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Mitchell's Air Armada by Stan Stokes. (GS)
Germany, concerned over the full brunt of Americas entry into the War, decided in 1918 to launch one last all-out offensive. Germanys air forces were to play an important role in this offensive, but production of new aircraft had lagged behind expectations. With insufficient numbers of aircraft, German military leaders had to hope for technically superior machines to offset their disadvantages in numbers. In early 1918 top aces were brought back from the front to test competing designs. The overall favorite was a Fokker design which would ultimately reach the front as the D.VII. The aircraft was ordered into production immediately. The Germans organized a couple more fighter groups which could be rapidly deployed in those area where they could do the most good. The German offensive, which is generally referred to as the Kaisers Battle, began in the Spring and was focused on the area north of the Somme. British forces were initially overwhelmed by the German offensive. German airpower dominated in the early phases of the offensive. For the first major counter offensive of the War in which American forces would play a major role, Col. Billy Mitchell, Chief of the Air Service, assembled a huge air armada, the objective of which was to wrest toal air superiority from the German forces. Mitchell assembled 28 American squadrons. More than 600 US-piloted aircraft were available to Mitchell in this sector including more than 100 new American-built DH-4s with Liberty engines. In addition Mitchell rested control of several hundred additional aircraft in British, French, and Italian squadrons. Mitchells total force amounted to nearly 1,500 aircraft - the largest air armada ever assembled. In the early days of the counter offensive Mitchells strategy worked brilliantly, as the sheer number of Allied aircraft overwhelmed the Germans. Later, as the fighting continued, the Germans would have some success; especially with their Fokker D. VIIs. In Stan Stokes painting DH-4 bombers of the US 11th Aero Squadron come under attack by Fokker D.VIIs while on their way to another target during the St. Mihiel offensive. The 11th Aero Squadron would be decimated before the end of the offensive, losing all but one its aircraft. Five of the six DH-4s sent to bomb Mars-la-Tour were downed by a flight led by Hermann Becker, a significant German ace. The American built DH-4 was capable of carrying a 450-pound bomb load. Powered with a 416-HP Liberty 12 engine, these aircraft were capable of 125 MPH, and were adequately armed with 4 machine guns. The Fokker D. VIIs were powered with a 175-HP Mercedes engine and were capable of 119 MPH. The Fokkers were typically armed with twin Spandau machine guns. |
