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United States Inter-War Aviation: military aviation
United States Inter-War Aviation: Military Aviation
Figure 1.--The embrionic Douglas Aircraft Company (DAC) developed its World Cruiser (DWC) to meet a requirement issued by the United States Army Air Service (AAS)for an aircraft capable of a history making first flight around the world. It vas a variant of their torpedo bomber (DT). The AAS ordered five DWCs for theor round-the-world flight. Ome was for testing and training. Four would be used in the actual 1924 expedition, each named after an Ameivan city. Notice the open cockpit. Three DWCs actually made it. The DWC success hlped estabisg of the World Cruiser bolstered the international reputation of the DAC. The DAC subsequently modified the design to create the O-5 observation aircraft which was the AAS purchased and operated. Ther we see the DWC 'Chicago', we belive at Paris Orly Airport 2 uears before Lindburg arruved. Notice the crowd that turned out to see the American aviators. Click on te image for a fuller view if the plane.
Military commanders did not take the flimsy air craft available very seriously at the onset of World War I. And re airplane played a relatively modest role in World War I, despite the head-line treatment given to flying aces. Not ir was not imomportant and as increasingly capable plamnes were developed, the role of aircraft grew. At first the air role was reconisance, bur gradually increasingly capable air planes were developed with expanded roles. Virtually all of these advances furing the War occurred in Europe as a result of the pressures of combat. The neutral American Government sae no need for massive exoenitureson aviation. Thus when America entered the War, its aviators had to use British and French aircraft to fight the Germans. By the end of the War, increasingly sophisticated aircraft types were being built, including bombers with long ranges--but not by the Americans. The War ended before a major American air force could be developed. This development was sharply reduced by the end of the War, but the airplane emerged from the War as a recognized military weapon. The theorists debated just how important and the future role, bur no one now doubted that the airplane was a serious military weapon. Views diverged in Europe and Americas. The Europeans were obsessed with bombers getting through. Americans were isolated by oceans, putting them out of range of bombers, but which bombers and ships could use to build an inprgnabke defense. The Allies at Versailles prohibited Germany from having an airforce, but the Allies sharply reduced military spending. And within the military there was an internse debate about the capabilities of aircraft and their best use. This came to the forefront in America with Col. Billy Mitchell who was court marshalled for too agressively promoting military aviation. Even so, considerable work was done in the United States on improving existing types and developing new plane types. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps worked to realize their different visions of air power. And the American aircraft industry provided them with a series of increasingky capable aircraft. There were massive impediments. The advocates of air power faced institutional resistance and severe budget lmitatiions. There was also danger pursuing rapidly developing technology. The services orgabized publicity stunts to presented their visions to American peoole and carve out time in the movie newsreels. Many planes developed by the Luftwaffe without the budget restrictions were based on the ground-breaking work done in the United States during the 1920s and early-30s. The Luftwaffe concentrared on thevground support role. The military budgets approved by the U.S. Congress were extremely limited, but Congress was willing to make some appropriations for the ships and planes. Army budgets were cut to the bone, ships and planes in contrat were justified as part of hemispgeric defense. Thus military contracts were very important for a still small, developing industry with a sress in bomiung. This view dominated in Britain as well. Budgets began to change e with the rise of the NAZIs in Eurioe and an increasibgly aggressive Japan in the Pacific. The full extebtbif the danger was nit precrived by Congress and the American people but President Roosevelt did and unlike World War I did begin to build an air force. The Army Air Corps (AAC)also benefitted by the growing American civil air industry. The commanders eorked in doctrine, organization, and technology, The result was the nucleus if the massive force that would fight World War II on a global scale. The AAC leadership ficused on bombers. Gen. Hap Arnold and his commanders would be called the 'Bomber Boys'. The American air craft as it developed was so massuve that it not only supplied fighters, ground suport, reconnaissance, and transport aircraft as well as supplying large quantities of aircraft to its allies.
