W&T: Airplanes

Airplanes in World War 1

INVENTION OF THE AIRPLANE:

The airplane was invented by the Wright Brothers. It made its first flight on December 14th, 1903. This initial flight lasted for 12 seconds and flew a distance of 120 feet, which may seem like a measly distance, but it was a starting point. The Wright Brothers continued to refine and adjust their airplane and in just a years’ time they got it to fly for over five minutes. This advancement was incredible! Airplanes improved so much in the following years that they were able to be used in World War 1; even though it was only 11 years after they were invented. Airplanes were an incredibly important piece of technology in World War 1 and they have shaped the way all wars are fought today.

THE USE OF AIRPLANES:

Before the start of World War 1, planes were only used for sport. People never imagined how greatly planes would shape war itself. In 1899 at The Hague Peace Conference, people decided that “the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war”. This all changed once the invention of airplanes came around. The French were the first to license pilots and have a working air force, but many countries soon followed. Using planes as a war mechanism was an exponential advancement. At first, planes were not the safest and most reliable. As technology improved, planes soon became a favourite war piece of war technology amongst many armies, as they were thought of as a “smarter way to fight”.

TYPES OF PLANES AND THEIR USES:

When people think of airplanes used in war they think of fighter planes and planes that drop bombs, but planes were not always used in this way. At the start of World War 1, planes were used as a means of spying on the enemy and finding what their moves or positions were. This is called reconnaissance. Airplanes were only able to be used for reconnaissance at the start of World War 1, because they were not safe and reliable enough to do anything else.

Airplanes were made to be more dependable, so they began to be used for bombing. These bombing planes could find a strategic location and the pilots would attack their enemies from above. The bombing airplanes were not perfect. They were easy to attack from the ground and they could not carry heavy loads. By the end of World War 1, long-range bomber planes could bomb from a distance and carry quite a heavy load.

When planes became more popular, it caused the idea of “war in the sky” to become popular as well. Pilots tried to throw grenades, or use rifles and pistols, but this was not quite effective. It was soon discovered that the best way to attack an enemy in the sky was to use a mounted machine gun. These mounted machine guns worked well for the most part, except if they had to be mounted near the front of the plane. The Germans quickly invented a piece of technology that was called an “interrupter”. This device enabled the machine gun to be synchronized with the propeller of the plane. This invention became implemented within many airplanes, causing all fighter planes to make use of this device. When pilots fought each other in the air it was called a “dogfight”. “Aces” were what the best fighter pilots were nicknamed. Fighter pilots flew “fighter planes”, (hence the name). The three most common categories of planes in World War 1 were:

Q  Reconnaissance Planes

Q  Bomber Planes

Q  Fighter Planes

Within these three categories there were approximately 70 different types of planes. Three famous planes were the Gotha G V, the Ansaldo SVA 5, and the Sopwith Camel.

The Gotha G V was a German long range bomber plane which had been designed to be used for night bombing. This plane could carry heavy loads and it was a great way to get an advantage on the enemy.

The Ansaldo SVA 5 was an Italian biplane. This plane was originally designed to be a fighter plane, but it was deemed to be useless for that role. This plane had quite an impressive speed and range, which made it an incredible reconnaissance plane.

The Sopwith Camel was a British biplane that could seat only one person. This biplane was introduced in 1917 as a fighter plane. This plane became one of the most iconic fighter planes of World War 1.

Airplanes had an enormous influence on the way World War 1 was fought and also how following wars were fought. Airplanes had enabled troops to spy on their enemies, drop bombs in strategic locations, and travel to new locations faster. Airplanes can be viewed as important for war, but they can also be viewed in a negative way. Making use of airplanes is a strategic way to get the “leg up” on the enemy, but they increase the number of war casualties. With this being said, I believe that war is a horrendous way to overcome problems and that war does not solve anything; however, if war must occur, the use of airplanes will help anyone increase their chances of “winning”.