The 100th Aero Squadron was an
Air Service, United States Army
The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...
squadron during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Ordered to serve on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
*Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
, it boarded the
SS Tuscania on 23 January 1918. The ship was torpedoed on 5 February and most of the survivors were rescued.
Re-formed in England the squadron was assigned as a Day Bombardment Squadron; its mission to perform long-range bombing attacks on roads and railroads; destruction of materiel and massed troop formations behind enemy lines.
It was assigned to the
2d Day Bombardment Group
The 2nd Day Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern ...
,
United States Second Army
Second Army was most recently located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a Direct Reporting Unit to Headquarters U.S. Army, Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G-6. Under the CIO/G-6, Second Army served as the single point of contact for Army missions an ...
.
Just before its first scheduled combat mission, the war ended. After the
1918 Armistice with Germany
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
, the squadron returned to the United States in June 1919 and was demobilized.
[Series "E", Volume 15, History of the 97th-102d Aero Squadrons. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.][Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint)]
The squadron was never reactivated and there is no current
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
or
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
successor unit.
History
Origins
The 100th Aero Squadron was organized on 20 August 1917 at
Kelly Field
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
, Texas. Initially, the squadron was given instruction in basic drill and the fundamentals of soldiering. After two months of indoctrination training, orders for overseas duty were issued and the squadron was ordered to
Mineola Field
Roosevelt Field is a former airport, located east-southeast of Mineola, Long Island, New York. Originally called the Hempstead Plains Aerodrome, or sometimes Hempstead Plains field or the Garden City Aerodrome, it was a training field (Hazel ...
, Long Island, New York on 14 October. At Mineola Field, instruction was given to the men in the maintenance of
Curtiss JN-4
The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...
"Jenny" aircraft and the Liberty V-12 engine which powered them. Finally, on 20 January 1918, orders were issued for the squadron to proceed to the Port of Entry,
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...
for service overseas.
The SS Tuscania sinking
The squadron boarded the
SS Tuscania on 23 January, bound for the port of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England. Initially sailing for
Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Tuscania waited there to form up in a convoy prior to the Atlantic crossing. The crossing was uneventful until the late afternoon of 5 February. At 17:54 the ship was shaken to its keel by a large explosion, the significance of which everyone was aware. There was a quick alarm and some scurrying on the decks, however, there was no panic or disorder. The squadron historian writes:
![TuscaniaI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/TuscaniaI.jpg)
"... I had just finished supper and come onto 'B' Deck, at a point directly above the engine room when all of a sudden something struck the ship with a loud explosion. The boat seemed to be hurled entirely out of the water and trembled from one end to the other. The force of the explosion sent a column of water into the air that reached the top rigging. Several of us were directly in the path of this, receiving a thorough drenching. It was no time at all before the vessel listed sharply to starboard. This rendered the lowering of the lifeboats extremely difficult. All men immediately went to their assigned lifeboats, and, despite a natural state of excitement, perfect order prevailed. I was on the port side of 'A' Deck and five other members of the Squadron, who with a number of men from the 158th Squadron were supposed to have been lowered in one of the first boats. There ensued some difficulty, however, in launching the boat so we could do nothing but look overboard at the unfortunate ones fighting for their lives in the icy water. The cries were enough to make one stand aghast.
About 19:45 a torpedo boat came alongside and threw ropes to us. The sea was now becoming rougher, causing the rescue ship to roll considerably and making the work of getting the men to safety on her decks very hazardous and difficult. One big wave caused the two vessels to rub sides, and the poor unfortunates on the ropes were crushed to death between the sides. Other men dropped into the water and were drowned. Some of the boys of our Squadron who perished lost their lives in this manner. In the glare of one of the huge searchlights, I saw one lad struggling in the water, without a life preserver, attempting to catch a line which a British sailor was throwing to him. He finally succeeded in catching hold of the rope, but his hands were evidently frozen and he slipped limply back into the water. After several more unsuccessful attempts, he was fortunate enough to effect a half-hitch around his numbed body and he was hoisted to the deck of the destroyer as it pulled away. After this, the destroyer left there followed some very anxious moments for us, and, while we waited and shivered it appeared that our doom was sealed. It was at this time that someone began singing the 'Star Spangled Banner'. It met with a resounding response, and soon the whole ship echoed the national anthem.
At 20:30, the destroyer steamed alongside of the port bow, and we were soon removed safely on her decks. During the progress of the rescue, two torpedoes were fired by the submarine, one grazing the stern of the British Destroyer, and the second missing only a few yards to the bow of the ''Tuscania''. The detachment of which I was a member was landed at Buncranne, Ireland, about 02:00 on 6 February, cold, desolate, but with an unbroken spirit and increasing hatred for the Kaiser..."
Training in England
After the sinking, the 100th Aero Squadron was re-formed at
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
, England. At Winchester, the men of the squadron were taken into the quarters of the 6th Battalion of the
Royal Fusiliers
The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881.
The regiment served in many wars ...
, who furnished the men with clothing, food, and merriment. At Winchester, the squadron was assigned to the Royal Flying Corps, who divided the men into three detachments. Flight "A" was sent to RFC London Colney; Flight "B" to RFC Stamford, and Flight "C" to RFC Feltwell. At those stations, the men were instructed in the intricacies of French SPADs, Sopwith Camels, Sopwith Pups and Avros. On 5 May, the squadron was re-assembled at RFC Feltwell, fully trained on the mechanics of the airplanes.
Duty in France
![100th Aero Squadron - Emblem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/100th_Aero_Squadron_-_Emblem.jpg)
At Feltwell, the squadron trained for an additional three months, with the men itching with impatience to get to France. After three months of final training, orders were finally received to report to the Air Service Replacement Concentration Center,
St. Maixent Replacement Barracks
The Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks is a former military facility in the vicinity of Saint-Maixent-l'École, Poitou-Charentes, France. It was used by the Air Service, United States Army as the Air Service Replacement Concentration ...
. Arriving at St. Maixent on 16 August, the 100th was first designated as Pursuit squadron. However, it was then changed a Day Bombardment squadron, and was ordered to
Delouze Aerodrome
Delouze Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located NE of Delouze-Rosières, in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.
Overview
A lease was signed by the Air Service for 210 acres of land on 21 De ...
, where it was assigned to the
1st Day Bombardment Group
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, First Army. However, there were no planes assigned to the squadron and no pilots to fly them. The 100th was assigned to camp duties and remained at Delouze when the rest of the group moved out to
Amanty Airdrome
Amanty Airdrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located northwest of Amanty, in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in northeastern France (48.527383,5.598371).
History
The airfield was set up early 1917, with Fr ...
, on 7 September. It was then assigned as the Headquarters squadron at Delouze, being in charge of the camp facilities and providing guards for the airfield.
The 100th Aero Squadron remained at Delouze until 30 October when a veteran officer-pilot, Captain Belmont P. Beverly, took command of the unit. A number of pilots and observers were assigned and it prepared to become a fighting unit. The squadron was ordered to
Ourches Aerodrome
Ourches Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was West-Northwest of the commune of Ourches-sur-Meuse, in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.
Overview
The airfield was built by the French Army an ...
, and was assigned to the newly formed
2d Day Bombardment Group
The 2nd Day Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern ...
of Second Army, joining the
163d Aero Squadron
The 163d Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.
The squadron was assigned as a Day Bombardment Squadron, assigned to the 2d Day Bombardment Group, United States Second Army. ...
. Support units assigned to Ourches were the 73d Park Squadron, along with the 9th and 16th Photo Sections. Also the squadron began to receive
Dayton-Wright DH-4
The Dayton-Wright Company was formed in 1917, on the declaration of war between the United States and Germany, by a group of Ohio investors that included Charles F. Kettering and Edward A. Deeds of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company ( DELCO ...
aircraft and prepared to enter combat.
The Armistice with Germany on 11 November, however, was concluded before the squadron was assigned to any combat missions.
Demobilization
After the end of hostilities, the history of the 100th Aero Squadron is scant. It remained at Ourches until 15 April 1919 when the Second Army was demobilized. Orders were received for the squadron to report to the 1st Air Depot,
Colombey-les-Belles
Colombey-les-Belles () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
Heraldry
See also
*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department
The following is a list of the 591 communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle depar ...
Airdrome to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF. The squadron's DH-4 aircraft were delivered to the Air Service Production Center No. 2. at
Romorantin Aerodrome
Romorantin - Pruniers Air Detachment (DA 273) is a French Air Force military facility, located southwest of Romorantin-Lanthenay, in the Loir-et-Cher Departments of France, department of central France.
Pruniers airfield was part of a huge depot ...
, and there, practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron.
[Series "D", Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918-May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.]
Personnel at Colombey were subsequently assigned to the commanding general, services of supply, and ordered to report to a staging camp in France for the return crossing of the Atlantic back to the United States.
[Series "O", Volume 22, Weekly Statistical Reports on progress of Air Service Activities, October 1918-May 1919. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.]
The 100th Aero Squadron was shipped home on 31 May 1919 on the
SS St. Louis
MS ''St. Louis'' was a diesel-powered passenger ship properly referred to with the prefix MS or MV, built by the Bremer Vulkan shipyards in Bremen for ''HAPAG'', better known in English as the Hamburg America Line. The ship was named after th ...
. It was then demobilized at Mitchel Field, New York in June, where the men returned to civilian life.
Lineage
* Organized as: 100th Aero Squadron on 20 August 1917
* Re-designated: 100th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), August 1918
* Re-designated: 100th Aero Squadron (Day Bombardment), August 1918
: Demobilized on 30 June 1919
Assignments
* Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 20 August 1917
* Aviation Concentration Center, 14 October 1917
* Air Service Headquarters, AEF, British Isles
: Attached to: Royal Flying Corps for training, February–August 1918
* Air Service Replacement Concentration Center, 16 August 1918
*
1st Day Bombardment Group
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, 26 August 1918
* Headquarters Air Service, Zone of Advance, 7 September 1918
*
2d Day Bombardment Group
The 2nd Day Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern ...
, 1 November 1918
* 1st Air Depot, 15 April 1919
* Commanding General, Services of Supply, April 1919
* Post Headquarters, Mitchel Field, June 1919
Stations
*
Kelly Field
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
In ...
, Texas, 20 August 1917
*
Aviation Concentration Center
Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September 1 ...
, Garden City, New York, 14 October 1917
* Port of Entry,
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...
, 20 January 1918
:: Overseas Transport, ''
SS Tuscania'', 23 January – 5 February (Ship Torpedoed)
* Squadron re-formed at
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
, England, February 1918
: Divided into flights, assigned to various
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
stations in England, February–May 1918
* RFC Feltwell, England, 5 May 1918
*
St. Maixent Replacement Barracks
The Air Service Replacement Concentration Barracks is a former military facility in the vicinity of Saint-Maixent-l'École, Poitou-Charentes, France. It was used by the Air Service, United States Army as the Air Service Replacement Concentration ...
, France, 16 August 1918
*
Delouze Aerodrome
Delouze Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located NE of Delouze-Rosières, in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.
Overview
A lease was signed by the Air Service for 210 acres of land on 21 De ...
, France, 26 August 1918
*
Ourches Aerodrome
Ourches Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was West-Northwest of the commune of Ourches-sur-Meuse, in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.
Overview
The airfield was built by the French Army an ...
, France, 26 October 1918
*
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome
: ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force''
When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 15 April 1919
* France, April–May 1919
*
Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
, New York, June 1919
See also
*
*
List of American aero squadrons
This is a partial list of original Air Service, United States Army "Aero Squadrons" before and during World War I. Units formed after 1 January 1919, are not listed.
Aero Squadrons were the designation of the first United States Army aviation ...
*
Harry R. Truman
Harry R. Truman (October 30, 1896 – May 18, 1980) was an American businessman, bootlegger, and prospector. He
lived near Mount St. Helens, an active volcano in the state of Washington, and was the owner and caretaker of Mount St. Helens Lodge ...
References
External links
Postcard from a survivor of the SS Tuscania
{{Lists of flying aces
Aircraft squadrons of the United States Army Air Service
Squadrons of the United States Army Air Service in World War I
Military units and formations established in 1917
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919