Η ιστορία της Πολεμικής Αεροπορίας στην Ελλάδα, 1919-1940.

Abstract

Η εργασία περιγράφει την ιστορία της Πολεμικής Αεροπορίας στην Ελλάδα, πολεμική και μη, από το 1919, έτος έναρξης της Μικρασιατικής Εκστρατείας, με απώτερο χρονικό όριο το 1940 και πριν την έναρξη των πολεμικών επιχειρήσεων για την Ελλάδα.

The burning, timeless desire of man to fly has inspired many and significant authors, ancient or modern and thousands of pages have been written ranging from legend to reality, everywhere in the world. The Greek history of aviation, from the fabled Daedalus and Icarus to the present day, is rich in events, war related or other, yet it has not been sufficiently studied and remains practically unknown to the general public, especially in its first years. Since its birth with the first flight in the Greek skies and till its present form and organizational structure, the Air Force has undergone several stages of adaptation and development. In the beginning of the 20th century, with the first flights of Greek aviators there was great enthusiasm but also great disappointments, considerable attempts but also some steps back. There were specific concerns as to the unique part the creation of an Air Force Unit could play within the Army and the Navy, since it hasn't always been an independent unified force. Additionally, there was some concern about the doubtful prospects of the staff who would lead their careers in this new field. Within this framework, without substantial experience and with the meager means at their disposal, the aviators, pilots and technicians, were asked to execute operations as well, as war events and combats were far from infrequent in the period discussed in this paper. The beginning of war missions was marked by the landing of the Greek troops in Smyrna in 1919 and the Greek planes in the airport of Paradeisos in Smyrna, till the evacuation of the city in 1922. Special emphasis is put on the differences that existed between the air missions of Army and Navy Force, as well as the issues in the cooperation of aviators, not only with the ground troops but also with the administration of the Asia Minor Army. Some very important conclusions can be drawn from the Air Force participation in the Greek Army missions regarding its method of use and the experience gained which were the basis for its future development. After that, we analyze the evolution of aviation throughout the tumultuous, as far as political developments are concerned, Interwar period. Initially, some mention is made of the attempts to regroup after the Asia Minor Campaign. An important landmark in the history of Military Airforce was the gradual unification into a unified, distinct Module - from 1929 with the tireless attempts of Venizelos and Zanas - which was completed in 1931, though there were several attempts to break it down at every given opportunity.