Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did large troop movements become more difficult during daylight late in World War I?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
air warfare
Overview of aerial bombardment in Europe during World War II, with a detailed discussion of the Battle of Britain.
During the late stages of World War I, large-scale troop movements became increasingly difficult to conduct during daylight hours due to the development and deployment of specialized ground attack aircraft.
These aircraft were designed to support ground advances, cover retreats, or harass enemy forces by strafing with machine guns and dropping bombs. Because these planes could effectively target troops and supply lines from the air, they forced armies to shift the majority of their large-scale movements to the cover of night or periods of bad weather to avoid detection and attack.1