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The RAF began its dismantling of British air defenses as soon as it received responsibility for the mission after World War I. By 1920 the RAF had placed all searchlights and AAA pieces in storage, dismantled every air defense control center, and reassigned every fighter squadron previously committed to air defense. 92 These actions may have been the result o f an increasingly pacifist public’s desire to remove weapons of war from sight, especially when no threat appeared visible on the horizon.

N. 122 After the last four chapters of his book were published in the next issue, Golovine became a frequent contributor to the journal. His balanced view of offense and defense and his advocacy of several types of specialized combat aircraft 46 CARTER contrasted sharply with the RAF and Douhet’s offensively centered doctrine. F. Quarterly is any mention of the Spanish Civil War, where data on the effects of bombing on civilian morale could have been gathered. 124 From August to December 1936, both the Nationalists and the Loyalists bombed Spanish cities hoping to destroy the enemy population’s morale.

That the bomber would always get through. . ”129 The idea that an offensive ideology gripped RAF planners might help to explain why they did not question the efficacy of their planned offensive operations or account for the myriad employment details. If one truly believed the contemporary rhetoric that the power of the bomber offensive was irresistible, then matters such as precise target location, navigation techniques, or development of improved munitions 48 CARTER might begin to lose their relevance.