MASTERS OF THE SKIES

From rapidly evolving roles to new technologies, historian and airpower expert John Curatola discusses how fighter planes shaped the Second World War

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When the war broke out, the primary use of fighter planes was air-to-air combat. But by 1940 their role was already evolving to incorporate ground-attack and bomber escort roles. What inspired this change?

Decades before the Second World War, aircraft designs reflected specific kinds of missions. This process started early on in the First World War, with aircraft initially filling reconnaissance and observation roles. Preventing such observation saw the development of pursuit aircraft. Fokkers, Spads, Sopwiths and other pursuit designs came about to fill this mission. Many of these same designs were useful in ground-attack missions. Some dedicated airframes like the Junkers J-1 came about specifically designed to strike enemy ground formations.

During the interwar years, many airpower advocates focused on strategic bombers capable of destroying an enemy's war-making capabilities and terrorising civilians. However, some argued that pursuit aviation had just as much relevance and that balanced air fleets were required. Still others saw military aviation serving in the role as 'flying artillery', with its primary function supporting ground combat in what we would today loosely call close air support (CAS).

The Luftwaffe and Soviet Air Forces largely embraced CAS missions and took lessons from the Spanish Civil War. The Battle of Britain illustrated their strategic airpower limitations in both doctrine and equipment, but in their initial offensives into Poland and France, the iconic use of the Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' reflected this focus on air-ground cooperation. Blitzkrieg attacks included use of the German bomber force with He 111s, Ju 88s and Do 17s hitting largely operational-level targets like transportation nodes and bases.