The armed forces: aviation

Aviation in the First World War was a case in itself, as it belonged, for various contingents, to both the navy and the army.

The planes of the First World War were small and not too perfected.

However, they had a great role in the conflict since they served: - for reconnaissance - to favor the precision of the cannonade: through agreed evolutions, the pilots, not yet having radios on board (as opposed to the Second World War), communicated the precision or the imprecision of the shot - to strafe - to throw small bombs - for air combat - to knock down the braked balls.

These braked balloons - that is, hot air balloons - were used to explore and observe the enemy's movements from above (especially in flat areas such as that of the western front).

The balls also served to communicate the result of the cannonades and, with instructions given by telephone, to allow for any shooting corrections.

Back then the balloons were hydrogen and, therefore, hit by the projectiles of the planes, they ignited.

Famous are the heroes of the German aviation (Von Richtofen, called "The Red Baron") and, in the Italian one, our F.

Baracca.

In the First World War, air raids were very rare and not very dangerous, since only a few bombs were thrown.

The Second World War was completely different, since the bombing was then continuous and very ferocious, greatly damaging the civilian population.