The Great War

1. The Great War War at Sea & Air Combat

2. The War at Sea • Although most of the fighting happened in the Trenches, the war at sea was one of the most important aspects of the war • Both sides needed supplies from foreign countries to equipment their armies and feed their people at home • Items such as food, rubber, iron, coal, and colonial soldiers were needed to continue to fight the war • Therefore both sides attempted to blockade (using a Navy to block ships from entering or leaving a country) their enemies

3. The British Blockade of Germany • The mighty British Navy was very effective at blockading Germany • The German people slowly starved as they could not produced enough food for the population and their army • The German army also suffered as they slowly ran out of equipment • The Germans attempted to break the blockage at the Battle of Jutland but failed • This was the first and only time dreadnought battleships engaged in battle

5. The German Blockade of Great Britain • Germany attempted its own blockade using U-boats (submarines) • The Germans sunk dozens of allied ships in the early stages of the war • However, the allies developed the Convoy System to defeat the u-boats • The Convoy System was simple; instead of being alone, supply ships would cross the ocean in large groups protected by warships

6. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare • As Germany slowly lost the war, they became more desperate • They believed that if they sank every ship entering of exiting Britain, they could win the war • Therefore, Germany began to attack anything on the water, including cruise ships • Early in the war, the Germans sank the Lusitania, killing over 1000 innocent people, many of them were Americans • In 1917, when Germany declared unrestricted Submarine warfare, the USA entered the war

8. The War in the Air • At first airplanes were only used to spy on enemy positions • However, as the war continued, Airplanes became powerful weapons • Two types of planes were developed • Bombers – large, heavy planes that would drop bombs on enemy positions • Fighters – small, fast and manoeuvrable planes designed only to dogfight (fight other planes)

9. The Life of a Fighter Pilot • Fighter pilots became celebrities and were called the “Knights of the Air” • Pilots did not have to live in the trenches and used individual skill and courage in combat • Although being a Pilot was glamorous, it was the most dangerous job in the war • The average lifespan of a WWI pilot was only three weeks • Most pilots didn’t were parachutes because it was considered unsportsmanlike

10. The Greatest Pilots of the War • 5 Air Kills made a pilot an Ace, this was an extremely difficult task • Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron) scored more air combat kills than any other with 80 • Canadians were also some of the best pilots in the war • William Avery “Billy” Bishop was the top Ace of the entire British Empire with 72 kills • Raymond Collishaw and Roy Brown were also famous Canadian Pilots

13. Key Points • The British effectively blockaded Germany • The convoy system helped allied ships cross the ocean safely • The Lusitania was sunk, angering the USA • Unrestricted Submarine Warfare brought the USA into the war • Being a pilot was glamorous but dangerous • The Red Baron and Billy Bishop were famous Aces