The war in the air

Aircraft were used in a limited role in the war and did not have much of an impact. Planes did bomb both troops and cities but with little effect. Even so, the bombing of civilians from the air did strike terror, especially in Britain. For the first time in nearly 300 years, British civilians had some idea of what war was really like.

The most important role of aircraft was in reconnaissance. This enabled both sides to spot troop movements which might indicate an offensive was being planned, or spot weaknesses in the enemy front lines. Large areas of freshly dug up white chalk - common along the Somme - were easily spotted and indicated that underground tunnels were being dug to lay mines under enemy trenches.

Neil Demarco: Britain and the Great War; Oxford University Press, 1992/2000, page 15