Naval Aviation

1. The changing character of naval battle in history When one looks across the spectrum of world naval history, the nature and character of major naval battles have changed dramatically over time. These changes have tended to punctuate and divide long periods in history during which the basic concept of naval battles remained largely the same. The key periods are traditionally seen as the age of galley warfare that characterized classical naval history; the line of battle from the mid-seventeenth century to the early 19 th century; the age of naval warfare under steam power in the mid-to late 19 th century; the age of air and submarine combat in the first half of the twentieth century; and, most recently, the age of the missile, space, and cyber warfare dating from the latter half of the twentieth century into the present. Each of these periods in naval history has typically been characterized by a dominant type of warship which is closely associated in its design with the new emerging weapons and weapon-systems of the era 1. As that lists suggests, the periods of characteristic naval battles have tended to become relatively shorter and shorter in the modern period as naval warfare reflects the ever quickening pace of technological innovation since the Industrial Revolution. At the same time, however, one must note that the characteristically dominant type of battle in a specific period does not necessarily exclude the earlier forms, but may occur alongside them. For example, the galley that typified ancient warfare was used in the Baltic, North America, and the Mediterranean well into the eighteenth century. Similarly, the tactic of " Crossing the T " that became so famous in the battles between ships-of-the-line in the eighteenth century was used by the American battleship force that engaged the Japanese in Surigao Strait in October 1944. There can be a variety of reasons why there is overlap between eras. These include the continued use of particular weapons, tactics, and technologies across periods, even when they are no longer the

This paper examines the role of the Royal Naval Air Service in the anti-submarine warfare and convoy protection campaigns of 1917-1918. During this crisis of the naval war, Britain's naval aviators carried out coastal air patrols, directly bombed Germany's submarine bases in Belgium, and flew aerial escort missions in support of merchant convoys. These operations are rarely considered in the literature on anti-submarine warfare, but form an integral component of the Royal Navy's holistic approach to defeating Germany's U-boats, and ultimately directly contributed to the allied victory in the First World War. Germany's unrestricted submarine offensive of 1917-1918 represented the greatest threat to Britain's command of the sea during the First World War. The Battle of Jutland, the only major encounter between dreadnought battle fleets between 1914-1918, decided the outcome of the conflict at sea so far as Germany's High Seas Fleet was concerned. Unrestricted submarine warfare, the submarine (U-boat) blockade of Britain's merchant shipping, was now resumed by Germany's naval leadership in the belief that their submarines represented the only means of defeating Britain in 1917. The details of the events which followed, from skyrocketing merchant shipping loss rates to the introduction of convoy escort and the suppression, although not complete victory, over the U-boats is well known. Less well known is the contribution of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) to the efforts to defeat the U-boats. 2 Popular accounts

Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, renowned as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation”, has been a fundamental pilot training facility for the U.S. Navy since its establishment in 1914. World War I ensured aviation would remain an important aspect of U.S. naval warfare and led to an increased influx of prospective aviation cadets at NAS Pensacola. Subsequent decades of training led to hundreds of training accidents and the loss of naval aircraft in the waters off Pensacola, Florida. Two F8F Bearcat wreck sites are discussed here, including the methods involved in aircraft investigation and the historical documents referenced for their identification. Utilizing photogrammetric modeling techniques, the author tests the applicability of photogrammetry as an in situ site-monitoring tool.

Eurasian region and Indian Ocean has great strategic attraction owing to their geography, which combines them as a single pivot of global geopolitics in the 21st century. Historically, there has been a universal consensus among all the strategists, despite the difference in their approaches, that Eurasia and Indian Ocean are the key regions to extend the political influence at global level. Various land power and sea power theories were presented to achieve this goal but the rise of aerial warfare over sea i.e. naval aviation, has changed the modern approach of safeguarding and extending the political and military influence of a state in any region. Technological strides made in air-sea warfare, since the World War II, transformed the naval aviation into a credible strategic force over sea and land and an influential foreign policy as well. The US, being the most dominant global power, has been trying to extend its influence in the Eurasian region for many decades. The U.S. naval aviation capabilities and future plans along with her foreign policy goals for the region are the primary driving force behind the naval power competition in the Indian Ocean. This paper examines the emerging trends of naval aviation in the context of prevailing geopolitics in the region with a focus on strategic importance of Indian Ocean and the Eurasian landmass. This analysis of balance of power of naval aviation in Indian Ocean is critical as it has far reaching implication for all the littoral nations in the region particularly for Pakistan due to the Indian participation in this strategic competition as an American ally.

After the breaking if the front in Caporetto, an 24 October 1917, the Italian Army had managed to fall back on the defensive line that unfolded from Monte Grappa al Piave, thus obtaining the halt if the Austro-German offensive. The withdrawal on the new line if resistance had in fact allowed the enemy to occupy a large portion if the territory if the Veneto, Friuli, Cadore and Carnia. However, only a part if the residents in those places was displaced mixed with the columns if the army in retreat.
The majority if the rural population remained in their homes developing an anti Austrian sentiment that was exploited by the intelligence if the Third Army if the Italian Royal Army to provide support and protection to agents I
infiltrated behind enemy lines used to acquire information an the composition and displacement of the army enemies. Those agents were called "missionari" of the Third Army. Some if them were brilliantly infiltrated and infiltrated thanks to the support if the Regia Marina Naval Service and, in particular, if a skilled and courageous seaplane pilot: lieutenant Eugenio Casagrande. Lastly, but not less important, were the infiltration and exifìltration missions if agents conducted an the Dalmatian coast by the MAS if the Regia Marina.

Aircraft carriers have been for the last few decades almost the exclusive domain of the United States, which has a total of 11, one of them based in Japan. Although a reduced number of countries, like France and Britain, or nearer to Japan, Thailand and India, have some of the smaller variety, Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force doesn’t have any such ship, and their construction or purchase abroad is not included in current naval plans. Given a fast-changing regional scenario, and Japan's vital dependence on sea lanes of communication, will  Tokyo end up concluding that she indeed needs her own carriers?

SUBTITLE: Were the Royal Navy’s propeller powered attack fighters during the dawn of the jet age the relics of a world war or a capability overlooked?

ABSTRACT: A study of Fleet Air Arm Propeller aircraft, focusing on those that entered service during the period 1946 – 1958, and how their service affected development.

Reviews "One Day in a Long War: May 10, 1972, Air War, North Vietnam" by Jeffrey Ethell and Alfred Price (Guild Publishing, 1990).  Accounts of the air war over North Vietnam usually take different approaches -- aircraft, leaders, units, or tactics, for instance.  This book looked at all the air operations over Vietnam on one day, portraying not "the parts" but "the whole" of air operations.

The career of Washington Irving Chambers spans a formative period in the development of the United States Navy: he entered the Naval Academy in the doldrum years of obsolete, often rotting ships, and left after he had helped like-minded officers convince Congress and the public of the need to adopt a new naval strategy built around a fleet of technologically advanced battleships. He also laid the groundwork for naval aviation and the important role it would play in the modern navy. This work covers Chambers' early naval career, his work at the new Office of Naval Intelligence, his participation in the Greeley Relief Expedition, and a survey for the projected isthmian canal through Nicaragua, before becoming the key advocate for naval modernization. As such, Chambers worked as a pioneering torpedo designer, supervised construction of the Maine, modernized the New York Navy Yard, and became a member of the first permanent faculty at the Naval War College. During his long career, Chambers designed not only torpedoes, but also several warships, including a prototype Dreadnought-style battleship and a host of small devices that ranged from torpedo guidance systems to the first catapult for launching airplanes from ships. At the close of his career, Chambers purchased the navy's first aircraft and founded its air arm. Working with Glenn Curtiss, Chambers guided a coalition of aviation enthusiasts and pioneers who popularized naval aviation and demonstrated its capabilities. Chambers arranged the first take-off and landing of an airplane from a ship and other demonstrations of naval aviation. Combined with his tireless advocacy for modernization, these contributions secured a place in naval and aviation history for the innovator.