Royal Air Force 1918
Royal Air Force 1918

Author: Christopher Cole

Publisher:

Published: 1968

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13:

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"The Royal Air Force was formed on April 1, 1918, by the amalgamations of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. The R.F.C. had come into being on May 13, 1912, and the R.N.A.S. on June 23, 1914...Regular communiques on air activities for circulation within the Royal Flying Corps had been issued since 1916, and these were continued after the Royal Air Force was formed. The R.A.F. Communiques Nos. 1 to 32 therefore describe British air operations on the Western Front up to the Armistice. Written by the Headquarters' staff from pilots'combat reports and other documents they tell the remarkable story of heroism and describe extroaordinary exploits of aircrews of the new Service, in machines which were primitive by present-day standards but had nevertheless progressed surprisingly in the mere six years which had elapsed since British military aviation was born. They cover the closing stages of the careers of outstanding fighter 'aces'--Bishop, Mannock and Collinshaw--and describe the gallant single-handed combat against 40 enemy fighters for which Major W.G. Barker was awarded the V.C. They record the almost nonchalant way in which observers climbed out on wings of crippled aircraft to enable pilots to regain control, and other almost forgotten episodes, reading more like extracts from a work of fiction--such as the aggressive manner in which airmen, lost in bad weather and about to land by mistake at enemy aerodromes, shot their way out of trouble. ...In presenting for the first time the story of day-to-day fighting as recorded by R.A.F. Headquarters from the facts available at the time, it should be noted that all claims for enemy aircraft driven down out of controll could not be fully substantiated for many reasons, and should therefore be regarded as opinion rather than established fact. This volume does not cover the activities of R.A.F. squadrons with the Independent Force, formed in May 1918 to extend the bombing offensive against German industry, or the campaigns in other theatres. These form the subject of separate communiques."--from the Introduction (pages 9-12)

Sir Frederick Sykes and the Air Revolution 1912-1918
Sir Frederick Sykes and the Air Revolution 1912-1918

Author: Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Ash

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-10-12

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1136315233

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This is a long-overdue study of Sir Frederick H. Sykes, Chief of the Air Staff of Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First World War. Historians, for the most part, have either overlooked Sykes or misinterpreted him, leaving a gap in the story of British flying. Contrary to previous images of Sykes, we now see that he was not a secretive intriguer or a tangential subject in RAF history. Rather, he played a fundamental part in organizing and leading British aviation from 1912 to the end of 1918. He provided organization, visionary guidance and efficient administrative control for the fledgling service that tried to survive infancy in the heat of battle.

Wings on the River
Wings on the River

Author: David Embry Jones

Publisher: Boolarong Press

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 113

ISBN-13: 1921054271

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Wings on the River tells the colourful story of flying boats from Brisbane's unique viewpoint. Flying boats represented comfort and safety in reaching distant and exotic places across the sea, and Brisbane was on the doorstep of flying boat travel for more than fifty years. Wings on the River traces the whole flying boat era in Australia through its many changes, its triumphs and adversities, including: Pioneering flights between the wars by overseas and local flying boats alighting in the heart of the city; Qantas flying boats on the legendary Empire Air Mail route to Britain flying passengers in unprecedented luxury; Wartime U.S. Navy flying boat services across the Pacific to General MacArthur's headquarters in Brisbane; Barrier Reef Airways, Queensland's own flying boat airline, bringing Great Barrier Reef resorts closer to interstate tourists; The controversy about flying boats using the Brisbane River, and the dramatic accidents which forced them to leave; The story of Redland Bay's water airport and its little-known service over two decades.

A Concise History of the U.S. Air Force
A Concise History of the U.S. Air Force

Author: Stephen Lee McFarland

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13:

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Except in a few instances, since World War II no American soldier or sailor has been attacked by enemy air power. Conversely, no enemy soldier orsailor has acted in combat without being attacked or at least threatened by American air power. Aviators have brought the air weapon to bear against enemies while denying them the same prerogative. This is the legacy of the U.S. AirForce, purchased at great cost in both human and material resources.More often than not, aerial pioneers had to fight technological ignorance, bureaucratic opposition, public apathy, and disagreement over purpose.Every step in the evolution of air power led into new and untrodden territory, driven by humanitarian impulses; by the search for higher, faster, and farther flight; or by the conviction that the air way was the best way. Warriors have always coveted the high ground. If technology permitted them to reach it, men, women andan air force held and exploited it-from Thomas Selfridge, first among so many who gave that "last full measure of devotion"; to Women's Airforce Service Pilot Ann Baumgartner, who broke social barriers to become the first Americanwoman to pilot a jet; to Benjamin Davis, who broke racial barriers to become the first African American to command a flying group; to Chuck Yeager, a one-time non-commissioned flight officer who was the first to exceed the speed of sound; to John Levitow, who earned the Medal of Honor by throwing himself over a live flare to save his gunship crew; to John Warden, who began a revolution in air power thought and strategy that was put to spectacular use in the Gulf War.Industrialization has brought total war and air power has brought the means to overfly an enemy's defenses and attack its sources of power directly. Americans have perceived air power from the start as a more efficient means of waging war and as a symbol of the nation's commitment to technology to master challenges, minimize casualties, and defeat adversaries.

Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918
Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918

Author: Justin D. Murphy

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2005-04-27

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 1851094938

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An expert examination of the evolution of military aviation and its profound impact on warfare—from the employment of balloons during the French Revolutionary wars to the use of aircraft in World War I. Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact is a detailed, authoritative exploration of the role and development of military aviation, from its beginnings to the conclusion of World War I. Military history scholar Justin Murphy carefully illustrates the impact of aircraft on military warfare, examines the different types of aircraft, and includes a wealth of photographs and descriptions. Organized thematically, the work covers everything from the origins of military aviation and the impact of aircraft on World War I to the role of reconnaissance missions, auxiliary aircraft, fighters, and bombers. Each chapter highlights key individuals, advancements in aviation technology, industrial organization and aircraft production, and the influence of aircraft on military tactics and strategy. Murphy also demonstrates how aircraft contributed to the development of total war and blurred the lines that had traditionally separated combatants and noncombatants.

Torpedo Bombers, 1900–1950
Torpedo Bombers, 1900–1950

Author: Jean-Denis Lepage

Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation

Published: 2020-01-27

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 1526763508

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The torpedo-bomber was a very short-lived weapon system, operational for scarcely half a century from just prior WWI to the 1960s. Yet during its brief existence it transformed naval warfare, extending the ship-killing range of ships and coastal defences to hundreds of miles. The Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm led the way, recording the first sinking of a ship by aerial torpedo in August 1915 but all major navies eagerly developed their own torpedo bomber forces. The torpedo-bomber reached its zenith in WWII, particularly from 1940-42, with notable successes at the Battle of Taranto, the sinking of the Bismarck and Pearl Harbor. It was the weapon of choice for both the US and Japanese in the big Pacific battles such as Midway. In the latter stages of the war, increasingly effective anti-aircraft fire and interceptor aircraft started to render it obsolete, a process completed post-war by long-range anti-ship missiles. Jean-Denis Lepage traces the development of torpedo bombers worldwide, describing their tactics, operational history and the aircraft themselves, including such well-loved types as the Swordfish, Beaufighter and Avenger. Over 300 aircraft are beautifully illustrated.

British Air Forces 1914–18 (2)
British Air Forces 1914–18 (2)

Author: Andrew Cormack

Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Published: 2001-03-25

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781841760025

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The outbreak of World War I found the British Army's Royal Flying Corps with just over 200 fragile, unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, and a uniformed strength of just over 2,000 all ranks; the Royal Naval Air Service had some 50 seaplanes. By the Armistice of 1918 the unified Royal Air Force was the largest in the world, with about 22,650 aeroplanes - including a strategic bomber force - and 27,330 men operating from some 700 bases. This second in a two-part study covers RAF, WRAF and RAFNS uniforms from the unification of the service in April 1918; and the whole span of flying clothing during the Great War.