- Why did some world leaders and theologians feel that flying would be the end of mankind?
They felt that flight meant that a
civilian population would no longer be safe anywhere. This fear was realized
during World War II when the bombing of the civilian population was a key
tactic for both the allies and the axis powers. However, the allies used it to
devastating effect, the bombing of Berlin and the hydrogen bombs dropped in
Japan. Stanley Baldwin said “you have to kill more women and children than the
enemy if you wish to save yourselves”. Noel Andre went as far as to say, “The
art of flying would be the greatest calamity that could befall society”. These
men all lived in fear that flight would bring an end to the safety and security
of living on the ground. Airplanes can be above you, and you never even know
they are there. Bombs could be dropped from above, and destroy a whole city
before anyone knew what was happening. Their thoughts were, a population could
be attacked at any time and the only way to defend against it would be to
attack first.
2 2.
What factors influenced the development of the aircraft
carrier and what role did it play in WWII?
Aircraft carriers played a huge
role during World War II in the Pacific theater. Aircraft carriers allowed both
sides, the allies and the axis, to attack each other. The Japanese got America
into the war using aircraft carriers to launch an aerial attack against Pearl
Harbor. One of the first aircraft carriers was developed by the British; they
took an old cruiser and added decks. The first ship designed as an aircraft
carrier was also developed by the British. In 1918, the British ship HMS Argus
was launched. It was the first ship to have a completely flattop as a flight
deck. The Washington Naval Treaty paved the way for several countries to build
aircraft carriers. The treaty specified the number of ship that each country
was allowed to maintain after World War I. Instead of destroying ships that
they were not allowed to keep, some of the countries converted the ships into
aircraft carriers. Japan converted two ships into aircraft carriers because of
this treaty. One of these carries was used by the Japanese in one of the first
battles of the war and in the attack of Pearl Harbor. The Kaga was used to
launch one of the first aerial attacks from an aircraft carrier in 1937 and
later the Kaga was used in the attack on Pearl Harbor. In America, three
aircraft carriers were built. These carriers would need a new type of plane,
one designed to be launched from an aircraft carrier and design for the
specific uses of a carrier based aircraft.
3 3.
What role did strategic bombing play during the war and
was it successful
Strategic bombing was used to
devastating effect during World War II. At the start of the war and at the beginning
of the war almost all of the countries were against the bombing of civilian
populations. German was one of the first countries to drop the act and bomb a
civilian area. During Germany’s Blitz on Britain several cities were bombed.
Britain lost 40,000 people to the Blitz alone. At first the Allies had been
more strategic about their bombing sites, choosing industrial areas and areas
that were important to the military of Germany. This quickly changed when
Britain had been bombed, they were now out to break the German will to fight.
They bombed German around the clock for small periods in the war. Towards the
end of the war the British and American strategic bombing campaigns gained
steam, they were dropping well over 1.5 million tons of bombs. Between 1944 and
1945 fifty towns in Germany were destroyed. Strategic bombing was also used in
the Pacific theater; however, a bomb with greater range was required to bomb a
target at such a great distance. The B-29 was used to bomb factories and cities
in Japan. The B-29 was used to set fire to Tokyo in 1945. Later on the B-29,
the Enola Gay, would drop the first atomic bomb on Japan. Strategic bombing was
used to destroy key enemy facilities and destroy the moral of the enemy.
Strategic bombing was probably the key reason that the allies won the Second
World War.
4 4.
What new technologies emerged as a result of the war
that would characterize the future of aviation?
Several important new technologies
were developed during World War II. These technologies would forever transform
aviation. A couple of the most important technological advances to come out of
World War II are the development of jet engines and radar. The jet engine was
developed by German engineers, and briefly, at the end of the war, jet engine
powered aircraft were used. The Germans developed the first jet fighter, but it
was introduced too late to have any effect on the outcome of the war. Another
of one of the most important technological advances to come out of World War II
was radar. Radar was a huge advancement during the war; it allowed a pilot to
see where other aircraft were. It allowed ships to spot income ships or
aircraft at a great distance. It also led to the development of the early
warning system, since you could see aircraft coming from miles away.
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