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By the middle of 1918 the British Army had successfully mastered the concept of ’all arms’ warfare on the Western Front. This doctrine, integrating infantry, artillery, armoured vehicles and - crucially - air power, was to prove highly effective and formed the basis of major military operations for the next hundred years. Yet, whilst much has been written on the utilisation of ground forces, the air element still tends to be studied in isolation from the army as a whole. In order to move beyond the usual 'aircraft and aces' approach, this book explores the conceptual origins of the control of the air and the role of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) within the British army. In so doing it addresses four key themes. First, it explores and defines the most fundamental air power concept - the control of the air - by examining its conceptual origins before and during the First World War. Second, it moves beyond the popular history of air power during the First World War to reveal the complexity of the topic. Third, it reintegrates the study of air power during the First World War, specifically that of the RFC, into the strategic, operational, organisational, and intellectual contexts of the era, as well as embedding the study within the respective scholarly literatures of these contexts. Fourth, the book reinvigorates an entrenched historiography by challenging the usually critical interpretation of the RFC’s approach to the control of the air, providing new perspectives on air power during the First World War. This includes an exploration of the creation of the RAF and its impact on the development of air power concepts.
By the middle of 1918 the British army had developed an effective approach to warfare on the Western Front. This approach, integrating infantry, artillery, armoured vehicles and - crucially - air power, was to prove highly effective and formed the basis of major military operations for the next hundred years. Yet, while much has been written on the utilisation of ground forces the study of the air element still tends be studied in isolation from the army as a whole. By exploring five key themes, this study seeks to move beyond the dominant 'aces and aircraft' perspective on aviation during the First World War, demonstrating the rich and complex nature of air power history during this period.
A rip-roaring gallop through the lives of the Royal Flying Corps air crew in the Great War. They lived their lives amidst a strange dichotomy as they moved from safety to dire danger, and back again in a matter of hours. This created a dreadful strain that could soon shred anyone’s mental health. On the ground they were cloistered in simple but adequate accommodation several miles behind the lines. Farmhouses, barns and huts were used, but they were all far better than the squalor faced by the infantry scurrying in their muddy trenches. Flying personnel were blessed with beds and blankets. They could set up a decent mess and socialise to their heart’s content. A smorgasbord of entertainments, with perhaps an old out of tune piano, access to drink and occasional vigorous games of mess rugby. There were visits to local towns which offered tantalizing glimpses – and sometimes more - of the female of the species. A glimpse was probably never enough for most of these very young men. What more could a chap want? But when they were flying over the front it was no laughing matter. Death lurked in the skies, zooming in its ‘winged chariots’ out of the sun, or bursting from the clouds. A moment’s loss of concentration, or tactical blunder, could consign them to being shot down and falling thousands of feet until the crunching impact of terra firma brought a terrible relief. But better that than a punctured petrol tank, the first flickers of flame, then the roaring inferno and the agonies of incineration. There was little or nothing for them to laugh about in the air. But when back on the ground they tried to put aside their fears.
This new publication from eminent military historian Martin Bowman chronicles the stories of airmen downed on the Western Front between 1914 and 1918, representing a contribution on the author's part to the 100th anniversary of the Great War. It's speciality focus makes for a truly unique compendium of visceral First World War accounts of the incredible, bloody, aerial battles flown by the RFC, German, American, British and Commonwealth pilots shot down over the Western Front, also including stories of their escapes and lives in PoW camps. Whilst the predominant focus is on the airmen who saw action during the Great War, the author also provides startling tales of female heroism. There is a full chapter dedicated to the life and death of Norfolk heroine, Edith Cavell, a Norwich-born nurse who saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers from both sides during the conflict, and perished in the endeavour. Amongst the famous pilots covered are; VCs Billy Bishop and Freddie West; Dice-with-Death Dallas; Mannock The King of the Fighter Aces and Frank Luke the Balloon Buster. This book contains vivid accounts of some of the most heroic actions in the history of aerial warfare, all taking place within the brutal four year stretch of the Great War.
In the latest addition to the History of Military Aviation series, Peter Dye describes how the development of the air weapon on the Western Front during World War I required a radical and unprecedented change in the way that national resources were employed to exploit a technological opportunity. World War I has long been recognized as an industrial war that consumed vast amounts of materiel and where logistical superiority gave the Allies an overwhelming advantage. The Bridge to Air Power is the first study that demonstrates how logistical competence provided a war-winning advantage for the Royal Flying Corps, the precursor to the Royal Air Force. It draws on a wide range of literature and original material to quantify these achievements while providing a series of illuminating case studies based around key battles. In particular, it highlights how the Royal Flying Corps’ logistical organization was able to maintain high levels of resilience and agility while sustaining military outputs under widely different operational conditions —successfully introducing many of the techniques that now comprise modern supply chain management.
'Over the Western Front' tells the story of a front line Royal Flying Corps squadron, fighting on the Western Front during the whole of the Great War. The first part has been written in the form of a journal, telling those at home in England how the war is progressing, as experienced by a wireless mechanic who is serving with 6 Squadron. Though written in the words of the author, the journal is based on the war diaries kept by his grandfather between November 1915 and January 1918. More than fifty photographs are included, most of which appear in print for the first time. The second part of the book details the operational history of 6 Squadron for the whole of the Great War, from October 1914 until December 1918, including details of every aircraft on charge with the squadron, the casualties sustained by 6 Squadron and significant events, for each of the twenty-seven months. An appendix section contains profiles of a number of 6 Squadron pilots and observers, as well as extracts from the author's first book, 'For God, England & Ethel'.
In the latest addition to the History of Military Aviation series, Peter Dye describes how the development of the air weapon on the Western Front during World War I required a radical and unprecedented change in the way that national resources were employed to exploit a technological opportunity. World War I has long been recognized as an industrial war that consumed vast amounts of materiel and where logistical superiority gave the Allies an overwhelming advantage. The Bridge to Air Power is the first study that demonstrates how logistical competence provided a war-winning advantage for the Royal Flying Corps, the precursor to the Royal Air Force. It draws on a wide range of literature and original material to quantify these achievements while providing a series of illuminating case studies based around key battles. In particular, it highlights how the Royal Flying Corps' logistical organization was able to maintain high levels of resilience and agility while sustaining military outputs under widely different operational conditions --successfully introducing many of the techniques that now comprise modern supply chain management.
In 1917, David Lloyd George declared that airmen were 'the cavalry of the clouds - the knighthood of this war.' This romantic image was fostered post-war by writers of adventure stories and the stunts of Hollywood filmmakers, and yet it was far from the harsh reality of the life of an airman. From their baptism of fire in 1914 carrying out reconnaissance and experiencing the first dogfights, to the breakthrough in 1918 which claimed heavy casualties, the aerial defenders of Britain were continually tested. In Cavalry of the Clouds John Sweetman describes the development of British air power during the First World War on the Western Front, which culminated in the creation of the first independent air force, the RAF. By making use of the correspondence of airmen and ground staff of all nationalities, he illustrates the impact this new type of conflict had on those involved and their families at home. Extensively researched and handsomely illustrated with contemporary photographs, Cavalry of the Clouds is an essential reference work for any student of military history.
" ... This is not an attempt to write a complete history of the aerial war, or to record all the wonderful and brave deeds of our airmen. A book that would include all these would be valuable as a work of reference, but it would be essentially different from the aim of this small effort. A certain number of the incidents here related have been toldelsewhere, and in some cases there has been no need to go beyond the official reports. Some have been published for the first time, and to some I have been able to add hitherto unpublished details ..."--The Preface, page vi