WW1 - War In The Air Flashcards
When were observation balloons first used in warfare
1794
Why were Ariel balloons used in warfare throughout the 19th century
Reconnaissance
From what year did the Royal engineers had a balloon section
1890
When did the wright brothers develop he first aeroplane
1903
Did the military hold a progressive attitude towards planes in 1903
No they were slow to appreciate the potential of the aeroplane as a weapon.
When did the US procure its first wright plane
1909
In what year did the US experiment with bomb-drops
1910
When did the french make a trail reconnaissance flight using a Farman aircraft
1910
When did the Italians carry out its first operational air reconnaissance
October 1911 (during their war with turkey)
When was the Royal flying corps founded
April 1912
When was the Royal naval air service founded
July 1914
What was the purpose of aircrafts at the start of the war
Aircrafts were used as “scouts” for reconnaissance
How fast were aircrafts in 1914
Around 70 mph
What were the first aircrafts made of
Light wood and fabric
At the start of WW1, how many aeroplanes did Britain have
100
How many were employed in the aircraft industry by 1918 in Britain
350,000 workers
What was the first city bombing by air
When the Germans bombed Paris on the 30th August 1914
When did the first German bomb hit Britain
December 1914
What were the aircrafts used by the Germans in city bombing runs
The zeppelin airship and gotha bombing planes
When did London first suffer from city bombing
1917
What did England introduce to tackle the threat from the air
Anti-aircraft Defense (AA guns)
At the start of the war, how were aircrafts weaponised
Pilots had a pistol
How big were the bombs that planes dropped following the air revolution
1000 pounds
What was the first independent airforce in the world
The Royal Air Force
When was the RAF established
1918
What was the propaganda role of the airforce
Fighter pilot “aces” were hailed as heroic “knights of the air” despite it being no more violent than trench warfare
How had air supremacy in 1918
The allies
Who would traditionally gathers intelligence about the enemy army
Scouts and spies
What was the traditional way that the navy conducted reconnaissance
Used fast ships to locate and the. “Shadow” the enemy fleet
What was the first war that Britain used reconnaissance ballons
The second boer war