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Walking
with Ghosts, - WW1 Aircraft |
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A very brief overview of aircraft used in the First World War is given below, - together with examples of some of the types of aircraft used by both sides in the War.
At the bottom of the page is a modern day Royal Air Force Eurofighter aircraft for you to compare with its predecessors.
| Select a thumbnail image for a new window to open, in which you can find out further information on some of the aircraft involved in the First World War. | ||||||||
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Airships |
The Sopwith Camel Single-Seat Fighter |
The Bristol F2B Two-seat fighter |
The Handley Page 0/400 Bomber |
FE2B Fighter |
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At the start of the First World War, aircraft were essentially seen as having a role in helping the ground forces rather than having an offensive role in their own right. Their basic duty was initially in reconnaissance and observation, - supporting the infantry and the artillery. They were used to photograph and record the deployment of troops. The development of fighter aircraft came about principally as a consequence of the opposing sides trying to prevent such activities. The pilots who flew the fighter aircraft became almost as "sporting heroes" to the general public. Even today, the exploits of the Red Baron (Baron von Richtofen) in his red tri-decker Focker aircraft are known to the modern generation, as are the names of several of the legendary airmen of the Allies. Equally remarkable, is that the pilots behaved with great chivalry towards each other on opposing sides of the war. The fighter aircraft of that time were relatively crude machines. A combination of light protection and difficulty in actually flying them meant that the rate of loss of pilots was extremely high. The use of aircraft for bombing did not feature all that prominently in the First World War. Although the Germans used Zeppelin airships for the bombing of civilians in the United Kingdom, this only happened after the German Admiralty pressed for these airships to switch from reconnaissance to attack missions. The Allies did not have any aircraft which could be specifically used for bombing at the outset of the war, and initially adapted "fighter" aircraft for bombing. They were also reluctant to mount bombing raids behind enemy lines and on civilian targets for fear of retaliation. It was only later that they started developing aircraft which could carry heavy loads and which could be specifically used for bombing. In 1917 the Germans used fixed wing aircraft to bomb London. In all, there were 57 airship raids(564 killed and 1,370 wounded), and 27 aircraft raids (835 killed and 1,990 wounded) on Great Britain in the First World War. The first Allied bombing raid using a Handley Page bomber didn't take place until March 1917, when the bomber was used to attack a German railway junction. A raid was planned to be mounted against Berlin, but before it could be effected the war was over. |
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In order for you to be able to compare the type of aircraft used in the First World War with a modern day Royal Air Force equivalent, please select the image below;-
A Eurofighter "Typhoon"
The Eurofighter photos on this site are the property of BAE Systems (CopyrightŠ
2005 BAE Systems. All rights reserved) and have been made available for publishing
and personal use.
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