Anti-aircraft warfare during World War I
The earliest use of air defense artillery dates back to the American Civil War when the U.S Army used balloons, and the Confederates had to develop ways to combat them. They developed small arms, saboteurs, and artillery, but most of them were unsuccessful. However, in the wake of World War I, heavy use of air defense artillery was rampant. World War I saw extensive use of aircraft, first as observation platforms, and later for both ground-attack and air attack. With observation planes posing a strategic threat, troops began opening fire on them. The use of aircraft defense artillery during the war has significantly affected the United States’ air defense operations.
As early as August 1914, gunners were already pointing their weapons to the skies. The British Royal Flying Corps were among the first victims of air defense artillery shootings. This was after German Infantry gunned down an Avro 504, a World War I biplane aircraft. While the continued use of massed rifle fire and artillery posed a threat to aircraft, the use of machine guns as anti-aircraft weapons quickly became the norm. The Commonwealth and British troops deployed the Vickers Machine Gun and the Lewis Light Machine gun. The latter was lighter and much easier to fire.
In 1914 and 1915, the British also deployed several Vickers QF one-pounder guns to defend against German airships. However, the guns’ ineffectiveness necessitated replacement. The French also used anti-aircraft artillery, including the ST Etienne Mle 1907 and the Hotchkiss Mle 1914 (Bostrom, 2016). They deployed some of the artillery on the Eiffel Tower’s observation deck upon threat from German Aircraft (Bostrom, 2016). The Central Powers also used air defense artillery. The Austrians deployed the Schwarzloze M7 (Schindler, 2016). The gun’s folding grips were particularly useful in air defense. As for the Germans, the Maxim MGo8 machine gun was their favorite (Zabecki, 2016). They also deployed several 37-mm Maxim pompom machine guns designed for use by the navy (Zabecki, 2016). These guns were cumbersome and heavy – they were initially designed as deck guns for defense against fast torpedo boats. The Germans also used 37-mm Hotchkiss revolving guns as air defense artillery (Zabecki, 2016). During the final stage of the war, they developed larger-caliber air defense artillery capable of firing 13.2 millimeter Tank und Flieger (TuF) cartridges designed as anti-aircraft and anti-tank rounds (Zabecki, 2016). They also redesigned the MGo8 machine gun to hold the new TuF rounds. However, the production of new guns commenced late. As a result, the Germans never used these guns during the war.
America remained largely neutral and joined the war much later than other nations (Neiberg, 2018). The United States Army entered World War I without any dedicated anti-aircraft artillery. Therefore, they had to borrow anti-aircraft artillery technology from other countries. In 1917, the American Expeditionary Force’s arrival in France saw them using French artillery, including the Hotchkiss Mle 1914 (Neiberg, 2018). American troops used this weapon for both anti-aircraft and infantry roles. Following the war, America realized the need to develop its air defense artillery and train troops on using them (Neiberg, 2018). By the start of World War II, America had developed some of the most sophisticated anti-aircraft artillery at that time. These guns included the M33-inch anti-aircraft gun, the M-1918 3-inch mobile anti-aircraft gun, and the water-cooled M2-50 caliber gun, which was the standard weapon against low-flying aircraft. Even after World War II, the United States went ahead with the development of anti-aircraft artillery. Today, America possesses advanced anti-aircraft laser guns, thanks to insights from World War I. Research into newer anti-aircraft artillery forms an integral element of the United States Army’s operations.
Besides the development of new anti-aircraft artillery, World War I also impacted the United States Army’s training operations. During the war, the United States Army formed a branch dedicated to operating anti-aircraft weapons. This branch was known as the Anti-Aircraft Service of the American Expeditionary Force (Neiberg, 2018). The army also established an anti-aircraft school, where troops were trained on how to use anti-aircraft artillery. In 1920, the National Defense Act was passed, and the air defense mission was assigned to the Coast Artillery Corps. One year later, four battalions were organized. The Coast Artillery Corps was reorganized in 1924, with the four battalions being reorganized as regiments. The Coast Artillery Corps evolved to the present day Air Defense Artillery (Neiberg, 2018). This branch of the army specializes in aircraft artillery such as surface to air missiles.
In conclusion, anti-aircraft warfare during World War I impacted the United States Army’s operations. Through the warfare, the United States gained deeper insight into anti-aircraft artillery, with which it developed its air defense artillery. The war also sparked the necessity for military training on anti-aircraft warfare. Following the war, the United States formed a dedicated anti-aircraft warfare department. To date, anti-aircraft military training forms an integral part of the United States Army’s operations and the military operations of other armed forces globally.