Aircraft & Balloons

When war broke out the number of aircraft on all sides and all fronts was very small.  France, for example, had less than 140 aircraft at the start of the war.  By the end of the war she fielded 4,500 aircraft, more than any other protagonist.  While this may seem an impressive increase, it does not give a true indication of the amount of aircraft involved.  During the war France produced no less than 68,000 aircraft.  52,000 of them were lost in battle, a horrendous loss rate of 77%.  Flying was still a dangerous occupation—with or without involving guns and combat.

Initially during that war both sides made use of tethered balloons and airplanes for observation purposes, both for information gathering and directing of artillery fire. A desire to prevent enemy observation led to airplane pilots attacking other airplanes and balloons, initially with small arms carried in the cockpit, and later with machine guns mounted on the aircraft. Thus the Great War was the first conflict to involve air-to-air combat between airplanes in what is known as “dogfights.”  Fast, agile and maneuverable planes that were designed to battle other aircraft were known as fighters.  Scores of fighters would combat one another for control of the skies over the front so that other aircraft could direct artillery fire over enemy positions.

The French government was the first to award the distinction of “ace” to those of their fighters who had demonstrably downed five enemy aircraft.  Independent confirmation was a strict requirement however, which often posed a practical difficulty in crowded dogfight circumstances.  Still, many fighter pilots would gain distinction and recognition for gaining the “ace” status.  The famous “Red Baron,” Manfred von Richthofen, would become the most well-known pilot of the war by scoring 80 kills against Allied fighters before being shot down and killed himself.

Both sides also made use of aircraft for bombing, strafing and dropping of propaganda. The German military made use of Zeppelins to drop bombs on Britain, one of the first weapons used to terrorize the civilian population.