Cover; The Beginnings of Strategic Air Power: A History of the British Bomber Force 1923-1939; Copyright; Contents; List of Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. British Air Strategic Thought and Practice Up to 1918; 2. The New Strategic Policy 1919-33; 3. The Expansion of the Bomber Force 1923-33; 4. The Early Expansion Programmes 1934-5; 5. Re-Arming the Bomber Force 1936-7; 6. Preparations for War 1938-9; 7. Bombing Policy and Plans October 1938 to September 1939; 8. Conclusions; Notes; Bibliography; Index
Summary
Using official records, the author traces the origins and early development of strategic bombing, and examines its organs in the operations and staff planning of the First World War. The experiences of the First World War should have been a valuable legacy to those who devised the 'counter offensive' strategy in the years between the war. Unfortunately the lessons learnt were soon forgotten and many of the operational and technical problems which the planners had begun to tackle in 1918 were not even seen to exist by the Air Staff during the 1920s and early 1930s
