Canada at War in the Air and At Sea

(1914-1918)

Canada at War in the Air and At Sea

(1914-1918)

In The Air

Sam Hughes

• Didn’t like airplanes – he didn’t think they would ever be an effective means of war

• “The airplane … will never play any part in such a serious business as the defence of a nation.”

British Royal Flying Corps• No Canadian Airforce

• Canadians joined the BRFC, it was better than the trenches (food, pay, glory)

• Flying Coffins!!!!

• Canadians had a good reputation

Types of Planes/Balloons

• Observation Balloons were used on both sides

1915 Fokker – German

1917 Sopwith Camel – British

Both sides used homemade bombs to drop on the enemy!

DOG FIGHTS!• Started with handguns

• Advanced to machine guns

• You had to get behind your enemy and shoot them down

• YOU DID NOT HAVE A PARACHUTE!!

Air Aces

• An Air Ace shot down at least five enemy planes

“The Red Baron”

• Germany’s Manfred Von Richthofen• 80 confirmed kills

Billy Bishop

• Canada’s top Ace• 72 confirmed kills

War at Sea

U-Boats (Germany)

• Submarines• Sank supply ships & Navy vessels sent to

destroy them

Lusitania (1915)• British Luxury liner

• 1198 Dead

• ½ were American

• U.S.A. were very upset

Unrestricted Warfare• German sink any ship approaching Britain

(1917)

• Attempt to cut off supplies

• 1000 ships in 4 months

• Some ships were American

• U.S. finally entered the war in 1917

Convoy

Convoy• Cargo ships sailed together and were

escorted by destroyers

Canada’s Navy• 2 Warships at the start of the war

• Yachts & other ships were bought and armed for service

• Escorted Convoys & protected Canada’s east coast

• 112 real warships by the end of the war