Comments on: The Douhet dilemma http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/ Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:18:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: CK http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-47004 CK Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:39:23 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-47004 That it be. I never thought I'd get to see it on the ground. But zipping by unexpectedly by so close you could almost touch it ... now that was something. That it be. I never thought I’d get to see it on the ground. But zipping by unexpectedly by so close you could almost touch it … now that was something.

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46982 Brett Holman Thu, 19 Apr 2007 10:18:50 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46982 Yeah, I saw that about the Connie! Very cool. Was it <a href="http://www.pbase.com/stevie_j/image/76293440" rel="nofollow">this one</a>? Yeah, I saw that about the Connie! Very cool. Was it this one?

]]> By: CK http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46976 CK Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:50:24 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46976 Well ahead of the game over at LP. Seems to be a consensus among some commentators (well, maybe one) that we could deal with the issue with a few Swordfish and some state of the art cruise missiles. BTW, I was bumming around on a remote-ish beach last week and guess what came over just off the sand at 200 feet? Well ahead of the game over at LP. Seems to be a consensus among some commentators (well, maybe one) that we could deal with the issue with a few Swordfish and some state of the art cruise missiles.

BTW, I was bumming around on a remote-ish beach last week and guess what came over just off the sand at 200 feet?

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46957 Brett Holman Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:13:06 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46957 Thanks, CK. It's broadly similar to a lot of the British stuff I've read, except that I don't know of anyone who claimed that only two or three bombers could have such effects! Though there was a Tasmanian MP, I think, in the 1930s, who calculated that the entire Australian coastline could be defended by half a dozen aeroplanes (or maybe it was as much as a dozen). Perhaps somebody should dust his plans off and forward them to the Hon. Brendan Nelson MP ... would save heaps on JSFs and Super Hornets. Incidentally, Mitchell stole the (provisional) title of my thesis for his article's title! Thanks, CK. It’s broadly similar to a lot of the British stuff I’ve read, except that I don’t know of anyone who claimed that only two or three bombers could have such effects! Though there was a Tasmanian MP, I think, in the 1930s, who calculated that the entire Australian coastline could be defended by half a dozen aeroplanes (or maybe it was as much as a dozen). Perhaps somebody should dust his plans off and forward them to the Hon. Brendan Nelson MP … would save heaps on JSFs and Super Hornets.

Incidentally, Mitchell stole the (provisional) title of my thesis for his article’s title!

]]> By: CK http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46845 CK Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:46:06 +0000 http://airminded.org/2007/04/07/the-douhet-dilemma/#comment-46845 Brett, Thought you might be interested in this piece by Billy Mitchell from Popular Mechanics, February 1935. http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/09/05/the-next-war-in-the-air/ It's fascinating. In many respects wildly off the mark, yet in others exteremly prophetic: "In addition, suppose that the cities themselves are attacked directly by high explosive bombs and gas. We learned in the last war that it requires comparatively little aerial activity to cause the evacuation of a city. People become terrified even at the sound or appearance of airplanes. In the future they will neither hear nor see them; the first indication of their presence will be the explosion of enormous projectiles and the sprinkling of gas. Should this occur in a city such as New York, one of the greatest disasters in history would result. High explosive bombs are extremely incendiary. A few well placed would put the city in flames which could not be controlled. A little gas mixed with the high explosive would spread terror and panic among the population. Two or three modern airplanes, attacking each of seven cities in this area nightly, would drive at least 20,000,000 people from their homes. In all probability, we shall not see the great numbers of airplanes we had in the last war. Now, aerial power will be exerted by air cruisers. They will set out on their missions alone. Their crews will be equipped with high-altitude suits, which carry oxygen on the belts, and chemical means of heating them. Automatic pilots will guide the ships. The course will be checked by radio in a manner which cannot be interfered with by the enemy. It is so difficult to find aircraft in heavy clouds and in the dark, that the menace of opposing aircraft will be almost negligible." Brett,

Thought you might be interested in this piece by Billy Mitchell from Popular Mechanics, February 1935.

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/09/05/the-next-war-in-the-air/

It’s fascinating. In many respects wildly off the mark, yet in others exteremly prophetic:

“In addition, suppose that the cities themselves are attacked directly by high explosive bombs and gas. We learned in the last war that it requires comparatively little aerial activity to cause the evacuation of a city. People become terrified even at the sound or appearance of airplanes. In the future they will neither hear nor see them; the first indication of their presence will be the explosion of enormous projectiles and the sprinkling of gas.

Should this occur in a city such as New York, one of the greatest disasters in history would result. High explosive bombs are extremely incendiary. A few well placed would put the city in flames which could not be controlled. A little gas mixed with the high explosive would spread terror and panic among the population. Two or three modern airplanes, attacking each of seven cities in this area nightly, would drive at least 20,000,000 people from their homes.

In all probability, we shall not see the great numbers of airplanes we had in the last war. Now, aerial power will be exerted by air cruisers. They will set out on their missions alone. Their crews will be equipped with high-altitude suits, which carry oxygen on the belts, and chemical means of heating them. Automatic pilots will guide the ships. The course will be checked by radio in a manner which cannot be interfered with by the enemy. It is so difficult to find aircraft in heavy clouds and in the dark, that the menace of opposing aircraft will be almost negligible.”

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