L-48 (Theberton, Suffolk, England, 1917): Lost while on a bombing raid of London, the German Zeppelin L-48 was shot down by three British aircraft from 37 Squadron RFC early in the morning of June 17, 1917. Sixteen members of the crew died in the crash, and another died of his wounds later. Only two German airmen survived.
Reading
Please read pages 440-454 in the textbook and excerpts from Giulio Douhet, Command of the Air (1921).
Course Themes
As always, you should think about the course themes (innovation, capacity, calculation, and culture) and how they relate to today’s reading. You should also consider the 5 C’s of historical thinking (change over time, causality, context, complexity, and contingency) and how you can apply them to what you just read.
What We are Doing Today
At the beginning of Chapter 12, Lee recognizes that it is something of an artificial division to treat air power separately from attempts to restore movement on the battlefield. In many cases (most obviously in AirLand Battle), maneuver on land relies in part on air power.
However, in Chapter 13, Lee is not interested in air power as a whole. Rather, as he puts it, this chapter focuses on “winning a war entirely or primarily through bombing targets beyond the battlefield, usually within an enemy’s territory—so-called strategic bombing.” Whether it be a Zeppelin, a B-17, or an ICBM, the idea is more or less the same: using bombing technology of some sort to project power at a distance and hoping that such a method is less costly in “blood and treasure” than fighting on the ground. While strategic bombing may have an impact on land war (e.g. the bombing of an enemy’s industries may reduce his capacity to produce machine-guns, tanks, and artillery), it is not an integral part of land war. It occurs “beyond the battlefield,” does not form part of the cooperation between the different combat arms (infantry, artillery, and armor), and often seeks to win war on its own.
Lee discusses who Douhet was and what he was about, so I haven’t added any context about Douhet’s Command of the Air below.
The Air Force Story (1953): This clip comes from a documentary that was released by the Department of Defense. The documentary was assembled using original footage from World War II and gives a pretty good flavor of what a strategic bombing mission was like over Europe during that conflict. In this particular episode, the documentary covers the American attacks on the German cities of Schwienfurt and Regensburg.
Potential Quiz Questions
Lee discusses who Douhet was and what he was about, so I haven’t added any context about Douhet’s Command of the Air.
1) As World War I dragged on, what was the “strategic core” or targets that bombers increasingly went after? Why did many military leaders and theorists find strategic bombing so attractive—both then and during the interwar period?
2) What was the American theory regarding the “industrial fabric” or “industrial web”? How was this implemented during World War II? How did it differ from British methods? Eventually, how and why did American methods begin to resemble British strategic bombing campaign?
3) In Command of the Air, what does Douhet assume about the character and form of war in his time?
4) So far as Douhet is concerned, in what way is air war fundamentally different from the types of war that came before it? What are the huge implications of this change?
5) According to Douhet, what was the only defense possible in aerial warfare? Why
6) In a campaign between a state with an independent air force and one without, which one does Douhet think win? Why? (NOTE: The distinction Douhet makes between the two is the following. An independent air force is institutionally separate from the other armed forces and can pursue its own strategy. An air force that is not institutionally separate from the other armed forces is often beholden to them. For example, American aircraft deployed on land were originally part of the army, and the force was named the US Army Air Force. This force was not independent, and its aircraft were often used to support the army’s activities—although as time went on, it became increasingly independent. In 1947, the US Air Force was founded as a separate branch of the armed forces with its own strategy, doctrine, and so on; at this point, it was independent in fact and name.)
7) In a war between two independent air forces, Douhet concedes that the choice of targets is a difficult matter. Whatever the case, however, what must an independent air force due to defeat another? What exactly must be destroyed?
8) How does Douhet morally justify air attacks against civilian populations?
Canvas Discussion Question
Please respond to the following question.
If you were Douhet, what exactly would you destroy with your bombers to win a war against the enemy? (HINT: There are more answers than just one. You will receive extra points for creativity based on your reading of Douhet.)
Refer to the reading, and please be as precise as possible in your answers.
Feel free to interact and collaborate with others as you respond. Ask each other questions on the board. Synthesize other people’s responses. Work together to come up with solid answers. And feel free to make more than one contribution.
Please remember that participation on Canvas is mandatory.
History 103: War and Innovation (HR) 