Topic 4: Changing Methods of Air Warfare.

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  • Created by: Rita Ora
  • Created on: 10-02-17 16:18
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  • Topic 4: Changing Methods of Air Warfare.
    • 1) Blitzkrieg.
      • 1) Used by German Air Force (Luftwaffe). They bombed bridges as an essential preliminary.
      • 2) Dive bombers (the Stuka) were vital to Blitzkrieg.
      • 3) Luftwaffe destroyed the Polish air force and gain air control of the air space over France and the Low Countries in May-June 1940.
    • 2) The Battle Of Britain, 1940
      • 1) Following the defeat of France & Dunkirk, June 1940, Britain alone faced Germany, Operation          Sealion         (German invasion plan for Britain).
        • 2) Any such invasion would require control of the air of the Chanel and the South East of Britain.
          • 3) In August-September 1940, Luftwaffe tried to destroy the RAF in the Battle of Britain.
    • 12) Stealth
      • 1) Made it difficult for an enemy to identify an aircraft on radar.
      • 2) One of these planes called: Blackhawk. Its angular shape-ensures radio waves bounce off it. The aircraft is also covered in a radar-absorbing material.
    • 11) Developments after 1945.
      • 1) Changes in technology:
        • 1) Jet powered engines-planes could travel at a much greater speed.
        • 2) Technology of bombers improved.
        • 3) High altitude flying observation aircraft used to spy on the Soviet Union. The U2 was undetectable due to its high flying abilities.
          • 4) In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down one of these planes. This led to the U2 diplomatic crisis.
      • 2) The Six-Day War, 1967:
        • 1) Outcome of this war was decided on the 1st day by air power.
        • 2) 5th June, Israeli air force took off with orders to destroy Egypt's airfields.
          • 3) By 11am, they had bombed all the airfields, destroying aircraft while they were still on the ground.
            • 4) By early evening, almost the whole of the Syrian & Jordanian air forces had been destroyed. Israel had control of the skies over the Middle East and were able to concentrate on fighting on land.
      • 3) Vietnam:
        • 1) Air power did not prove decisive against guerillla tactics deployed by the Vietcong.
        • 2) Feb 1965-USA launched,' Operation Rolling Thunder' .
          • 3) This involved widespread bombing raids on military & industrial targets in North Vietnam. Lasted until 1972 and targets extended.
            • 4) This operation damaged North Vietnam's war effort and caused considerable damage to towns and cities but, it encouraged even greater support for the war from North Vietnam. Secondly, the cost was horrendous-$400,000 to kill 1 Vietcong.
        • 5) The USA decided to use chemical weapons to destroy the jungle that hid the enemy. They had little effect in terms of flushing out the Vietcong.
          • 6) Agent Orange, a highly toxic weedkiller. Napalm, another chem. weapon used.
      • 4) The 1st Gulf War, 1990-91:
        • 1) Played an important role, behind-the-lines attacks were made.
        • 2)Initial strikes composed of Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from battleships.
    • 10) How successful were the Allied bombing raids?
      • 1) RAF destroyed roads, bridges & munitions factories.
      • 2) Without the bombing, German war production would have expanded massively.
      • 3) In surveys carried out after the war, over 90% of Germans admitted that the hardest part of civilian life was the bombing.
      • 4) However, Allied losses were too high.
      • 5) The output of German industry did not decline until early 1945.
      • 6) The spirit of the German people was not broken by the bombing campaign.
      • 7) The bombing was not moral and not necessary.
    • 9) Allied bombing of Germany:
      • 1) Most controversial feature of WW2.
      • 2) Reasons for the raids...
        • 3) Disrupt German communications and transport system.
        • 4) Reduce war production.
        • 5) Demoralise German civil morale.
      • 6) Criticisms...(especially of Dresden)
        • 7) Had little or no industry/war production.
        • 8) The city was full of refugees.
    • 8) The Second Blitz, 1944-45:
      • 1) Vengance weapons known as the V1 & V2s. Nicknamed Doodlebugs.
      • 2) V1-rocket-powered flying bomb which had no pilot and brought terror to Londoners.
        • 3) Threat not too serious because, anti-aircraft guns and fighter planes could be used to intercept them.
          • 4) V1 had fixed launch sites which were targets for Allied bombing raids.
      • 5) V2- a more serious threat.
        • 6) Could reach a speed of 4000 km/h.
        • 7) Killed nearly 3000 civilians.
        • 8) It operated from a mobile launcher.
    • 7) The 1st Blitz, 1940-41:
      • 1) Hitler believed he could bomb Britain into submission, could seriously disrupt British wartime production & moral.
      • 2) Targets were:
        • 3) London.
          • 4) Bombed every night, particularly the East end of London.
        • 5) Coventry.
          • 6) Worst attack-14th Nov 1940. Aircraft factories badly hit. But despite the raids the factories resumed production within 5 days.
        • 7) Liverpool.
          • 8) Worst attack, May 1941, lost some of its finest buildings.
        • 9) Belfast.
          • 10) Badly bombed in May 1940-at least 1000 people killed.
      • 11) Glasgow & Clyde shipyards hit hard in the spring of 1941.
      • 12) The Blitz did less damage than expected.
        • 13) It did not destroy the morale of the population and did not greatly reduce production.
    • 5) Reasons for British victory:
      • 1) Germans had to fight over Britain.
      • 2) 2 British fighter planes, the Hurricane & Spitfire were a good match for their German counterpart.
      • 3) British pilots that were shot down could be sent back into combat.
      • 4) Hitler made the mistake of switching their attacks to London.
      • 5) Goering, the commander of the Luftwaffe, had little knowledge of tactics and underestimated the strength of the RAF.
      • 6) Mid 1930s, British had developed radar. This made it possible to track German planes and concentrate defence where it was most needed.
      • 7) Radar meant the British planes were often in the skies above the German planes as they arrived over Britain.
      • 8) German fighter planes could only carry limited fuel.
    • 6) Importance of the Battle:
      • 1) Hitler postponed Operation Sealion.
      • 2) Great morale booster for the British.
      • 3) Confirmed the importance of air power.
    • 3) Key dates (1940) :
      • 1) 13 August-full scale raids on South-East England.
      • 2) 18 August-Luftwaffe tried to destroy Hurricanes & Spitfires.
      • 3) Early September-Britain close to defeat.
      • 4) 7 September-Hitler diverted Luftwaffe to the bombing of London.
      • 5) 15 September- Luftwaffe lost 56 planes when trying to bomb London in daylight. Invasion of Britain postponed by Hitler.

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