Airpower developed significantly during the First World War while leaders adapted to integrate it into the constantly evolving combined arms system. First World War airpower is often viewed as insignificant in relation to the wider conflict. This generally stems from the perception that airplanes fought in a parallel air war or failed to achieve "decisive" air-to-ground results. These conceptions oversimplify the impact of pursuit and bomber aviation and ignore the monumental role of aerial observation and overall battlefield integration. The true impact of airpower during the war is revealed through the lens of combined arms operations rather than through the examination of airpower as a singular weapon. This study utilizes a layered approach analyzing the ideas, organization, planning, and battlefield execution to assess the integration of airpower into the combined arms systems for the French, British, and American forces on the Western Front in 1918. Each of these armies led an Allied force in a critical battle during the summer of 1918: the Second Battle of the Marne, the Battle of Amiens, and the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. This study chronologically flows through these three battles and reveals that the air element emerged as increasingly synthesized into the modern combined arms systems of 1918.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc2356234 |
| Date | 07 1900 |
| Creators | Roberts, Andrew McClain |
| Contributors | Wawro, Geoffrey, Leggiere, Michael V., Tanner, Harold, Mierzejewski, Alfred, Pavelec, Mike |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | Text |
| Rights | Public, Roberts, Andrew McClain, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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