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In summary The European Theatre of WW2 between 1939-1941 clearly saw the emergence of airpower as the dominant force in warfare. Whilst doctrines involving air power had already dictated its importance pre war, the European Theatre provided the stage to showcase the brute force available through air superiority. The period 1939-1941 witnessed the emergence of airpower which was consolidated in later years of the war. The versatility and potency of aircraft become apparent during the time as they were adapted to different roles. Whilst victory in Europe in WW2 ultimately still required a ground force invasion, as shown by the costly Normandy landings it is hard to consider a single arena in which air force involvement was not critical. The emergence of airpower in early WW2 set the scene for the development of 'strategic' bombers and missiles commissioned during the 'The Cold War', and air warfare tactics and strategies devised in WW2, supplemented by the later development of helicopters, are still prevalent today.
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Nice work for high school. congratulations.
A couple of comments. First the emergence of airpower as both an effective tactical and strategic force started in ETO because the Germans were the first to apply the concept of combined Air/Land tactics to the battlefield. The weapon systems, performance, training and tactics were force multipliers on the ground
The neutralization of large and expensive surface fleets started with the U-Boat but quickly expanded to proof that land based aircraft would be useful in containing the threat posed by U-Boats, then proved it was even more capable a threat to unprotected surface fleets in both ETO and PTO. The Japanese were the ones to 'shock' the Battleship Admirals in 1941 and early 1942 with bot air and sea based attack capabilities.
Only carrier based aircraft combined with fast capable destroyers finally 'neutralized' to a degree, the threat of U-Boats outside range of land based aircraft.
Startegic airpower began first with RAF and German attempts to destroy industry but the fighter strength of both powers contained all precision attacks.
The USAAF were the pioneers of large scale daylight precision attacks but early experiments proved that both weather and the problem of large and capable day fighter defense had not been solved.
The RAF pinoeered and perfected the tactics of large scale night attacks and in so doing, were better practitioners of poor visibility bombing by radar techniques.
Combined these two forces destroyed German industry.
The arrival of long range escort eliminated the opposing day fighter capabilities until newer and better technologies were created to increase the threat potential - in the form of jet aircraft and missle systems capable of evading offensive escorts and inflicting heavy damage. However, before the newer systems could be deployed both air and surface forces destroyed the German industrial capability and occupied the territories to end the war in the ETO.
In the Pacific, naval air was the spear point for tactical successes against the Japanese Fleets as well as providing close air support for invasions to capture land bases. The land based USAAF were the bludgeons for destruction of Japanese industrial base, culminated with transporting the first nuclear weapons to end the war.
Great stuff Mate!
I should done History in my last year of school!