Peruvian Military Aviation Volume 1: From origins to first blood 1919-1934 (Latin America@War)

Within the chapters that make this work, the reader will discover how Peruvian military aviation first came to be and evolved into several organizations between the years 1919 and 1934. In the first chapter, the author narrates how the Peruvian Government took into consideration the experiences gathered after the accomplishments by the diverse nations’ Air Arms during the Great War when seeking to provide its own Army and Navy with these brand-new fighting machines. Additionally, the birth and development of Peruvian military aviation doctrines are also covered in depth inside this chapter.The second chapter covers the years 1924-1929 and deals with the advances in naval aviation and the participation of the Army aviation in different training flights across the country; it especially deals with the Government's trend towards the creation of an Army Air Corps as a proper-armed institution. In July of 1928, the Government created the General Inspection of Aviation as the first step to control the commercial, naval and Army aviation, marking an important moment in the history of Peruvian military aviation, as the State manifested its will to put under a single command the training, acquisition processes and organization of the existing aviation-related entities.The unification and expansion of the Air Arm are covered in detail in the third chapter. The author details the unification of military aviation under a unified command structure, therefore giving birth to the Cuerpo de Aviación del Perú by merging the Army and Naval Aviation services, a measure that marked a major step in the history of Peruvian military aviation. From that moment on, Army, Navy and civilian personnel attached to the military branches became Peruvian Air Force pioneers.The fourth chapter describes the CAP operations during the so-called “Putumayo conflict”. By the end of 1932, a conflict erupted between Colombia and Peru for the possession of border territories on the so-called Amazon trapeze, as well as the small town of Leticia, located on the margin of Amazon River. These were claimed and seized by local Peruvian inhabitants, consequently dragging the CAP into all-out military operations on the Putumayo River, along with Peruvian Army and Navy units.Using primary sources, Peruvian Military Aviation Volume 1 provides intricate details on the birth, early development and activities of the air force of this South American country.Moreover, illustrated by over 200 exclusive photographs, most of which were never published before, half a dozen of maps and 20 colour profiles, this book is providing the first authoritative account of the history of the Peruvian air force history in English language. As such it is an indispensable source of reference for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Read more