The1st Provisional Air Brigadewas a temporary unit of theUnited States Army Air Service,commanded by Col.Billy Mitchell,[1]operating out ofLangley Field,Virginia, that was used inProject Bto demonstrate the vulnerability of ships to aerial attack when, in July 1921, the "unsinkable" German dreadnoughtSMSOstfrieslandwas sent to the bottom of theAtlantic Oceanby bombardment. Other targets included the German destroyer SMS G-102, theSMSFrankfurt,and theUSSIowa.
| 1st Provisional Air Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Martin MB_1 bomber and the battleshipAlabama | |
| Active | 1921 |
| Disbanded | September 1921 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Temporary unit |
| Role | To demonstrate the vulnerability of ships to aerial attack |
| Size | 125 aircraft and 1,000 men |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Col. Billy Mitchell |
Formation
editIn the wake of the disarmament following the conclusion of theGreat War,with the aviation branch of the U.S. Army drastically reduced in size, Col. Mitchell felt that the U.S. Navy's focus on building superdreadnoughtswas a waste of defense money as he was convinced that warships were now vulnerable to air attack. He published articles and had testified before the House subcommittee on aviation "that 1,000 bomber aircraft could be built and operated for the cost of one dreadnought and that his airplanes could sink a battleship. He volunteered to demonstrate this if the navy would provide him with some battleships, which were already due to be demolished. The navy reluctantly agreed to the demonstrations."[2]
"Once the test was agreed to, Mitchell formed the First Provisional Air Brigade, drawing 150 airplanes and 1,000 people from air bases around the country. Because none of the pilots knew how to sink ships, extensive training was required at Langley Field in Virginia, where practice missions against mock ships were performed. Among the officers attending the practices wasAlexander de Seversky,who had served with Russia during the war, dropping bombs on German ships. He taught the pilots that the best way to sink a ship was to drop the bomb near, not on, the ship. "[3]
Tests
edit"The test, held off the mouth of Chesapeake Bay in July, 1921 attracted widespread public interest. There, after naval aircraft in June had easily disposed of a surfaced U-boat, Mitchell's First Provisional Air Brigade, hastily assembled and trained at Langley Field, attacked and sank three German ships -- a destroyer, the cruiserFrankfurt,and the heavily compartmentedOstfriesland.Disputes arose as to the manner in which the experiment -- directed by the Navy - had been conducted, and the Joint Board's report tended to deprecate the effectiveness of aerial bombing. But the fact of the sinkings was indisputable, and Mitchell went on to clinch the validity of his claims by tests conducted with like results on obsolete US Battleships -- theAlabamain September, 1921, and theVirginiaandNew Jerseyin September, 1923. "[4][5]
Equipment
editOn 1 May 1921, Mitchell assembled the 1st Provisional Air Brigade, an air and ground crew of 125 aircraft and 1,000 men atLangley, Virginia,using six squadrons from the Air Service:
- Air Service Field Officers School,Langley Field,Virginia,(SE-5fighters)
- 50th Squadron (later431st Bomb Squadron)
- 88th Squadron (later436th Bomb Squadron)
- 1st Day Bombardment Group (later2nd Bomb Group),Kelly Field,Texas (SE-5 fighters,Martin NBS-1,Handley-Page O/400,andCaproni CA-5bombers)
- 7th Observation Group (Second Corps Area),Mitchel Field,New York (DH-4andDouglas O-2observation planes)
Handley Page O/400andMartin MB-2bombers of the96th Squadron (Bombardment)did the heavy lifting, dropping bombs of between 230 lbs (100 kg) and 2,000 lbs (910 kg) over a two-day period on the captured German warship, rupturing her water-tightness and sinking her on 21 July off ofCape Hatteras,North Carolina.[6]
Other types drawn for the unit includedAirco DH.4sand at least oneCurtiss Eagleambulance airplane.[7][8]
Following the sinking of USSAlabamaon 26 September 1921, the 1st Provisional Air Brigade was disbanded.[9]
The bombing tests of 1923 were subsequently conducted with equipment and personnel of the2d Bombardment Group.[10]
References
edit- ^"William 'Billy' Mitchell -- 'The father of the United States Air Force'".
- ^"Billy Mitchell and the bomber".Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2012.Retrieved21 June2013.
- ^"Billy Mitchell and the bomber".Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2012.Retrieved21 June2013.
- ^Craven, W. F., and Cate, J. L., editors, "The Army Air Forces in World War II", Book 1 - January 1939 to August 1942, pages 25-26. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft also participated in these tests.
- ^"Navybomb2".Archived fromthe originalon 9 April 2010.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ^"The Naval Bombing Experiments: Bombing Operations".Naval History & Heritage Command.3 April 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 9 April 2010.Retrieved31 December2010.
- ^"1908–1921 USAAS Serial Numbers".Joebaugher.Archivedfrom the original on 27 May 2013.Retrieved25 November2010.
- ^Johnson, David E., "Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917–1945", Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, hdbk 1998, ppbk 2003,ISBN0-8014-8847-8,page 83
- ^Maurer Maurer, “Aviation in the U.S. Army, 1919-1939,” Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1987, Library of Congress card number 87-12257,ISBN0-912799-38-2,page 124.
- ^Maurer Maurer, “Aviation in the U.S. Army, 1919-1939,” Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1987, Library of Congress card number 87-12257,ISBN0-912799-38-2,pages 124-126.