World War Two
World War One first presented aircraft as viable fighting machines, but World War Two presented aircraft as critical and extremely effective fighting machines that could influence battles. Military aviation, from World War One to World War Two, showed major technological advancements. The previously slow wooden biplanes that were used during World War One were replaced with swifter monoplanes that had sleeker air frames and more powerful engines. The major players in military aviation during World War Two were Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Great Britain, the United States. The first notable air force during World War Two was Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe which was used effectively during the Blitzkrieg attacks. The Luftwaffe was used effectively as bombers would be escorted with advanced fighters and destroy enemy positions and factories while fighters would maintain air superiority. Notable examples of the Luftwaffe being used effectively were the captures of Holland, Denmark, and France. The Japanese also had an effective air force as demonstrated during the attack on Pearl Harbor and many naval battles in the pacific. Great Britain was the main air force the allies had before the US entered the war but was inferior compared to the might of Nazi Germany. Despite this, the British Royal Air Force was able to hold out and withstand the punishing attacks of the Germany Luftwaffe through advanced technology such as radar and effective fighters such as the Spitfire.
American Air Involvement in World War Two
Initially, the United States had an inferior air force to the German and Japanese air forces as the military did not find aircraft to be effective and crucial to war effort. That view changed in World War Two when Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan had shown the world how effective aircraft could be in war operations. Unfortunately, the United States had realized this too late and ended up with inferior aircraft compared to the German and Japanese fighters. Even with the inferior aircraft, US fighter pilots were able to use the small advantages of the inferior aircraft to obtain air superiority; and eventually, the United States would create and manufacture superior aircraft to the German and Japanese aircraft which would allow further dominance of the skies. While the United States was able to increase the effectiveness of its fighters, the most significant American contribution to aerial warfare was the prolific use of bombers. The use of bombers in World War Two was critical towards crippling Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan by destroying factories, resources, bases, naval ships, and supply lines that were critical to the war effort. Bombers were even more effective because of the mass production that allowed multiple formations of bombers care thousands of pounds worth of bombers to obliterate German forces. US bombing runs would take place in the day time and British bombing runs would take place in the night time.