorting the bombers to their targets.
Pulling up into his blind spot I watched his plane grow larger and larger in my sight. But this German
pilot was not content to fly straight and level. Before I could open fire his plane slewed to the
right, and seeing me on his tail, he jerked back on the stick into the only defensive manoeuvre his
plane could make. I banked my 47 over to the right and pulled back on the stick, striving to get
him once more into my ring sight. The violent manoeuvre applied terrific G’s to my body, and I
started to black out as the blood rushed from my head. Fighting every second to overcome this
blackness about me, I pulled back on the stick, further and further, so that the enemy would just
show at the bottom of my ring sight to allow for the correct deflection.
We were both flying in a tight circle. Just a little more and I’ll have him. Pressing the [trigger] I waited
expectantly for the 109 to explode. I’ve hit his wing. A section two-feet long broke loose from the
right wing as the machine gun cut like a machete through it. Too low, a little more rudder and the
bullets will find his cockpit. I could see occasional strikes further up the wing, but it was too late.
The 109, sensing that I was inside him on the turn, slunk into a nearby cloud. Straightening my
plane, I climbed over the top of the bank, and poised on the other side, waiting for him to appear.
But the 109 did not appear, and not wishing to tempt the gods of fate further, I pushed my stick
forward, entered the protective cover of the clouds, and headed home.
Unnamed British Pilot Reporting an incident in 1942
The British returned the experience of the Blitz on the people
and cities of Germany. Using long distance bombers they
carried out sorties over Germany and did considerable
damage to her cities and production areas.
61 German cities were attacked by Bomber
Command between 1939 and 1945 containing a combined
population of 25 million inhabitants;
3.6 million homes were destroyed (20% of the total)
7.5 million people were made homeless
 300,000 Germans are thought to have been killed as a
result of the raids, and 800,000 were wounded.
 Berlin was 70% destroyed by bombing; Dresden 75%
destroyed.
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H2S was the first airborne, ground scanning radar system. It
was developed in Britain for the Royal Air Force and was
used in various RAF bomber aircraft from 1943. It was
designed to identify targets on the ground for night and allweather bombing.
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In addition a second display was added, this showed the
relatively stationary blips from the bomber formation and,
most importantly, the rapidly moving returns from the
German night fighters. It was designed to give early
warning of night fighters approaching the aircraft out to a
range of 30 miles (48 km).
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By the end of the war both sides had also developed various
Radar jamming techniques to block the enemies Radar.
In addition various beacons, radio signals and navigation
aids were used to help pilots navigate and return home
from missions.
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By the end of the war Radar was fitted directly to some
guns meaning that the gunner could fire at an enemy
fighter in complete darkness, due to information being fed
to the turret.
The same aircraft
dropping its mixed
payload 1944
The bombing of Dresden was an American and British attack on the
German city of Dresden. In four raids between 13 and 15 February 1945,
722 heavy bombers of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and 527 of the United
States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped more than 3,900 tons of highexplosive bombs and incendiary devices on the city. The bombing and the
resulting firestorm destroyed over 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) of the city
centre. An estimated 22,700 to 25,000 people were killed.
Whilst controversial in terms of being targeted, Dresden demonstrates
some of the Technologies used by the RAF. Pathfinders carrying Magnesium
flares located Dresden and following them coloured target indicators flew
ahead of the main force in fast moving aircraft to mark various targets. A
mixture of explosives and incendiary bombs were used to maximise the
devastation. Planes involved also used Radar to help locate Dresden and
scan for enemy fighters.
© IWM (NYP 69366)
American Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress was the largest Allied bomber of Second World War. It had pressurised crew compartments which meant that crews no
longer had to endure sub-zero temperatures on long-range bombing missions. Superfortresses dropped the atomic bombs on the Japanese
cities of Hiroshima (6 August 1945) and Nagasaki ( 9 August 1945).
The real importance of the air war consisted in the fact
that it opened a second front long before the invasion
in Europe ... Defence against air attacks required the
production of thousands of anti-aircraft guns, the
stockpiling of tremendous quantities of ammunition
all over the country, and holding in readiness
hundreds of thousands of soldiers, who in addition
had to stay in position by their guns, often totally
inactive, for months at a time ... No one has yet seen
that this was the greatest lost battle on the German
side. — Albert Speer Nazi Minister for Armaments and
Ammunition (1959)
WWII: Birth of Modern Air Warfare
Jet Fighters - Messerschmitt Me 262
The German Me 262 was the world’s first operational jet fighter. It was far faster than propeller driven aircraft and was
capable of a maximum speed of 559 miles per hour. It went into service with the Luftwaffe (German air force), in April 1944,
the same month the first British fighter aircraft, the Gloster Meteor, became operational. This new technology meant that
aircraft could fly faster and higher than ever before.
© IWM (BU 11149)
Ballistic Missiles -The V2 rocket
The German V2 rocket was the world’s first long range ballistic missile. It was armed with a one ton warhead which caused
considerable loss of life and damage when detonated. 1,115 V2s landed in the UK between 8 September 1944 and 27
March 1945. The V2 heralded both a new age of rocket and missile technology and the arms race between the
superpowers with both the Soviet Union and the USA using German scientists who had worked on the V2.
WWI
 A new technology! Heavier than air
flight only achieved in 1903.
 Technology was new and simple
 Technology helps overcome
obstacles such as shooting through
the propeller and stable
photography but still very simple.
 Air warfare shows the traits that will
become common i.e. bombing,
dogfights etc. but very early stages
 Planes still largely canvas and wood
biplanes at end of the war.
 One of the first true threats to
civilians and the homefront, but still
very basic.
WWII
 Air warfare established strategy.
 Large scale bombing of civilian and
home front targets.
 A wide range of aircraft adapted for
specific roles and multipurpose
 Technology developed from WWI
during interwar years and much
more advanced by commencement
of WWII
 Further technological development
of missiles, jet engine, pressurised
crew compartments and Radar.
 Technology involved in production
techniques also greatly increased
allowing a greater number and type
of aircraft to be produced
WWI
 During the course of the War,
German Aircraft Losses accounted
to 27,637 by all causes,
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The Entente Losses numbered over
88,613 lost 52,640 France & 35,973
Great Britain
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Civilian casualties small in
comparison to the death toll of the
war.
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Whilst present at key battles and
important in the development of
warfare, not yet decisive in the
same way air warfare was in WWII
WWII
Large Scale Civilian casualties from
bombing: 330,000–500,000 Japanese civilians,
60,595 British civilians, 305,000–600,000 German
civilians
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2,770,540 tons of bombs dropped by
the allies in Europe
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Incorporated as a key strategic
option from the start of the war
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Important factor in major events:
Blitzkrieg, Blitz, Battle of Britain, DDay, Bombing of Germany,
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
You now need to conduct your own research in order to find facts and figure that will
help you answer the CA question. Below are a few places that you could get started:
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WWI
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/gu
ides/zgxhpv4
http://www.eyewitnesst
ohistory.com/zeppelin.ht
m
http://firstworldwar.com
/airwar/bombers_intro.h
tm
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WWII
http://www.johndclare.n
et/wwii6.htm
http://www.battleofbritai
n1940.net/contentsindex.html
http://www.historylearni
ngsite.co.uk/world-wartwo/famous-battles-ofworld-war-two/battle-ofbritain/