Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1918 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 map (116 x 148 cm)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Independent Force was established by the Royal Air Force on 6 June 1918 to conduct a strategic bombing campaign against Germany, concentrating on strategic industries, communications and the morale of the civilian population. The Independent Force was formed out of the Royal Flying Corp's Forty-First Wing which commenced operations in October 1917. This initiative was partly in response to German airship and aeroplane raids on England but it also built upon earlier, small scale attempts at strategic bombing by the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps. As its name implied, it operated independently from the land battle and struck at targets in central Germany including Cologne, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Bonn, and Mannheim. It was also intended to operate independently of the control of the Allied Supreme Commander, Marshal Foch, although this was later changed.
The Independent Force was commanded, reluctantly at first, by Major-General Hugh Trenchard who was gradually converted to the idea of strategic bombing by the operations of the Independent Force. The squadrons were based on airfields in the Nancy region, well to the south of the British sector of the Front Line. Although the effort appears miniscule compared to later bombing campaigns, four day and five night bomber squadrons dropped just 550 tons of bombs during 239 raids between 6 June and 10 November 1918, the effect on the German war effort was remarkable. The main targets were railways, blast furnaces, chemical factories that produced poison gas, other factories, and barracks to which had to be added airfields in an effort to reduce attrition from enemy fighter aircraft.
The effect on morale was out of all proportion to the size of the bomber force or the material damage caused and the air raids resulted in the movement of German air defence units away from the Front Line. Trenchard ordered statistics and records to be kept to demonstrate the work of the Independent Force and the role of strategic bombing in modern war.
Repository
Archival history
Created by the Royal Air Force Staff College (1922-1997) and passed on to the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Bracknell in 1997 which relocated to Shrivenham in 2000. These documents are part of a collection of papers and books donated to the Royal Air Force Staff College by the family of Viscount Trenchard following his death in 1956. Most of Lord Trenchard's private papers were donated to other establishments. The records of the Independent Force form a discrete collection within the donation. Many of the books that had previously formed Lord Trenchard's personal library were passed to the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell in 1996 prior to the closure of the Royal Air Force Staff College.
GB 3188 JSCSC IF 2/1 1918 Collection (Sub-fond of Royal Air Force Staff College collection) 1 map (116 x 148 cm) Trenchard , Hugh Montague , 1873-1956 , 1st Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton , Marshal of the Royal Air Force x Trenchard of Wolfeton , 1st Viscount
The Independent Force was established by the Royal Air Force on 6 June 1918 to conduct a strategic bombing campaign against Germany, concentrating on strategic industries, communications and the morale of the civilian population. The Independent Force was formed out of the Royal Flying Corp's Forty-First Wing which commenced operations in October 1917. This initiative was partly in response to German airship and aeroplane raids on England but it also built upon earlier, small scale attempts at strategic bombing by the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps. As its name implied, it operated independently from the land battle and struck at targets in central Germany including Cologne, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Bonn, and Mannheim. It was also intended to operate independently of the control of the Allied Supreme Commander, Marshal Foch, although this was later changed.
The Independent Force was commanded, reluctantly at first, by Major-General Hugh Trenchard who was gradually converted to the idea of strategic bombing by the operations of the Independent Force. The squadrons were based on airfields in the Nancy region, well to the south of the British sector of the Front Line. Although the effort appears miniscule compared to later bombing campaigns, four day and five night bomber squadrons dropped just 550 tons of bombs during 239 raids between 6 June and 10 November 1918, the effect on the German war effort was remarkable. The main targets were railways, blast furnaces, chemical factories that produced poison gas, other factories, and barracks to which had to be added airfields in an effort to reduce attrition from enemy fighter aircraft.
The effect on morale was out of all proportion to the size of the bomber force or the material damage caused and the air raids resulted in the movement of German air defence units away from the Front Line. Trenchard ordered statistics and records to be kept to demonstrate the work of the Independent Force and the role of strategic bombing in modern war.
Created by the Royal Air Force Staff College (1922-1997) and passed on to the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Bracknell in 1997 which relocated to Shrivenham in 2000. These documents are part of a collection of papers and books donated to the Royal Air Force Staff College by the family of Viscount Trenchard following his death in 1956. Most of Lord Trenchard's private papers were donated to other establishments. The records of the Independent Force form a discrete collection within the donation. Many of the books that had previously formed Lord Trenchard's personal library were passed to the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell in 1996 prior to the closure of the Royal Air Force Staff College.
The family of the 1st Viscount Trenchard post-1956.
Printed topographical map made up of 7 separate sheets (one titled Mayence) glued together showing the border region of France and Germany with approximate centre on Homburg representing approximately 220 miles east-west and 250 miles north-south. The 1918 front line is hand drawn and coloured as are national borders. Enemy airfields housing bomber units are indicated by coloured markers. This map is complementary to JSCSC IF 2/2.
1 map as outlined in Scope and Content. Shelved with Royal Air Force Staff College collection
Open. Access to the Joint Services Command and Staff College Library is by appointment only. Contact Chris Hobson, Head of Library Services, Joint Services Command and Staff College, Faringdon Road, Watchfield, Swindon SN6 8TS. Information on personnel is subject to Ministry of Defence regulations.
Copies, subject to the condition of the original and normal copyright restrictions, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to Chris Hobson, Head of Library Services, Joint Services Command and Staff College.
English
No additional finding aids.
Sources: The War in the Air Volume VI by H A Jones, Oxford University Press, 1937. Compiled by Chris Hobson.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
January 2009 Maps Visual materials Aerial bombardment Air warfare Warfare Military engineering World War One (1914-1918) World wars (events) Wars (events) Air force Armed forces Military organizations Organizations Trenchard , Hugh Montague , 1873-1956 , 1st Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton , Marshal of the Royal Air Force x Trenchard of Wolfeton , 1st Viscount Independent Force , Royal Air Force France Western Europe Europe Germany
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The family of the 1st Viscount Trenchard post-1956.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Printed topographical map made up of 7 separate sheets (one titled Mayence) glued together showing the border region of France and Germany with approximate centre on Homburg representing approximately 220 miles east-west and 250 miles north-south. The 1918 front line is hand drawn and coloured as are national borders. Enemy airfields housing bomber units are indicated by coloured markers. This map is complementary to JSCSC IF 2/2.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
1 map as outlined in Scope and Content. Shelved with Royal Air Force Staff College collection
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Access to the Joint Services Command and Staff College Library is by appointment only. Contact Chris Hobson, Head of Library Services, Joint Services Command and Staff College, Faringdon Road, Watchfield, Swindon SN6 8TS. Information on personnel is subject to Ministry of Defence regulations.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original and normal copyright restrictions, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to Chris Hobson, Head of Library Services, Joint Services Command and Staff College.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
No additional finding aids.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English