Air Strategies

The Entente's numerical superiority allowed them to send countless planes over German-held territory in order to "always be on the offensive."

The German reaction to this strategy was to coordinate star fighter units in a "hot" area in order achieve a local superiority.

The German strategy was seen to be effective throughout the course of the war. Local and tactical aerial victories were won by the Germans on a number of important occasions.

That the Entente eventually overwhelmed the Germans and won the war is a fact. However, it is also a fact that Entente pilots suffered many more casualties than their enemy.

Although it is not possible to seperate the effect of the ground war from the air war, the Germans seem to have accounted pretty well for themselves in the air. This is not to say that they won the war in the air; clearly they did not.

Which side had the better strategy? Would the Brits have been better served using a different strategy? If so, what should they have done?

[Richard_Schrader]

Mark;
Both sides made mistakes in their use of air power during the war. This should not be surprising as it was the first time that aircraft were used in a major war.
The German policy of "local air superiority" was about the best they could do with the resourses that they had.
The British offensive policy was a big boost to the PBI on the ground, and sapped the elan of the German forces who semed to be under British planes all the time. The British paid a high price in aircraft and crews for this policy.
The French took a more conservative view of things. I really don't think that the Germans had the respect for the French that they had for the Germans, but they got the job done without the higher rate of loss the British suffered.

Richard

[Shooter]

Mark:

I agree with Richard's analysis. Perhaps to simplify the diverse attitudes of the opposing air services during the Great War one can say that the Entante had an offensive air strategy while the Central Powers (aka: Germany) had a strategy that was largely defensive.

The logical extension of every defensive strategy is surrender. Regardles of tactical achievement, the Germans did not put enough emphasis into offensive air power for most of the war. IMHO.

Shooter sends

Richard,

Could you elaborate on French air strategy and how it was different from the British?

James,

Bodenschatz's JG1 log entries make several references to the French fighting style as cautious and conservative. Apparently the Germans felt that while the French pilots were highly skilled, they were in no hurry to get at their enemy, especially when on a front facing superior enemy numbers. This is in contrast to the British policy where pilots were ordered to always be out over the enemies territory, regardless of the odds.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Mark:
1.The western front from Nieuport on the Channel Coast to the Swiss border was about 375 miles.
2.The French air Force was always more than twice the size of the RFC/RAF.
3.The German Air Force was larger than the RFC/RAF x 2, but slightly smaller than the French Air Force.
4.The British Front in 1918 was about 75 miles in length. The French Front about 300 miles in length.
5.50% of the German Air force was concentrated opposite the British and 50% opposite the French Air Forces.
6.The Germans took the British offensive spirit very serious. The Germans took the French spirit of offence less serious inasmuch as they committed a force at 50% of the strength of the French Air Force.
7.The ratioale for this situation was that after the mutinies in the French Armies in early 1917 the French lost the will to fight and would only do what was necessary for their defence. The fighting elan of the French Army returned after the success in the "Battle of Reims" in July 1918.
8.After the insertion of the American First Army at St.Mihiel the German Air Force began a shift to the east on the Western Front and was more evenly distributed. However 30+% was still concentrated opposite the British front 75 miles in length.
In October 1915 a meeting was held by Gen. Trenchard and Commandant dePeuty in which Trenchard proposed his "Strategic Offensive". Simply put,"By
Attacking the enemy rear areas through bombing it would draw the enemies fighting forces away from the front to protect the rear industrial areas ,thus permitting Recce units to go about their work of artillery direction and near recconnaissance uninterrupted. Also the their fighters would drive the enemies recce units away from the front preventing them from artillery direction fire and thus provide relief for the infantry from artillery fire." The price for this "Strategic Offensive" was high losses. It required the ability of England and France to readily replace their losses in aircaft and personnel quickly. Trenchard and dePeuty agreed to this plan of action, Trenchard executed but dePeuty was more conservative in his approach to the "Strategic Offensive".
9. With an air force twice the size of the German Air Force, the French should of had it their way, but they did not. They had fewer aces than either the Bristish or the Germans, and in that there is a very clear message, they are better lovers than fighters!.
Dan-San Abbott