WW1 War in the Air Flashcards
when were observation balloons first used on the battlefield?
1794
what was the purpose of using observation balloons?
used for aerial reconnaisance
when was the aeroplane pioneered?
1903 by the Wright Brothers
who dropped the first live bombs in combat and when?
the Italians against the Turks
in November 1911
when was the RFC founded?
April 1912
when was the RNAS founded?
July 1914
properties of aircraft in 1914
slow
flimsy- made up of wood and fabric
unreliable
could not fly in bad weather
why was there limited funding from the government for aircraft development?
most govt spending was spent on the production of Dreadnaught ships
what were the two main manufacturers of aircraft in Britain?
Avro
Sopwith
when was the Army Balloon Factory formed?
1912
how many military aircraft in Britain in 1914?
100
how many military aircraft in Britain in 1918?
22,000
how many workers in Britain’s aircraft industry by 1918?
350,000
what were the specialised roles for military aircraft?
- reconnaissance
- artillery spotting
- fighters
- ground-support
- tactical bombers
- strategic bombes
reconnaissance
used to locate enemy and update intelligence
artillery spotting
used to direct the fire of guns at unseen targets
fighters
used to control the sky and prevent enemy reconnaissance
ground-support
used to deal with enemy ground troops
tactical bombers
used to strike transports and reinforcements on the battlefield
strategic bombers
used tp attack the enemy homeland
what was an ‘Ace’?
a fighter who had five or more confirmed kills
what were the key aspects to scouting?
reconnaissance
observation
communication
what wars used reconnaissance balloons?
Franco-Prussian War
American Civil War
Boer War
when was the airship invented?
1850s
when did the German Army get it’s first Zeppelin?
1906
first British military airship was?
Beta 1 in 1910
what was Britain’s initial reconnaissance aircraft?
kite balloons
what were kite balloons used for on the battlefield?
taking pictures of the battlefield
checking maps
identifying targets
coordinating artillery fire
how did the armed forces encourage the shooting down of balloons?
a shot down balloon counted as a air-to-air kill
what was the initial aim for RFC aircraft?
to scout and artillery spot
when was the first RFC reconnaissance mission?
19 August 1914
when and what was the first RFC aircraft to be shot down?
22 August 1914
Avro 504 was shot down by German rifle fire
why was the use of aircraft reconnaissance important at the Battle of Mons?
British aircraft had observed the German Army trying to outflank the BEF
this information was passed to Haig who was able to plan
why was early reconnaissance flawed?
it was often difficult to tell who was on the ground and what they were doing
various cases of misinterpretation
how were British and French aircraft distinguished from German aircraft?
British and French had coloured roundels
Germans had the black cross
when was Morse Code invented?
1830s
what were the issues with the first airborne radio transmitter?
was bulky and heavy and filled the second cockpit which meant a co-pilot was not possible
what replaced the first airborne radio transmitter and when?
the Sterling Radio
in 1915
why could the pilots not receive a message?
aircraft were too loud.
why was the use of radio so effective against the Germans?
once a British plane was attacked, it could radio in the position of the Germans
this information would be relayed to a local artillery battery which would almost immediately start to fire upon the German position
what was the ‘zone call’ system
pilots sent information about artillery targets by morse code to RFC signallers on the ground
each signaller was assigned to an artillery battery
each battery would fire at a specific zone guided by an aircraft
by May 1916 how many British aircraft had wireless?
300
what were the difficulties of using wireless?
antennae could break easily
was difficult to fix mid-flight
why was air photography important at Neuve Chapelle?
Lt Darley had photographed the German lines which revealed new trench construction
this intel was vital in Britain’s plans for attack
what were mosaic maps?
map made by assembling overlapping aerial photos
how were mosaic maps used?
used to make detailed maps of German trenches as well as distances and heights
by 1916 how long did it take for a reconnaissance flight’s photos to be printed upon landing?
30 mins
how many aerial photographs were produced in 1916?
19,000