Independent Air Force
Encyclopedia
The Independent Air Force (IAF), also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a World War I
strategic bombing
force which was part of the British
Royal Air Force
and used to strike against German railways, aerodromes and industrial centres without co-ordination with the Army
or Navy
.
had attempted a co-ordinated series of bombing raids on German held targets. Whilst the attacks were generally unsuccessful the principle of deep penetration bombing raids against strategic targets was proved. General Jan Smuts
, a member of the War Cabinet, prepared a report which recommended that a separate Air Ministry
and Air Force
should be set up, independent of the Army and Navy, and that a strategic bomber force should be formed whose sole purpose was to attack Germany.
Following the perceived success in bombing Germany of the VIII Brigade
, and its anticedent formation the 41st Wing
, the British Government decided that it should be expanded into an independent force. Before the creation of the Independent Air Force, the VIII Brigade was under the tactical command of Field Marshal Haig
.
After Parliamentary approval in November 1917, the Royal Air Force
was born on 1 April 1918, and the forthcoming creation of the Independent Air Force was announced on 13 May 1918 with its General Officer Commanding
Major-General Trenchard
who had recently stepped down as Chief of the Air Staff. Trenchard had only agreed to serve as GOC after he received criticism for resigning his position as professional head of the RAF during a time of war. The deputy commander was Brigadier-General Cyril Newall
who had previously been the commander of the VIII Brigade.
The Independent Air Force came into being on 6 June 1918 with its headquarters situated near Nancy in France. Trenchard took over tactical command of the VIII Brigade from Haig on 5 June 1918 and complete control on 15 June 1918 when Newall became the deputy commander of the Independent Force. As commander, Trenchard reported directly to Sir William Weir the British Air Minister, thus bypassing the then Chief of the Air Staff Frederick Sykes
.
In effect, No 41 Wing was split into two wings to form VIII Brigade and comprised Nos 55, 99 and 104 Squadrons responsible for day-bombing, with the 83rd Wing consisted of two night-bombing Squadrons, (No 100 and No 216.) Additional squadrons were added to the IAF before the Armistice; Nos 97, 115 and 215 Squadrons (equipped with the new Handley-Page 0/400 bomber) and No 110 Squadron with the DH-9A operational through the summer of 1918.
. 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:
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.
who was the supreme commander of Allied forces
. On the 14 November, the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force was dissolved and its British squadrons (still titled as the Independent Air Force) were assigned to John Salmond
, the commander of the RAF in the field. Brigadier-General Christopher Courtney
succeeded Trenchard as commander of the Independent Air Force. The Independent Air Force was disbanded in late 1918 or early 1919.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
strategic bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
force which was part of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and used to strike against German railways, aerodromes and industrial centres without co-ordination with the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
or Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
Establishment
Through late 1916 and early 1917 the Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
had attempted a co-ordinated series of bombing raids on German held targets. Whilst the attacks were generally unsuccessful the principle of deep penetration bombing raids against strategic targets was proved. General Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
, a member of the War Cabinet, prepared a report which recommended that a separate Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
and Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
should be set up, independent of the Army and Navy, and that a strategic bomber force should be formed whose sole purpose was to attack Germany.
Following the perceived success in bombing Germany of the VIII Brigade
VIII Brigade RAF
The VIII Brigade or 8th Brigade of the Royal Flying Corps and from 1 April 1918, Royal Air Force, was a bomber formation which carried out air raids against Germany in World War I....
, and its anticedent formation the 41st Wing
No. 41 Wing RAF
Number 41 Wing of the Royal Flying Corps , later the Royal Air Force , conducted strategic bombing operations against Germany during World War I....
, the British Government decided that it should be expanded into an independent force. Before the creation of the Independent Air Force, the VIII Brigade was under the tactical command of Field Marshal Haig
Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig was a British soldier and senior commander during World War I.Douglas Haig may also refer to:* Club Atlético Douglas Haig, a football club from Argentina* Douglas Haig , American actor...
.
After Parliamentary approval in November 1917, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
was born on 1 April 1918, and the forthcoming creation of the Independent Air Force was announced on 13 May 1918 with its General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Major-General Trenchard
Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force...
who had recently stepped down as Chief of the Air Staff. Trenchard had only agreed to serve as GOC after he received criticism for resigning his position as professional head of the RAF during a time of war. The deputy commander was Brigadier-General Cyril Newall
Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Louis Norton Newall, 1st Baron Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM , was a British soldier and airman, who headed the Royal Air Force as the Chief of the Air Staff during the early part of the Second World War before serving as the sixth Governor-General of New Zealand...
who had previously been the commander of the VIII Brigade.
The Independent Air Force came into being on 6 June 1918 with its headquarters situated near Nancy in France. Trenchard took over tactical command of the VIII Brigade from Haig on 5 June 1918 and complete control on 15 June 1918 when Newall became the deputy commander of the Independent Force. As commander, Trenchard reported directly to Sir William Weir the British Air Minister, thus bypassing the then Chief of the Air Staff Frederick Sykes
Frederick Sykes
Air Vice-Marshal The Right Honourable Sir Frederick Hugh Sykes GCSI, GCIE, GBE, KCB, CMG was a military officer, British statesman and politician....
.
Composition
The Independent Air Force eventually consisted of nine squadrons of aircraft which were equipped with:- de Havilland DH4s
- de Havilland DH9s and de Havilland DH.9AAirco DH.9AThe Airco DH.9A was a British light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. Colloquially known as the "Ninak" , it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial...
s - Handley Page 0/400s
- Royal Aircraft Factory FE2bs
- Sopwith CamelSopwith CamelThe Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
s for escort duties
In effect, No 41 Wing was split into two wings to form VIII Brigade and comprised Nos 55, 99 and 104 Squadrons responsible for day-bombing, with the 83rd Wing consisted of two night-bombing Squadrons, (No 100 and No 216.) Additional squadrons were added to the IAF before the Armistice; Nos 97, 115 and 215 Squadrons (equipped with the new Handley-Page 0/400 bomber) and No 110 Squadron with the DH-9A operational through the summer of 1918.
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 ThionvilleThionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
. 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:
- BaalonBaâlonBaâlon is a commune in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in north-eastern France.- See also :* Communes of the Meuse department...
- BadenBadenBaden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
- The Black ForestBlack ForestThe Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
- BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
- CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
- Coblenz
- DarmstadtDarmstadtDarmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
- DurenDürenDüren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
- DillingenDillingenDillingen can refer to:*Dillingen , in Bavaria, Germany**Dillingen an der Donau, capital of the district*Dillingen, Saarland, in the district of Saarlouis, Germany.*Dillingen, Luxembourg, in the commune of Beaufort, Luxembourg....
- FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
- ForbachForbachForbach is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is located near the German border. Population : 22,784....
- HagendingenHagondangeHagondange is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is some 20 km north of Metz and the same distance south from Thionville.La Tour de Guet, a tower from the twelfth century, is found within the commune....
- HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
- Hagenau
- Kaiserlautern
- KarthausKartuzyKartuzy is a town in the historic Eastern Pomerania region of northwestern Poland, located about west of Gdańsk with a population of 15,472...
- KarlsruheKarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
- Ludwigshafen
- LandauLandauLandau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...
- MainzMainzMainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
- MannheimMannheimMannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
- LahrLahrLahr is a city in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 38 km north of Freiburg in Breisgau and 100 km south of Karlsruhe...
- LumesLumesLumes is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:...
- LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
- OberndorfOberndorfOberndorf may refer to the following places:*in Germany:**Oberndorf am Neckar, in the district of Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg** Oberndorf , a suburb of Rottenburg am Neckar in the district of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg...
- OffenburgOffenburgOffenburg is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With about 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city and the capital of the Ortenaukreis.Offenburg also houses University of Applied Sciences Offenburg...
- PforzheimPforzheimPforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...
- PirmasensPirmasensPirmasens is a district-free city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France. It is famous for the manufacture of shoes. The surrounding rural district was called Pirmasens from 1818 until 1997, when it was renamed Südwestpfalz....
- RastattRastattRastatt is a city and baroque residence in the District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 50'000...
- RombasRombasRombas is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-Geography:Rombas is located in the lower Orne Valley, near Metz, Nancy and Luxembourg.-History:...
- RottweilRottweilRottweil is a town in the south west of Germany and is the oldest town in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.Located between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb hills, Rottweil has about 25,000 inhabitants...
- SollingenSöllingenSöllingen is a municipality in the district of Helmstedt, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- SaarburgSaarburgSaarburg is a city of the Trier-Saarburg district in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany, on the banks of the Saar River in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle....
- SaarbrückenSaarbrückenSaarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
- StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
- TrevesTrèves-France:Trèves is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Trèves, in the Rhône department* Trèves, in the Gard department* Trèves, former commune of the Maine-et-Loire department, now part of Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault...
- WiesbadenWiesbadenWiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
- WormsWorms, GermanyWorms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
- VölklingenVölklingenVölklingen is a town in the district of Saarbrücken, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated near the border with France, on the river Saar, approx. 10 km west of Saarbrücken....
- WadgassenWadgassenWadgassen is a municipality in the district of Saarlouis, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Saar, approx. 6 km southeast of Saarlouis, and 15 km west of Saarbrücken.-Fusion:...
- ZweibrückenZweibrückenZweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
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.
Inter-Allied Independent Air Force
Just before the end of the War, on 26 October 1918, the Independent Air Force was re-designated the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force. This force comprised British, French, Italian and American squadrons. Trenchard remained the commander-in-chief but he now came under the command of Marshal FochFerdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch , GCB, OM, DSO was a French soldier, war hero, military theorist, and writer credited with possessing "the most original and subtle mind in the French army" in the early 20th century. He served as general in the French army during World War I and was made Marshal of France in its...
who was the supreme commander of Allied forces
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
. On the 14 November, the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force was dissolved and its British squadrons (still titled as the Independent Air Force) were assigned to John Salmond
John Salmond
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Maitland Salmond, GCB, CMG, CVO, DSO and Bar was a British military officer who rose to high rank in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I...
, the commander of the RAF in the field. Brigadier-General Christopher Courtney
Christopher Courtney
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Lloyd Courtney, GBE, KCB, DSO was a senior British Royal Air Force officer.-RAF career:Courtney joined the Royal Navy in May 1905 as a midshipman at Britannia Naval College...
succeeded Trenchard as commander of the Independent Air Force. The Independent Air Force was disbanded in late 1918 or early 1919.