Actions
The IAF commenced operations in June 1918 when 12 DH4s of No 55 Squadron were despatched to bomb targets around Coblenz and 11 DH4s of No 99 Squadron attacked rail targets at Thionville. During the last five months of World War I, Independent Air Force aircraft dropped a total of 550 tons of bombs (for 109 aircraft lost) including 390 tons of bombs dropped by night. Over 220 tons were dropped on German aerodromes, which Trenchard justified by pointing out that while the Germans were stronger than the British in the air, their aircraft might be destroyed on the ground. Trenchard argued that his policy was vindicated by the fact the during the period 5 June to ll November 1918, German attacks on British aerodromes were minimal and no British aircraft were destroyed on the ground by bombing.
In addition to the bombing of aerodromes, the Independent Forces attacked, amongst others, the following targets:
- Baalon
- Baden
- The Black Forest
- Bonn
- Cologne
- Coblenz
- Darmstadt
- Duren
- Dillingen
- Frankfurt
- Forbach
- Hagendingen
- Heidelberg
- Hagenau
- Kaiserlautern
- Karthaus
- Karlsruhe
- Ludwigshafen
- Landau
- Mainz
- Mannheim
- Lahr
- Lumes
- Luxembourg
- Oberndorf
- Offenburg
- Pforzheim
- Pirmasens
- Rastatt
- Rombas
- Rottweil
- Sollingen
- Saarburg
- Saarbrücken
- Stuttgart
- Treves
- Wiesbaden
- Worms
- Völklingen
- Wadgassen
- Zweibrücken
A considerable portion of the Independent Air Force’s efforts was in tactical support of the Allied armies, and the war ended before the IAF could conduct any sustained strategic bombing. Thus The Independent Force achieved little material effect on the German war industries, in return for heavy losses in men and machines.
Read more about this topic: Independent Air Force
Famous quotes containing the word actions:
“The mob is man voluntarily descending to the nature of the beast. Its fit hour of activity is night. Its actions are insane like its whole constitution. It persecutes a principle; it would whip a right; it would tar and feather justice, by inflicting fire and outrage upon the houses and persons of those who have these. It resembles the prank of boys, who run with fire-engines to put out the ruddy aurora streaming to the stars.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Coercion may prevent many transgressions; but it robs even actions which are legal of a part of their beauty. Freedom may lead to many transgressions, but it lends even to vices a less ignoble form.”
—Karl Wilhelm Von Humboldt (1767–1835)
“Piety practised in solitude, like the flower that blooms in the desert, may give its fragrance to the winds of heaven, and delight those unbodied spirits that survey the works of God and the actions of men; but it bestows no assistance upon earthly beings, and however free from taints of impurity, yet wants the sacred splendour of beneficence.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)