The Journey of Flight.pdf - Valkyrie Cadet

Chapter Chapter 2 2 - - The The Adolescence Adolescence of of Air Air P PPower:
P ower: 1904 1904 -1919
-1919
Mitchell held the title of Chief of the Air Service, but control of the air wing was still totally in the hands of
the Army. Mitchell saw aviation as a military effort to help the ground forces. He did not think that this could
best be achieved by being subservient to them.
Most ground officers, however, thought of the Air Service as an auxiliary to the land troops.
Airplanes were thought to be useful for keeping an eye on enemy infantry movements, and for keeping
enemy airplanes away from friendly troops. Army officers of that time, of course, had been trained for ground
warfare. So, it was often difficult to make a case for a strong and independent air service.
Billy Mitchell slowly gained favor with certain folks, but his outspokenness made him some enemies
too. He thought the air service should be separate from the Army so that it could “command the sky.”
Once his airplanes had command of the sky, they could be used offensively against the enemy’s troops.
His influence was great on the American flying squadrons, some of whose members were to rise to
later prominence. Those men carried Mitchell’s teachings forward and made a great impact on the
conduct of air warfare in World War II.
In September 1918, Mitchell commanded the first mass use of aircraft for bombing attacks on
enemy supply routes and for supporting the ground troops. This attack involved nearly 1500 allied
airplanes and was important in deciding the outcome of the war. However, it was not until after the war
that Mitchell was able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the air weapon against naval vessels. Although
Mitchell was forced to sacrifice his military career for his beliefs, he unquestionably had a large influence
on aviation’s golden age.
Because World War I was fought in Europe, the American public was isolated from the actual
battlefield. Except for the American troops serving in Europe, Americans were unaware of the increasing
importance of air power during World War I. Therefore, when the war ended, the United States was the
only nation involved in the war that had not learned the most important lesson taught by World War I—
If you control the air, you cannot be beaten; if you lose the air, you cannot win.
� early pioneers of flight
� Signal Corps Aeronautical Division
� Aerial Experiment Association
� aviation development in the United States
� aviation development in Europe
� development of helicopters
� development of commercial aviation
� military role of the airplane in WWI
� fighter aircraft development during the WWI era
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