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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1125.PDF
MAY 28TH, 1942 FLIGHT 27 AIR SUPPORT IN BATTLE The Air Arm and the Ground Forces : The Development of Tactics : The Experience of Past Campaigns : Methods of Employment THE far reaching specialisation of weapons is an established and most outstanding feature of mech anised warfare. But in air warfare technical specialisation is even more clearly denned than on the ground. The necessities of combat and the limitation imposed upon the designer by the laws of nature have resulted in a rigid specialisation of aircraft types, each devoted to singular specific employment in combat. But while many seem to imagine that salvation lies in some particular type of aircraft, no single weapon can iisure that absolute ascendancy which is wanted. It is only a well-balanced range of war tools and their skilful and harmonious employment which can bring the desired superiority in combat whether on land, sea or in the air. This sounds to-day like an axiomatic truth. And yet it is still necessary to emphasise that this is the conditio sine qua non of modern operations. The Role of the Air Arm Whether it is in the interest of economy to indulge in such variety of types is another matter. Important as economic considerations may appear to be, they cannot or should not be overriding. The concentration of the industry on the production of a few types is certainly not the only sound basis, provided that among the selected few are types of aircraft which are of paramount importance in modern battles. For since it is established that in a modern battle the close co-ordination and co-operation of the ground and air forces is essential, the suitable equipment of such air units is the only possible logical imperative. The dive bomber was and still is the weapon with which the Germans and recently the Japanese have achieved their major successes. But if we study the problem a little closer, we must acknowledge the fact that it was primarily the tactics developed by the German forces to which these successes have to be attributed. Russian strategy first recognised the immense value of the interference of the air arm in combat with the ground forces. This conception did not limit the task of the air arm to reconnaissance or long-range bombing. It involved an active and constant participation of the air arm in the ground combat as an integral part of the equipment and tactical dispositions of the ground forces. For inasmuch as mechanisation has given the infantry improved manoeuvrability and high mobility, the mobile tactics of modern warfare call for a weapon which can strike deep into the defences of the enemy, which is fast and quiok- hitting and which extends the range of the fire power of the tank. Such weapon is evidently the airborne artillery, replac ing the divisional artillery of the 1914 war of positions. The debut of this tactical employment of aircraft was made on March 27th, 1937. On this day an Italian motorised divi sion which had advanced some 25 miles in four days accom panied by tanks was surprised by some 115 Russian air craft, in particular the I-15 and I-16, and the effect of some 55,000 lb. of bombs dropped and 200,000 rounds of ammunition fired was the dispersal of the division. The German Way From this display of Russian tactics in the Spanish laboratory, the Germans were quick to learn. Their "Panzer" divisions have been equipped with air units, which are an organic part of each division. Although the'y form a part of the Luftwaffe, these air units are not attached but belong to the '' Panzer'' divisions and in case of neces sity are further reinforced from the Luftwaffe air divisions operating in the area. In other words, the commander of ground operations has always GROUND FORCES CLOSE SUPPORT ZONE MAIN BOMBARDMENT ZONE TACTICAL & COMBAT RECONN. LONG RANGE RECONN. LONG RANGE BOMBING Air arm in the ground battle : The diagram shows the different tactical zones of operation. at his disposal air units just as he has signals, tanks, ord nance, etc. This is quite in harmony with the Encyclopaedia of German Military Knowledge (the" Handbuch der Neuzeit- lichen Militaerwissenschaf- ten ") which defines the tacti cal employment of the dive- bomber (the Stuka, an abbre viation for Sturzkampffiug- zeug) as follows : — The Stuka is employed against small but very im portant and very vulnerable objectives. In a battle, the air. arm is used as a method of attack applied exclusively to the combat on the ground. Its purpose is tactical inter vention from the air in ground combat. The objec tives of such attacks are both fixed and moving and situ ated within or immediately behind the zone of combat. Possible advanced objectives to be attacked simultaneously with the infantry assault are centres of resistance, artillery positions and all kinds of D
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