Events in 1916

July 1, 1916

First Aerial Combat of the Somme

The first aerial combat of World War I took place during the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916, between British Royal Flying Corps and German Luftstreitkräfte, establishing fundamental principles of air warfare that would influence military aviation for generations to come.

September 1916

Boelcke's Dicta Creation

German flying ace Oswald Boelcke established revolutionary aerial combat rules known as Boelcke's Dicta, transforming individual air combat into organized tactical engagements during World War I.