German strategic bombing during World War I
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As the First World War unfolded, aircraft, which had previously been dismissed as having little military value, began to prove their critics wrong. As a result of these initial experiences, the armed forces on both sides began to put considerable thought into concepts for highly specialized types of combat aircraft. Not all of these concepts survived the test of combat. One such concept was that of a "battle-plane:" a large, heavily-armed, multi-engined aircraft designed to fulfill the role of a fighter aircraft. The battle-planes proved to be unable to effectively combat more maneuverable single seat fighters such as the German Fokker Eindecker, the British Airco DH.2 and the French Nieuport 11 but they did prove highly successful when they were fitted with bomb racks and pressed into service as medium bombers. In Germany these battle-planes were assigned the designation "K" (Kampfflugzeug) but once they had been re-assigned to the bomber role they were assigned the designation "G" (Großflugzeug) to identify them as bombers.
[edit] Operation Türkenkreuz - the Gotha Raids
The "Gotha Raids" were specific to a phase of aeroplane bombing raids conducted by Germany into Great Britain during the First World War.
In late 1916, Germany began planning a daylight bombing offensive against England, designated Operation Türkenkreuz. In anticipation of the campaign, Kagohl (Kampfgeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung) 3, comprising six Kastas (Kampfstaffel) under the command of Hauptmann Ernst Brandenburg, was formed. By this time, England was perceiving success in dealing with the aerial bombing threat of Zeppelins when six were destroyed over England. When taken together with the reduction in Zeppelin raids over the winter-time, by the Spring of 1917, there was a general lessening of concern in the country with respect to the pattern of German air raids. However this view was by no means means unanimous, as there continued to be calls in Parliament for retaliatory strikes against German military targets.
Taken together with the urgent need to deal with what were considered to be other military priorities (increasing losses at the Western Front and a resurgence of unrestricted German submarine activities) the opportunity was therefore taken to shift resources away from Raid protection.
Politically, a long-standing problem with regard to the means of aircraft production had largely been resolved by early 1917. The result was a clear increase in the numbers of aero-engines being produced but this had the effect of contributing to the complacency regarding attack from the air which characterised the period.
For German strategic planners, the delivery of bombs onto targets within Great Britain had been a long term goal. Restrictions on the essentials of:
- suitable long-range aircraft
- relative distances of home bases
- resources allocated to fighting on the Front
had limited such operations to occasional 'tip and run' raids, which in total by the end of 1916 had killed 25 people.
However with the combat availability of the Gotha G.IV in March 1917, Germany had its bomb delivery platform. Kagohl 3, now known informally as the Englandgeschwader operated from St. Denis-Westrem and Gonterode, in the Ghent area of German-occupied Belgium. British raids on these bases forced Kagohl 3 to move to Mariakerke and Oostracker. In March and April of 1917, the unit was equipped with the first batch of G.IV aircraft.
[edit] Early Raids
On May 25, 1917, Kagohl 3 sortied 23 Gothas for a daylight raid on London, but two were forced to turn back over the North Sea due to mechanical difficulties. Poor weather forced the remaining bombers to divert to secondary targets at the Channel port of Folkestone and the nearby Army camp at Shorncliffe. The raid resulted in 95 deaths and 195 injuries, mostly in the Folkestone area. Nine RNAS Sopwith Pups engaged the returning bombers near the Belgian coast, shooting one down.
A second attack on 5 June 1917 was diverted to Sheerness, again in Kent but in a third attack on June 13, resulted in the first daylight raid on London, causing 162 deaths and 432 injuries. Among the dead were 46 children killed by single bomb falling on a kindergarten in Poplar. This was the deadliest air raid of the war, but no Gothas were lost. In 1938, Air Commodore Lionel Charlton described the raid as "the beginning of a new epoch in the history of warfare." [1]
The reason for the relatively large numbers of casualties seems to have been the lack of understanding as to the threat posed by aerial bombardment of a high density civilian target in daylight. An RFC on-leave pilot, recorded that: ...Raids hadn't become a very serious thing and everybody crowded out into the street to watch. They didn't take cover or dodge. Lt Charles Chabot, 39 Squadron RFC.
As there had been little or no forward planning, early attempts to intercept the raiding Gotha formations were largely ineffectual. Large numbers of British aircraft were put into the air but were unable to climb high enough to engage the incoming bombers.
Captain James McCudden was part of the engaging force of 92 aircraft in connection with the London raid but due to the performance limitations of his machine had no success at all in deflecting the attacking force.
A further Gotha raid comprising 22 aircraft was made on 7 July 1917, resulting in 54 deaths and 190 injuries. Many of these casualties were caused by falling anti-aircraft shells. On this occasion 100 defensive sorties were flown against the formation, resulting in one Gotha shot down and three damaged. Two intercepting fighter aircraft were shot down by the Gothas' defensive gunners.
Between May and August 1917, Kagohl 3 carried out eight daylight raids over England, including three raids on London. Beginning in September, improved British air defenses forced Kagohl 3 to abandon daylight raids. While night raids provided a measure of protection from interceptors and anti-aircraft fire, they greatly complicated navigation and landing. Many damaged aircraft limped back to their airfields, only to be lost in landing accidents.
In December 1917, Kagohl 3 was redesignated Bogohl (Bombengeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung) 3. Unlike other Bogohls, which consisted of only three Bostas (Bombenstaffel), Bogohl 3 retained its original strength of six staffeln. Continued heavy losses forced Bogohl 3 to stand down from combat operations in February 1918.
On the night of May 19, 1918, the Gothas returned to England for the last and largest raid of the war. Bogohl 3 sortied 38 Gothas against London, but suffered heavy losses in the process. Six Gothas were shot down by interceptors and anti-aircraft fire, while a seventh aircraft was lost in a landing accident[2]. After this raid, Gothas were restricted to tactical raids along the Western Front.
Gothas carried out a total of 22 raids on England, dropping 186,830 lb (84,745 kg) of bombs for the loss of 61 aircraft.
[edit] References
- ^ Charlton, Lionel. The Air Defence of Britain. London: Penguin Books, 1938
- ^ Aero Conservancy
Tumult in the Clouds (The British Experience of the War in the Air 1914-1918) - Nigel Steel & Peter Hart
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