Chapter 7 World War II (1939-1945)

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Chapter 7World War II(1939-1945)

• Unlike WWI, WWII involved a multitude of aircraft
  from the start, as well as new classifications of
  aircraft and new aviation technologies that rose
  during the war. One estimate is that Britain and
  the US together produced over 380,000 aircraft
  during the war. As a civilian, Charles Lindbergh
  flew 50 combat mission in the Pacific. Pilots
  and groups became famous such as the Tuskegee
  Airmen and Jimmy Doolittles Raiders.

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Section AWar Emergency and Response
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World War II

• On 1 Sept 1939, Germany invaded Poland
• Germany began its Blitzkrieg campaign
• Blitzkrieg is German for lightning war
• Germany used airplane for both strategic and
  tactical missions.
• Strategic attacking airfields and production
  plants
• Tactical missions supporting the land troops

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Poland Falls

• Britain and France align with Poland
• They issue ultimatums to Germany
• Germany fails to respond
• War is declared on Germany by the Brits and
  French
• The Soviets invaded Poland
• 17 Sept 1939
• Down 7 Polish fighters and 3 Polish bombers
• Poland surrenders to Germans and Soviets
• 5 October 1939.

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The Phony War

• As the war continues on the ground, aerial
  operations were limited due to the winter
  weather.
• German called it the Sitzkrieg phase, or Phony
  War.
• Began October 1939 continued through April 1940.
• Germany began blitzkrieg again in May 1940. The
  war was real!

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Dunkirk

• May June 1940, British and French forces
  evacuated across the English Channel back to
  Britain.
• They defended Dunkirk, their departure point
• A massive aerial battle took place
• First time British Spitfires fought German
  fighters
• Both Germany and Britain flew sorties
• Britain lost more planes, but won.
• Sortie one mission by a single plane

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Mediterranean Region

• Italy declares war on France and Great Britain in
  June 1940.
• Surprising since Italy sold airplane to France
  earlier in the war.
• France collapses later that month.
• Armistice with Germany on 22 June 1940

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Battle of Britain

• Winning France, Germany now wants Britain
• Germany Navy and Luftwaffe target British
  shipping and supply lines
• Hitler sought to destroy the Royal Air Force, but
  failed.
• So the Blitz was started by the Luftwaffe.
• Blitz an air attack against London and other
  British cities.

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Battle of Britain

• Britain used the newly invent radar system to its
  advantage in defending its homeland.
• Never in the field of human conflict was so much
  owed by so many to so few. All hearts go out to
  the fighter pilots
• - Winston Churchill

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Battle of the Atlantic

• Maritime war began when the war began and was
  dominated by the Germans.
• U-boats - or submarines
• Bismarck - Germanys most powerful battleship
• Both wrecked havoc on Allied shipping.
• The Bismarck met its match against a British
  Swordfish torpedo bomber on 26 May 1941.

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US Neutrality

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Opposed Germany aggression, but
• Want to intervene without going to war
• Congress passes neutrality acts
• Keep US out of war, popular view
• However, US starts to prepare for war and
  increases production of military goods.
• Lend-Lease Act of 1941
• Allowed US to lend-lease supplies to allies

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National Defense

• In 1940 Congress approves funds for 535 airport
  nationwide.
• In conjunction, the runway numbering system was
  changed.
• Old way Numbers ran consecutively from 1,2,3,
  etc staring with the most northerly and going
  counterclockwise.
• New way Numbers indicted the compass heading
  for takeoffs and landings.

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Spreading War

• Hitlers Plan
• Invade and defeat the Soviets
• By doing so would strengthen Japan
• The US would be unable to fight in Europe
• Us would be preoccupied with Japan
• Great Britain would be alone to flight Germany
• Germany would be able to defeat Britain.
• Sunday 22 June 1941Hitler attacks
• Soviets loses 2,000 aircraft in 2 days

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Pacific War

• Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will
  live in infamy
• - FDR
• The US declares war on Japan the next day.
• Several days later, Japanese allies in Europe
  declare war on the US.
• US is suddenly in the war in Europe.
• Not as Hitler intended

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Training

• In the anticipation of war
• Congress passes the Civilian Pilot Training (CPT)
  Act of 1936
• Under this Act, Pres Roosevelt created the Civil
  Air Patrol (CAP) in 1941
• The CPT quickly lost its civilian disguise and
  became strictly military
• Renamed as the War Training Service
• CPT/WTS trained over 375,000 people

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Tuskegee Airmen

• In anticipation of war
• 19 July 1941, 12 African-American cadets and 1
  African-American officer reported for flight
  training.
• Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama
• Their training and service took place under the
  separate but equal policy
• Blacks fliers separated from white fliers
• Policy led to the Tuskegee Airmens nickname
  Lonely Eagles

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Soviet Women Pilots

• Soviet, Marina Raskova, organized a female flying
  regiment.
• Supplemented the male force and to fight along
  side with them in the air
• The Soviets were the only country to use women in
  regular air combat roles.
• In the US, woman served in support, not combat
  roles. They relieved men for assignment to
  combat zones.

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End of Section A