2.3.2

The War in the Air

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The War in the Air

Most fighting took place on land, but airplanes were crucial to the war effort too.

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Early developments

  • At the start of the war, both sides mostly used planes for observation by both sides.
  • The first aeroplane innovation was on the German side. The Germans began to use machine guns on the propellers of planes.
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Fighter aces

  • Fighter aces were military aviators (pilots) who had shot down five or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat.
    • Adolphe Pegoud was a French pilot who downed seven German aircraft.
    • The Red Baron was a German fighter pilot called Manfred von Richthofen. Von Richthofen shot down 80 enemy aircraft in 17 months. This was the most of any aviator (pilot) during the First World War.
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Bombing raids

  • Germany began to bomb Allied cities with zeppelins.
  • Gotha IV bombers began to raid Britain in 1917 and caused over 800 deaths. Britain bombed Germany in response.

Jump to other topics

1The Causes of the First World War

2The First World War: Stalemate

3Ending the War

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