EMOTION
Inventions in the aviation sector played a vital role in determining the course of the First World War. Unlike the conflicts that had occurred in the previous years, the period saw increased innovations in aviation. These trends can be linked to the innovation by the wright brothers in the aviation industry. The changes meant that the conflicting sides could initiate aerial attacks. Unlike other military strategies, the use of aerial tactics did minimize the casualty’s levels. At the beginning of the First World War, the United Kingdom had a total of 66 pilots, named the Royal Flying Corps. They played an essential role in supporting the armies on the frontlines through flying across the English Channel. It is worth noting that the use of aircraft in warfare was a new concept.
Nonetheless, as the War progressed, the United Kingdom did improve its aviation capacities. The history of the Royal Flying Corps can be traced to 1912. During the War, the Royal Flying Corps was seen as the eyes of the British forces. Some of the primary duties performed by the flying corps include artillery observations, surveillance, and directing artillery gunfire. However, flying during this period was at its infancy and was centered on basic flying concepts and principles. As such, there were numerous accidents and casualties in Britain. Unlike the current aircraft, most of the aircraft during the First World War was constructed using wooden frames. It meant that their functions were limited and were also prone to many attacks. The period saw the destruction of many British aircraft by the German troops.
The Royal Flying Corps first came into action against France in 1914. The other major conflict that saw the contribution of the aircraft was the Battle of Somme in 1916. During the warfare, the RFC had over four aircraft and 27 squadrons. It is imperative to note that the Battle of Somme is often regarded as having been the bloodiest conflict in the history of the Bristol Army. Troops from Britain and Ireland moved towards the Germany front. The confrontation saw the death of more than 2 000 Britain troops and the maiming of over 40 000 individuals. The high number of casualties during the War can be linked to the reliance on the trench warfare strategy. Although the Britain forces had artillery bombers, the Germans moved to their bankers when the bombs were dropped.
It is the Somme Warfare that depicted the futility of trench warfare. The War was fought on a rainy period, thus leading to the highest fatalities by Britain on a single day. The Britain troops received criticism on ways that the War was planned. These events prompted Britain to relook into its military strategies and thus investing more on aerial attacks as opposed to the trench warfare. During this period, Britain was afraid of the German troops as they had superior aircraft and weapons. For every one German aircraft that was brought down, the British troops lost four aircraft. The allied forces remained aggressive during the warfare, with the problem later being addressed by the development of high-performance aircraft.
As the War intensified, the aircraft was designed to perform specific tasks, therefore, leading to the creation of both the fighter plane and the fighter bomber. The complexity of the Warsaw the linking tighter of both the Naval Air Service and the RFC. World War can be defined as being the first conflict that saw the significant contribution of aviation innovation. It is critical to note that the aircraft was not only used in Europe. On the contrary, the coordinated attacks in the Balkans, the Middle East, and Italy. It was the first case where the military was using tactical airpower. The argument rests on the fact that most of the troops had centered their operations in naval operations. The innovations were effective in both defensive and offensive operations.
These changes laid the basis of the use of aircraft in intelligence gathering and the supply of resources in the war fronts. Throughout this period, the Britain forces were cautious of an attack by the Germans. The two countries were fighting on the opposing sides, with Germany having superior weapons as compared to Germany. It is these events that influence the creation of better aircraft as well as creating ties with the United States. The country did not ignore the benefits that came with airpower, as well as the threats it faced from countries with superior aerial power. The civilians were also alarmed by possible attacks on the country from the Germans. Although the United Kingdom had close ties with the USA, this did not wholly avert the threat of a possible attack on the country.
The significance of the airpower can be traded to the events of the Italo-Turkish War in 1911. Other conflicts include the Balkan wars in both 1912 and 1913. Unlike the previous wars that were fought using trench warfare, these were marked by aerial attacks. The events of both the Balkan Wars and the Italo-Turkish wars saw major military create an air wing to coordinate their operations. The powers of both the German and the French were captured during the battles of Tanneberg, Marne, and Mons. This War was based on intelligence gathering, observation, and offering situational awareness of the events on the battlefields. In the case of the Germans, the troops used the Zeppelins. In the Battle of Marne, both the Germans and the French dominated other troops with the situation being linked to their superior air power.
As of 1915, Britain realized that military power was playing a vital role in the coordination of attacks and organizing land battles. The benefits of the aircraft’s fighter and the bomber is that they could initiate attacks both on land and water. In the Eastern Front, the British troops had a challenging moment as they did not have an understanding of the landscape. The situation has the Germans an upper hand in the War. On the other hand, there were equal changes taking place in the Western front by both the French and Britain troops. Indication of these changes is in the development of photography that allowed for image-based assessments. Consequently, the British troops attained pre-planned registration of guns, mapping artillery positions, and producing photo mosaics. All these changes were instrumental in shaping the course of the First World War and reducing the causality levels.
In any warfare setting, situational awareness is critical as it allows troops to gain a competitive edge over their rival. It is possible to detect the number of troops on the ground and the placement of the guns. It thus means that it is possible to determine the areas that are to be prioritized. The provision of kinetic support during warfare means that there is an equal reduction of the resources and time used to respond to conflicts. The events of the First World War pointed out that aerial bombing could be effective in countering military conflicts. Over the years, the United Kingdom has developed Ground-based Air Defense that allows for the continuous monitoring of global attacks. Through such operations, it is possible to initiate contingency plans to counter external aggression.
In 1917, Britain made a significant change after the addition of ground attacks to the aerial powers. These events were prompted by the events of 1916, which saw the Germany planes strafe the British ground troops. The period also saw that aerial troops could be used for the bombing of military bases and artillery. Although Germany had been on the leading front in the development of innovative planes, the British troops later caught up with the trend. It is these events.