The 135th Aero Squadron was a

United States Army Air Service 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 war ...

unit that fought on the Western Front 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 ...

. The squadron was assigned as a Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical reconnaissance over the IV Corps,

United States First Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Korea ...

sector of the Western Front in France, providing battlefield intelligence. In combat, the 135th was the first Air Service unit equipped with the all American made

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. IV Corps was transferred to the

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 ...

in October 1918 for a planned offensive drive on

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

which was cancelled due to 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 ...

on 11 November. The squadron returned to the United States in June 1919 and became part of the permanent

in 1921, being re-designated as the

22d Squadron (Observation) The 22d Intelligence Squadron (22 IS) is a non-flying squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The 22 IS is one of the oldest un ...

. :File:22d Intelligence Squadron.pdf AFHRA Lineage and Honors History of the 22d INTELLIGENCE SQUADRON (AIA), 23 January 1997.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 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 ...

unit which holds its lineage and history is the 22d Intelligence Squadron, assigned to the

707th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group The 707th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (707 ISRG) is a unit of the United States Air Force 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing located at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The group is the largest group ...

Fort George G. Meade Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation located in Maryland, that includes the Defense Information School, the Defense Media Activity, the United States military bands#Army Field Band, United States Army Field Band, and the head ...

, Maryland.

History

Origins

The 135th Aero Squadron was organized at

Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...

, near San Diego, California on 1 August 1917. It was formed from personnel transferred from the 14th and 18th Aero Squadrons, being originality designated as "Company A, 1st Aviation School, Rockwell Field". The men of the squadron began their training as aircraft mechanics on the first planes used by the United States Army. Fourteen

Wright-Martin Model V Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation was a short-lived aircraft manufacturing business venture between the Wright Company (after Orville Wright sold the Wright Company and divested himself from it) and Glenn L. Martin. History Company officials ...

and

Curtiss Model J The Curtiss Model J (along with the Curtiss Model N) was a prototype tractor configuration aircraft that became the basis for the Curtiss Jenny series of aircraft. Development The Curtiss J was designed by Benjamin D. Thomas. Glenn Curtiss hir ...

"Tractors" were used to train the first men as pilots in the Army. In fact, the first eighty-seven officers to be trained for flying were trained at Rockwell Field.Series "E", Volume 17, History of the 135th Aero Squadrons. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Towards the end of their training at Rockwell Field, the 135th was alerted for overseas service. After a short period, orders were received on 25 November and the squadron boarded a train bound for the Aviation Concentration Center, Long Island, New York. The squadron arrived on 1 December and was sent to Hazelhurtst Field (#2). The men, almost all being from southern California, were not used to the cold, damp weather and several became sick. On 16 December, the squadron boarded the RMS ''Orduna'' and after a delay, left for England. The overseas voyage was uneventful with the exception that the ship was diverted to arrive in Glasgow, Scotland, arriving on 31 December. Upon arrival, the squadron was sent by train south to Winchester, England, arriving on 1 December 1918.

Training in England

At the Rest Camp at Winchester (Morn Hill), the squadron was attached to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

for additional training and divided up into Flights. Flights were sent to RFC stations at Waddington,

Scampton Scampton is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish including Brampton and Broadholme at the 2011 census was 1,358. It is situated north of Lincoln, south-east of Ga ...

and South Carlton, the last arriving on 8 January. Training with the RFC continued until the end of June, and the squadron was re-assembled at Winchester on the 24th. Movement was made to France, arriving at

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

on 28 June. From the staging area at Le Havre, the squadron boarded French railway cars and moved south to the American 3d Air Instructional Center at

Issoudun Aerodrome Issoudun Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the vicinity of Issoudun, Centre, France. They were used during World War I as part of the Third Air Instructional Center, American Expeditionary Forces for training United States airmen ...

. However, at the 3d AIC, the squadron was assigned to petty menial tasks, until further orders were received to proceed to Amanty Airdrome, where, upon arrival the squadron was again assigned to customary Camp detail duties. On 30 July, orders were again received to move 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 ...

where the 135th was designated as a Corps Observation squadron, assigned to the IV Corps Observation Group. At Ourches, the squadron was equipped with American-made de Havilland DH-4s, built by

Dayton-Wright 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 E ...

and using

Liberty L-12 The Liberty L-12 is an American water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine displacing and making designed for a high power-to-weight ratio and ease of mass production. It saw wide use in aero applications, and, once marinized Marinisation (also m ...

engines. The aircraft were flown in by the pilots assigned to the squadron from the 1st Air Depot at

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 ...

. By the end of the first week of August, the squadron received its full complement of 24 aircraft, along with the observers and pilots.

Combat in France

On 7 August, the 135th Aero Squadron flew its first mission of the war. The first sortie was quite an affair with Brigadier General

Benjamin Foulois Benjamin Delahauf Foulois (December 9, 1879 – April 25, 1967) was a United States Army general who learned to fly the first military planes purchased from the Wright brothers. He became the first military aviator as an airship pilot, and achi ...

, then Chief of the Air Service, Zone of Advance, leading the formation of squadron aircraft. A motion picture operator was present to record the event. Motion pictures were taken of the 18 American planes lined up in front of the hangars. The sortie, however did not cross the line into enemy territory, for the planes flew only as far as Nancy. After about an hour, all planes returned to Amanty without any problems. For the next week or so the squadron performed subsequent missions, with no enemy aircraft being engaged, although German

Anti-Aircraft Artillery Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

hitting the planes with

shrapnel Shrapnel may refer to: Military * Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use * Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material Popular culture * ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics) * ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam C ...

. The first combat with enemy aircraft took place on 16 August during a photographic mission across the lines. While the observer was taking photographs, the plane was attacked by a German aircraft. In the combat that ensued, the pilot was wounded three times in the leg and the aircraft fuel line was severed by a bullet causing the engine to stall. It was only the skillful piloting of the wounded pilot who managed to make an un-powered glide back across the lines. For his actions, the pilot was awarded a

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

, he was taken to a hospital but re-joined the squadron later. Initially the 135th was assigned to monitor and photograph the sector from Bouconville to

Pont-à-Mousson Pont-à-Mousson () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are known as ''Mussipontains'' in French. It is an industrial town (mainly steel industry), situated on the river Moselle. Pont-à-Mouss ...

. Just before the

Battle of Saint-Mihiel The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...

attack on 12 September, the squadron was reassigned to the front of the 89th Division as well as the IV Corps Artillery, providing adjustments to the artillery as required. On the day of the attack, rain was falling and the clouds were unusually low. However operations commenced with 2d Lieutenant Bowyer as pilot and 1st Lieutenant Johnson as the observer. Due to the aircraft having to fly very low, and through the American artillery barrage, one shell struck their aircraft. The plane was instantly demolished in the air, killing both men. Subsequently, both officers were recommended for the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

Numerous sorties and combats occurred throughout the month of September, with the squadron being shifted from one division to another, providing the commanders operational intelligence and reconnaissance photography. On 30 September, the squadron, along with the IV Corps Observation Group, moved to Croix de Metz Aerodrome, near

Toul Toul () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, and the river Moselle and Canal de la Marne au Rhin. Climate Toul h ...

. From Toul, mission of the most perilous nature were undertaken under difficult circumstances; however, the pilots and observers of the squadron continued to provide excellent results. Besides the work of observation and photography, the 135th made a number of bombing missions, carrying twenty pound bombs which were dropped on objectives in enemy territory. On 26 October 1918 a 135th Squadron DH-4 was shot down by anti-aircraft fire; Curry and his pilot escaped capture. On 3 November, the squadron flew in formation on a bombing mission over Chambley and bombed enemy targets in the town.; the same day the plane carrying Observer Curry-along with a 168th Aero Squadron aeroplane- brought down a German observation balloon. By the time of the Armistice on 11 November, the squadron made 1,016 sorties and lost five officers in combat; two pilots and three observers. The squadron was also credited with the destruction of eight enemy aircraft in combat.

Demobilization

After the armistice, the AEF was very slow in returning its forces to the United States. The squadron remained at Toul with IV Corps Observation Group until this one was assigned to Third Army in Germany, 135 Squadron leaving for Tours, with 2nd Aviation Instruction Center. It stayed in Tours until 10 February 1919 when orders were received to report to the 1st Air Depot,

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 at

Tresses Tresses is a Communes of France, commune in the Gironde Departments of France, department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gironde department References External links Web site
Commun ...

, France, where it remained until 18 April. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the base ports in France for transport to the United States. It then moved to the port of embarkation at

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

, where it boarded a transport ship which returned them to the United States, arriving at the port of New York about 6 May. After returning from France, most of the 135th Aero Squadron demobilized at

Hazelhurst 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, and returned to civilian life. A small cadre of the unit remained in the Air Service, and were assigned to

Post Field Henry Post Army Airfield is a military use airport located at Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma, United States. This military airport is owned by United States Army. Established as Post Field in 1917, it was one of thirty-two Air Service t ...

, Oklahoma, and attached as an observation squadron, supplying aircraft for the

United States Army Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develo ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

and supported Army units at

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

, Kansas. The 135th Aero Squadron became part of the permanent

in 1921, being re-designated as the

Rin Tin Tin

Following the advances made by American troops during the

in 1918, Corporal Lee Duncan, a DH-4 gunner in the 135th A.S., was sent forward from Ourches on 15 September to the small French village of

Flirey Flirey () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Birthplace of Rin Tin Tin Following advances made by American forces during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, Corporal Lee Duncan, an aerial gunner of the U.S. Army A ...

to see if it was suitable for a flying field. There Duncan found a severely damaged kennel which had once supplied the German Army with

German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...

dogs. The only dogs left alive in the kennel were a starving mother with a litter of five nursing puppies, their eyes still shut because they were less than a week old. Duncan rescued the dogs and brought them back to the 135th Aero Squadron. He kept a male and a female. He felt that these two dogs were symbols of his good luck. He called them

Rin Tin Tin Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (September 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, L ...

and Nanette after a pair of good luck charms called Rintintin and Nénette that French children often gave to the American soldiers. Smuggling back the dogs aboard a ship taking him back to the US at the end of the war, eventually Rin Tin Tin was discovered by Hollywood filmmakers by his ability to leap great heights at a dog show. When he died in 1932, Lee Duncan took Rin Tin Tin's body back to France, where he had him buried in a Paris cemetery, the country of his birth.

Lineage

* Organized as 135th Aero Squadron on 1 August 1917 : Re-designated as: 135th Aero Squadron (Corps Observation), 19 July 1918 : Re-designated as: 135th Aero Squadron, 29 May 1919 : Re-designated as: 22d Squadron (Observation), 14 March 1921

Assignments

* Post Headquarters, Rockwell Field, 1 August-25 November 1917 * Aviation Concentration Center, 1–18 December 1918 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, British Isles, 1 January 1918 : Attached to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

for training, 8 January-24 June 1918 * 3d Air Instructional Center, 2 July 1918 * IV Corps Observation Group, 30 July 1918 * 2d Air Instructional Center, 21 November 1918 * 1st Air Depot, 10 February 1919 * Commanding General, Services of Supply, 23 February–April 1919 * Post Headquarters, Hazelhurst Field, 7 May 1919 * Southern Department, 29 May 1919 : Attached to Field Artillery School * VIII Corps Area, 20 August 1920 : Remained attached to Field Artillery School until 30 November 1921 Army Air Service Order of Battle 1919–1941
/ref>

Stations

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, 1 August-25 November 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 ...

, Garden City, New York, 1–18 December 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 ...

:: Overseas Transport: '' RMS Orduna'', 18–31 December 1917 *

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland, 31 December 1917 *

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, 1 January 1918 : Unit divided into flights which operated from various stations in England, including Waddington, Scampton, and South Carlton * Winchester, England, 24 June 1918 *

, France, 28 June 1918 *

, France, 2 July 1918 * Amanty Airdrome, France, 19 July 1918 *

, France, 30 July 1918 * Croix de Metz Aerodrome, Toul, France, 30 September 1918 *

Tours Aerodrome Tours Aerodrome was a complex of military airfields in the French department of Indre-et-Loire, 6 km (3.2 NM) north-northeast of the city of Tours. They were used during World War I as part of the Second Air Instructional Center (2d AIC), Am ...

, France, 21 November 1918 *

, France, 10 February 1919 *

, France, 23 February 1919 *

, France, 18–25 Apr 1919 *

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, c. 7 May 1919 *

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, 29 May 1919 : Flight at Sherman Army Airfield,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, 30 Apr – 30 Jun 6 Sep-3 Nov 1920 : Detachment at

Maxwell Field Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, after 4 November 1921

Combat sectors and campaigns

Notable personnel

* Lt. Perry H. Aldrich, DSC, 1 aerial victory (KIA) * Lt. William Belzer, DSC * Lt. Otto E. Benell, DSC, 1 aerial victory * Lt. Donald B. Cole, SSC * Lt. Wallace Coleman, DSC, 2 aerial victories * Chief of Staff/2nd Army Air Ser/Obs. John F. Curry, 1 aerial victory * Lt. John J. Curtin, SSC, 1 aerial victory * Lt. Percival G. Hart, DSC, SSC, 1 aerial victory * Lt. Ray W. Krout, SSC * Lt. Guy E. Morse, DSC, (KIA) * Lt. Richard M. Scott Jr., SSC, 2 aerial victories * Lt. Leo A. Smith,

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

*
:* Award issued retroactively after 19 July 1932 when Silver Star Citation discontinued. * Lt. Wilbur C. Suiter, DSC, SSC, (KIA) *

DSC:

; SSC:

Silver Star Citation The Citation Star was a Department of War personal valor decoration issued as a ribbon device which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918 (Bulletin No. 43, War Dept. 1918). When awarded, a silver star was placed o ...

; KIA: Killed in ActionMilitary Times Hall of Valor Search, 135th Aero Squadron
/ref>

References

{{Wwi-air Aircraft squadrons of the United States Army Air Service Squadrons of the United States Army Air Service in World War I Reconnaissance squadrons of the United States Army Rin Tin Tin