US Air Force Military Training - Yearbook (Lackland, TX)

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in , ,:,, , 1 1 1 no an j 'U X 'lhoie viiiolioid ifhafiif wiil be air power fhai- will decide ll!! war. if seeirrsflikeliekowever, +ha+ 'rhis fheory will be given 6 'lhorough fesf before fhe war is done. Cerfainly if is frue fhaijfhe concepfion of +he airplane has already undergone a remarkable series of changes since 'lhe beginning of fhe World War, when if was regarded noi' in ihe lighi' of a combai' weapon ai' all. lndeed fhe firsi' airplanes used in fhe World War were almosf always of one fype, a 'l'wo-seafer designed for reconnaissance work. As fhe war progressed specializafion appeared and a class of airplanes designed firsf for air fighfing, fhen for bombing, appeared. Several nafions, prior fo fhe war, had experi- menfed wifh 'rhe arming of aircrafi' wifh machine guns, buf on fhe oufbreak of 'lhe war no plane on fhe fronf was so armed. Rifles, carbines, pisfols, and hand grenades were carried by fhe pilof and observer. The facfics of air fighfing were rudimenfary. The pilofs simply flew close fo fhe enemy and when wifhin range fhe pilof and fhe observer blazed away wifh any weapon fhey happened fo have handy. In fhe summer of l9l5, belligeranfs began fo mouni' machine guns in 'lhe planes, usually on a swivel bar af fhe back of 'rhe observer's seaf. The observer could only fire fhe gun backwards foward fhe fail of fhe plane, firing over fhe pilo+'s head, which made for a very resfricfed zone of fire. This necessifafed fhaf in order fo fire on an opponenf, 'rhe plane had 'ro fly away from +he enemy, 'rhus making ii' very difficuli' fo be effecfive. The Brifish experimenfed wifh a 'rype of plane in which fhe gun was mounfed in fhe froni' and fhe mofors faced fhe rear. This fype gave fhe advanfage of fronfal firing, buf was so slow on climbing and flighi' 'lhai' ii' was abandoned wifhin a shorf fime. The firsi' real fighfing aircrafi +o make ifs appearance was fhe German Fokker monoplane. Fasf, maneuverable, and of fhe 'rracfor fype, fhe plane had a machine gun mounfed in such a fashion as fo synchronize wifh fhe revolufions Q 1 Q on i Q cu Q we of fhe propeller, fhus allowing ii' fo be fired sfraighf ahead. -The piloi' aimed fhe gun by aiming fhe airplane. This plane was so obviously superior fo fhose of fhe Allies 'rhai' com- mand of 'lhe air passed 'ro fhe Germans 'lhroughouf fhe resf of 'rhe year. ln I9I6, however, +he Brifish were able fo challenge The Germans by producing 'rheir own fype of fronf-firing plane, alfhough if was noi' unfil near fhe end of l9l6 +ha+ fhe Allies were able fo produce machine gun mounfed planes of 'lhe Fokker fype. The success of fhe Fokker airplane was responsible for fhe advenf of formafion flying. Casualfies among fhe French and Brifish had grown so heavily fhai' individual flighfs were disconfinued and flighfs of fhree or more planes 'look fheir place. The Germans refaliafed, and by fhe end of fhe war pafrols were 'rhe accepfed form of air facfics. I+ early became apparenf fo air-minded officers fhaf greaf damage could be inflicfed upon 'lhe enemy by drop- ping bombs from aircraff on his froops, ammunifion dumps, facfories and ofher milifary insfallafions. Indeed, many of fhe early fighfers affempfed some rudimenfary bombing flighfs, using hand grenades. These were usually ineffecfive excepi' in rare insfances. Bombs were fhen devised which could be dropped from 'lhe plane. ln early bombing raids fhe bombs were carried in fhe cockpif of ordinary fighfer planes and heaved over fhe side by fhe observer whenever he iudged himself fo be in a posifion fo hii' his +arge+. This was a clumsy, inaccurafe sysfem, however, fhai' soon led +o fhe design of an enfirely differenf craff made for bombing alone, and equipped wifh machine guns for pro- fecfion. These planes, which were growing larger and larger as fhe war progressed, were equipped wifh bomb racks confrolled by meohanisms wifhin fhe bomber, and carried crews of from fhree fo six men. They were ufilized a+ firsi' as lone raiders, depending on sfealfh and surprise fo accomplish fheir fasks, buf by l9l7 'rhere had evolved

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3, ,zen sr ,.- , rg... . We syn V' ,.s new ' as I-gZ:m.'f - 1-V 'Mr -safe J, 5, be - 'Q i 55714 R W sim 1 , is -.fa 'M I -'2 fs V , :-:-., I ' . ff 4 B S s ,sl if 4. , 4' fy X7 4, sf Q .I 4 SIM is gs s, Z .I 1 S xii? X II 1' I , I , -: - : : If -11.21-6:-Q +:-:..:- A - , ,,,, 2 75? , vi Mm-,, ' 5 f Y' -fr rf? -Q , 1 eg. + . I... Isl , ff' 'K if x 1 . we t 'R 2 phorography, nighi' and phoiography, and many ofher developmenis. 5. The AIR SERVICE COMMAND operafes air depofs, repairs aircrafr, and disiribuies aircraff, equipmenf, and supplies fo air unifs in Ihe Uniied Sfaies. 6. The PROVING GROUND COMMAND operaies prov- ing grounds io 'iesi' aircrafi and equipment 7. The ANTI-SUBMARINE COMMAND. 8. The FLIGHT CONTROL COMMAND. AIR COMBAT The various combaf uniis have been 'formed info fourfeen Air Forces, of which rhe firsi four are in -I-he Uniied Sfafes, fhe ofher Ien overseas. Each of 'Ihese Air Forces includes: I. A BOMBER COMMAND. 2. A FIGHTER COMMAND. 3. A BASE SERVICE COMMAND, and 4. An AIR SUPPORT COMMANQ I I+ is quiie probable I'ha+ if is eniirely foo soon Io a'Hemp'I' Io define Ihe role of Ihe airplane in reiafion 'ro 'Ihe o'I'her combai' 'forces of a na+ion. In spiie o'F 'rhai faci' fhere has been raging, and indeed s+iII goes on, a debaie beiween Ihose who feel Ihai air power has Io a large exieni super- ceded sea power and even Iand power as Ihe deciding eIemen+ in modern warfare, and Ihose who feel +haI' Ihis ex+reme fheory has yeI' Io be suppor+ed by acfual facis. There are ex'I'remis'rs who argue, like 'rhe Russian designer Seversky and 'rhe H'aIian General Douhei, I'ha'I 'rhe day of 'rhe surface 'Fleer is over, and +ha+ 'ihe 'iuiure wars will be decided by Ihe reIa+ive meriis of I'he air forces of Ihe combaianfs. On Ihe oiher hand, we have 'rhe sure evidence of Ihe failure of bombing alone eiiher Io permanenfly dis- rup+ fhe war effori of a couniry or fo Ierrorize i+s civilians in+o demands +ha'r iI's governmeni surrender. In neifher fhe Spanish Civil War nor in Ihis war, up un'riI 'rhe presen+, has II' been possible for fhe advocaies of air power alone Io prove fheir con+en'I'ions. A+ fhe same fime if musi be granred 'rhai no na+ion has as ye'I' been able Io mouni Ihe Iype of air aH'acIc envisioned Shown above is a Morane Roulier, Ihe firsi plane used by American aviafors in Worid War I Il9I8I, Below is a Wrighi airplane, Ihe 'firsf plane in Phiiippine Isiands af Fori McKinley II9I2I-pilofed by Lieufenani Frank P. Lahm.

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,,,,,,,,,.7,..f-.- il-Inu-.-f 99TH AERO SOUADRON OFF!CERS IN FRONT OF PLANES SALINSEN PLANE, 9lST SOUADRON