German personnel inspect a Gotha G.IV bomber, circa 1917. ‘Gothas’, as they were generically known, began to take over the strategic bombing of Britain from airships in May 1917. Although the Germans suffered heavy losses during this ‘First Blitz’, and overall their attacks caused minimal damage, they created widespread alarm among the civilian population and were a factor leading to the decision to merge the RNAS and RFC into a single air service, the RAF, which was accomplished in April 1918.
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