Spain and China: Intelligence Regarding Air Warfare. Air Co-Operation with Land Forces. Report

2 REPORT No. 2. AIR CO-OPERATION WITH LAND FORCES IN OPERATIONS IN SPAIN FROM JULY 1936 TO DECEMBER 1938 AND IN CHINA FROM JULY 1937 TO DECEMBER 1938. CONTENTS. I.—Preface II.—Extent and purpose of air effort in the two campaigns III.—Nature of local air superiority in the co-operation of aircraft with land forces IV.—Aircraft as a weapon in support of ground forces— (a) Reasons for employment (b) Deliberate bombardment of defended positions— Considerations affecting the altitude of attack Accuracy of high air bombardment Instances of bombardments of forward defences Effects of deliberate air bombardment Effects of improved defensive positions (c) Aircraft in the subsequent stages of the attack— Value of aircraft in close support Methods Support in difficult country Use of aircraft to protect flanks Identification of own troops Value of well-trained infantry (d) Aircraft in the pursuit (e) Attacks on forward areas and communications (f) Aircraft in night operations in the forward areas (g) Employment of aircraft against main communications (h) Aircraft in the counter-battery rôle (i) Aircraft in combined operations (j) Aircraft in co-operation with the defence— Need for local air superiority Nature of action Aircraft in the cavalry or shock rôle Aircraft in the artillery rôle (k) Aircraft tactics in ground attack— Development of tactics Level bombing Low-flying and diving attack with bomb and machine-gun Low-flying fighter attack Aircraft escorts for ground attack formations (l) Types of aircraft used as weapons in support of troops— Details of aircraft Ground attack aircraft in Spain Ground attack aircraft in China Comments on ground attack aircraft (m) Types of bomb and flare used in ground attack— Bombs Incendiary small arm ammunition Parachute flares V.—Aircraft as a means of reconnaissance— (a) Air reconnaissance— Air effort devoted to reconnaissance Strategic reconnaissance.