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114 The Command of The Air in an improper use of the air arm. I challenge anyone to prove the contrary. 5 All the conclusions I have stated have been made simply to establish that (1) combat forces must be suited to combat in the air and (2) bombers must be suited for offensives against the surface. Now we can go on to more concrete ideas of what should be the characteristics for combat or bombardment which the aerial means of an Independent Air Force must possess. MEANS OF COMBAT An aerial battle is fought by fire action between warplanes. The fitness of a plane for aerial battle is determined by its power of attack and defense. In aerial battle a warplane may be attacked by enemy fire from any direction. It must therefore be capable of returning this fire; and, all things being equal, the advantage lies with the plane which is more heavily armed and has greater fire power than its adversary. To best withstand enemy fire, the greatest measure of self-protection is needed. Therefore, other things being equal, the advantage lies with the plane which is more heavily armored. Obviously, in an air battle it is an advantage to have greater speed and maneuverability than the adversary, which permits one to engage or refuse battle at one's discretion; or, once engaged, to cut the battle short. Again, other things being equal, the advantage lies with the faster and more maneuverable plane. In fine, other things being equal, the plane with the greater radius of action will have the advantage because it can carry the action deeper into the enemy's territory. Therefore, a warplane should possess to the maximum degree compatible with technical exigencies, the following four characteristics : armament~ armor protection~ speed> and radius of action. These characteristics are reducible to terms of physical weight, the sum total being determined by the aerodynamic structure of the plane, subdivided to harmonize with these four characteristics. The Command of The Air 115 The problem her~ is analogous to the problem presented by warships . Nor could it be otherwise, considering the similarity of purpose. There are, however, other considerations to be taken into account in this case. Armament: The combat planes of an Independent Air Force are not designed to fight alone, but in formation. They must therefore be grouped in units of combat capable of fighting together ; and in this lies the basis of their tactics. Hence the maximum intensity of fire is wanted, not so much in the single plane. but essentially in the combat unit as a whole, the formation of which may be modified according to the direction of the attack by the enemy or the direction of the intended attack against the enemy. Hence the armament problem concerns both the individual plane and the formation of the unit, whether emphasis on the plane or emphasis on the formation as a whole is the deciding factor. In fire power, likewise, it is not the individual plane that matters so much, but the unit of combat, a unit which must be considered indivisible. Here, too, the emphasis must lie on the formation, rather than on the individual plane, which must integrate in the best possible way the fire power of the individual planes. But in any case we can see that, though it is desirable for each plane to have a potential fire power above the bare minimum , we must not exaggerate the importance of such fire power, because it would seem that, as between two combat units of equal fire power, the unit which gets its power by the possession of more planes is in a better condition to effect a more enveloping action. Only experience can decide this for practical purposes, however. Armor Protection: The purpose of armor protection is to conserve the power of the weapon by reducing its vulnerability. Obviously, as between two planes with equal armament, the one with the best armor protection has twice the offensive capacity of the other, because it can keep up its offensive power twice as long in the same action, or double its power for the same period of action. This characteristic of protection has not only a material but a moral value. and therefore it is erroneous to think that the weight used for armor protection is always a waste of 116 The Command of The Air power and material, even though it may exist at the expense of armament itself. The problem...
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