National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

114 ai r p o w e r in 20 t H Ce n t u ry do C t r i n e s a n d em p l o y m e n t - nat i o n a l ex p e r i e n C e s
A long detailed and highly enthusiastic report on Italian aviation, and especially
its strategic bombing campaign, written by Capt.-Commandant Lebon of the Technical
Branch of the Belgian Air Service, was forwarded to Trenchard in October 1917.
Lebon wrote admiringly and at length of “crushing” attacks on Austrian targets by 30
and 40 Capronis at a time, enthused about the potential of the Caproni triplane, and
concluded by saying that in the field of strategic bombing the Italians “are far ahead
of all other nations”.
Moreover, referring to the summer of 1918, Baring later recalled (significantly
I think) that: “During this period we had a great deal to do with the American, the
French and the Italian aviation. The Italians had a Squadron of Caproni machines
quite close to us”. And finally, Caproni - accompanied by his friend Eugenio Chiesa,
the Italian Commissioner for Aviation - actually visited Trenchard at his HQ in
France in 1918. Could the influence of Caproni explain both Trenchard’s insistence
on the need for the bombing of enemy airfields to achieve air superiority before a
strategic bombing campaign could properly begin, and also Trenchard’s insistence
that the morale of the enemy civil population should be the main target of a strategic
bombing campaign? (Trenchard’s insistence on those points stayed with him, undiminished,
throughout his life).
Furthermore, given the testimony of Hoare, is it really likely that in the 20s
Trenchard was totally unaware of Douhet’s ideas? As shown below, Trenchard was
certainly aware of Douhet by 1928. Is it in fact credible that the very close similarity
between the ideas of Trenchard and Douhet was (as Higham says) mere coincidence?
I consider the evidence indisputable that, right from the earliest days, a close
international aeronautical community existed; and that, even in the earliest days, its
members had frequent opportunities to meet each other and to exchange information
and ideas. At the outset it should be remembered that, ever since the mid-nineteenth
century, each major nation had serving officers attached to its Embassies abroad - including,
eventually, Air Attaches. And, at the risk of stating the obvious, the primary
task of such officers was to familiarise themselves with the armed forces of the country
in which they were serving, and to keep the authorities back in their own country
informed of any developments.
Following the Wright brother’s sensational tour of Europe in 1908-9, air displays,
competitions and conferences became a regular part of the aviation scene. And by
the 20s, such events had become institutionalised. Among the many air displays,
the one held annually at Hendon was one of the most famous; and among the many
competitions, one automatically thinks of the headline-making Schneider Trophy
contests e.g. the one at Venice, hosted by Balbo and Andriani, in 1927. Of the many
Aviation Congresses and Conferences, the ones held in Rome in October 1923 - presided
over by our old friend Mercanti, then Italian Commissioner for Civil Aviation
- and October 1927 were among the most notable.
WWI was responsible for bringing French, Italian, British and US aviation closer