Top 10 Biggest Air Battles in War History

The Battle of Saint-Mihiel

The United States wasn’t ready for war when it joined World War I in April, 1917. By 1918, however, America was more than prepared. U.S. General John Pershing insisted that America be given command over a portion of the front line. What he got was the Saint-Mihiel salient, a triangle of German held territory driven deep into Allied lines. Four previous attempts to eliminate the salient had failed, with terrible loss of life. Pershing immediately rose to the challenge. As part of his planning, he gave command of the entire American Army Air Force in Europe to a young Signal Corp Colonel named Billy Mitchell.When the Americans began their offensive against the salient on September 12, Mitchell flung almost 1,500 aircraft into action. His targets had been specifically selected through coordinated planning with the infantry and tank divisions. This “combined arms” approach overwhelmed the German defenders in the air and on the ground. A salient that had stood for four years fell in two days, and the war ended in two months. Combined arms tactics are used to this day.