World War One
World War One was the first major war to present fighter aircraft as effective war machines that could influence battles. Fighter aircraft began as a reconnaissance tool and examined troop formations, discovered weapons placements, and relayed information to place proper artillery strikes. The role of air to air combat began when Allied fighters and German fighters began encountering each other during recon missions. The commandeers of the aircraft held small conventional weapons such as pistols and fired at enemies in the air and on the ground. Additionally, commandeers would carry grenade and some explosives which would be able to disrupt ground forces. As World War One progressed and more encounters within the air took place, military generals/commanders found use in the airplane as an efficient and effective fighting machine. The first weaponized fighter aircraft was developed by the Germans in 1915 and was called the Fokker Eindecker. Eventually, the allied fores created fighter aircraft, and in 1916 and forward, aerial war and dogfights had begun.
Dog-fighting and aerial warfare initially began with small encounters where lone fighters would engage each other, but as the war progressed, encounters became larger, and formations of fighters would engage over the battlefield. During those large encounters, formations would break into individual fights working towards gaining air superiority. These individual fights were able to show the individual pilots and their skills which resulted in titles and codes of honor. Another aspect of aerial warfare was bombardment and ground support. Bombers such as the Bristol Braemar Mk. 1 targeted factories, fronts, and military bases with fighter escorts protecting them.
Dog-fighting and aerial warfare initially began with small encounters where lone fighters would engage each other, but as the war progressed, encounters became larger, and formations of fighters would engage over the battlefield. During those large encounters, formations would break into individual fights working towards gaining air superiority. These individual fights were able to show the individual pilots and their skills which resulted in titles and codes of honor. Another aspect of aerial warfare was bombardment and ground support. Bombers such as the Bristol Braemar Mk. 1 targeted factories, fronts, and military bases with fighter escorts protecting them.
American Air Involvement in World War One
Due to America entering in the late years of World War One, America had a small air force with few supplies, inexperienced pilots, and almost no experience with aviation. Before the war, the United States had been a pioneer in military aviation from 1910-1914 and tested the usefulness of aviation for military purposes, but the US became stagnant in the pursuits of military aviation. Eventually, the US had established a small air force but had used fighters developed from allies, mainly the British. When the US entered the war, US allies anticipated American industrial might and manpower would be able to support allied operation. While the US was able to fulfill a major portion of industrialism and manpower, the US was specifically weak in terms of air power. According to Christoph Bergs of Centenaire, the US had a weak air force of "only 131 officers, half of the reservists, 1087 men and 280 aircraft, none of which ready for combat duty" (par. 7 ). Despite this, the US began to expand into military aviation in 1917 and the Aircraft Production Board was instructed to prepare the current US military aviation force for war. Unfortunately, the US was unable to properly supply the necessary machinery and equipment to support the military aviation force, so American pilots were forced to rely on France to supply aircraft. France also had to train American pilots due to America's limited experience in military aviation and in World War One. Eventually, the US was able to produce fighters and the necessary weapons in 1918, and the allied aviation force had gained air superiority over the skies of Europe.