''Escadrille Spa.90'' (originally named ''Escadrille N.90'') was a French fighter squadron that served in World War I from early 1917 until war's end. They were credited with destroying 13 German airplanes and 22
observation balloon
An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War ...
s.
History
''Escadrille Spa.90'' began by combining two existing formations, N504 and N507, in early 1917. It was founded as an integral fighter squadron to ''VIII Armee'', and was initially dubbed ''Escadrille N.90'' because
Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.
History
Beginnings
Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...
fighters were its predominant aircraft.
[''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'', p. 100]
On 22 April 1918, the squadron was renamed ''Escadrille Spa.90'' when it re-equipped with
SPAD fighters. On 9 November 1918, the unit was
Cited in orders for having destroyed 10 German airplanes and 14
observation balloon
An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War ...
s. However, its total victory score for the war was 13 airplanes and 22 balloons.
[
]
Commanding officers
* Lieutenant Pierre Weiss: Early 1917 - 4 November 1918[
]
Notable members
* Lieutenant colonel Marius Ambrogi
Lieutenant Colonel Marius Jean Paul Elzeard Ambrogi (9 June 1895 – 25 April 1971), using "Marc" as common first name, was a French fighter pilot in both World Wars. He became a flying ace during World War I, with fourteen aerial victories, the ...
* Lieutenant colonel Jean André Pezon
* Adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
Charles J. V. Macé
* Adjutant Maurice Bizot[
]
Aircraft
* Three Nieuport XXIVs: 3 March 1917
* Two Nieuport XXIV bis: 3 March 1917
* Seven Nieuport XXVII: 3 March 1917
* Three SPAD XIs: 3 March 1917
* SPADs: 22 April 1918[
]
End notes
References
* Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (1993). ''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'' London, UK: Grub Street Publishing. .
Squadrons of the French Service Aéronautique in World War I
Military units and formations established in 1917
Military units and formations disestablished in 1918
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