In 1919, during the American invasion of Haiti, Marine Corps pilot Lt. Lawson Sanderson achieved success in dive-bombing using a canvas bag to secure a bomb under his Curtis JN-4 “Jenny” aircraft. The United States also utilized British-designed, American-made de Havilland DH-4s during the same conflict.
The Army Air Forces adopted improved dive-bombing techniques inspired by Sanderson’s achievements in that same year. Subsequently, these techniques were employed during the Mexican Revolution. Interestingly, the first recorded aerial combat occurred during this conflict in 1913 when two American pilots on opposing sides engaged in mid-air revolver fire.
In 1926, a commanding officer in a Naval strike squadron initiated the teaching of dive-bombing techniques to his squadron. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy, a simulated attack on fleet ships was coordinated using a Curtiss F6C-2. This display convinced the Navy to develop a specialized biplane, the Martin XT5M-1, capable of surviving steep dives at terminal velocity while carrying a large bomb.
The United States continued to favor dive-bombers during its involvement in Nicaragua to combat the “Sandinistas” between 1927 and 1928. Consequently, Germany took notice of this new form of aerial combat and its success in American operations.
