70 - Aerial Warfare

The WW2 Podcast

Angus Wallace

Society & Culture, History

4.6 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2018

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the last episode we looked at the development of the world's navies during the interwar period. To compliment that I thought we'd do something similar with aerial warfare. It is easy to forget in 1939 aviation was still very much in its infancy, and especially aerial warfare.

Theorist such as Giulio Douhethad highlighted the importance of controlling airspace, Douhet also advocated that idea that a nation could bomb its way to victory. Other countries such as Germany envisaged the plane in tactical roles, supporting the army. So at the outbreak of WWII each air force was prepared to a fight a war, just not necessarily the war their enemy was expecting to fight.

Joining me today is Frank Ledwidge.

Frank is a senior fellow in Air Power and International Security, at the Royal Air Force College - Cranwell. Not only does he teach this stuff, he's written a book on the subject 'Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies'.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to another World War II podcast.
0:05.0	In the last episode we looked at the development of the world navies during the interwar period.
0:12.0	To compliment that, I thought we'd do something similar with
0:15.7	aerial warfare. It's easy to forget in 1939 aviation was still very much in its infancy and especially so aerial warfare.
0:28.0	So joining me today is Frank Ledwig.
0:31.0	Frank is a senior fellow in Air Power and International Security at the Royal Air Force
0:37.1	College, Cranwell. Not only does he teach this stuff, he's written a book on the subject aerial warfare the battle for
0:45.2	the skies we've already chatted for quite a while so patrons look out for an
0:51.4	extra 20 or 30 minutes.
0:53.0	If you're not already a patron, you can sign up at Patreon.com
0:58.0	slash W.W2 Podcast.
1:02.0	That dollar or two from each of you really does help me find the
1:07.5	time to put the show together and I am very grateful to those who already
1:11.5	support the show. So that's Patreon.com slash W.W2 podcast.
1:19.2	Frank thanks for joining me. If we go right back to the birth of flight, I wonder if it was clear from the start
1:28.5	that aircraft had a military use. I mean, how quick did the military come sniffing? It was right from the start I think people
1:36.4	realize that there's a major military potential for this and I think I say in
1:41.1	the book there Lord Northcliffe who was on the daily mail sent a
1:44.8	telegram to one of his friends just a couple of years later saying aircraft intended
1:49.4	or words to suspect I can't remember the exact words now, intended for military uses stop.
1:55.0	And right from the start, the right city, forgive the pun, were really keen on getting military contracts and scoured the Western world.
2:06.1	They went to Britain looking for contracts from the British Army for reconnaissance aircraft.
	...

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