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In 1921, Billy Mitchell's bombers proved air power by sinking what?

A captured German battleship, the Ostfriesland.

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  1. A German battleship, the Ostfriesland ✔
  2. An American aircraft carrier
  3. A U.S. Navy destroyer

Why: Navy leaders said airplanes could not sink a battleship. Mitchell's Army bombers sank the surplus German ship in a 1921 test. He kept pushing for a separate air force and is called its father.

Huh, didn't know that: CAP's Mitchell Award, earned at the end of Phase II, is named for him.

The dad joke
Why did the battleship feel down? It just could not stay above it all.
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References

Answer: A German battleship, the Ostfriesland. Navy leaders said airplanes could not sink a battleship. Mitchell's Army bombers sank the surplus German ship in a 1921 test. He kept pushing for a separate air force and is called its father.

  1. CAP Teacher's Guide for Aerospace: The Journey of Flight (lesson outlines) www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/2nd_edition_Teachers_Guide_5D3166D76F9B1.pdf
    In 1921, Mitchell's pilots sank the battleship Ostfriesland proving Mitchell was right.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. CAP Billy Mitchell Award page www.gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/cadets/stripes-to-diamonds/mitchell
    in a July 1921 demonstration, it was a strong blow for airpower.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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