The War in the Air
History: KS3, topic 16.3.10
The War in the Air
Most fighting took place on land, but airplanes were crucial to the war effort too.
Early developments
- At the start of the war, both sides mostly used planes for observation.
- The first aeroplane innovation was on the German side.
- The Germans began to use machine guns on the propellers of planes.
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.
- He downed seven German aircraft.
- The Red Baron was a German fighter pilot called Manfred von Richthofen.
- He shot down 80 enemy aircraft in 17 months. This was the most of any aviator (pilot) during the First World War.
Bombing raids
- Germany began to bomb Allied cities with zeppelins.
- Gotha IV bombers began to raid Britain in 1917 AD.
- They caused over 800 deaths.
- Britain bombed Germany in response.
Test yourself on The War in the Air
Who were fighter aces?
Which of these was NOT a German aircraft during the First World War?