''Escadrille Spa.315'' (originally ''Escadrille N.311'', ''Escadrille N.315'') was a French fighter squadron founded in February 1917, during the First World War. Assigned to the defense of the city of
Belfort
Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Territo ...
on the Franco/German border, it shot down 21 enemy planes while taking only two losses. On 26 October 1918, they were
Mentioned in dispatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
for this feat.
History
Founded in February 1917 with
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 as ''Escadrille N.311'', it was dissolved in June. It was reformed in ''
VI Armee'' on 25 July, still with Nieuports, as ''Escadrille N.315''. It was assigned to the defense of
Belfort
Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Territo ...
, France,near the German border.
[''Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'', p. 109][Google map of Belfor]
Retrieved 4 September 2020
It was designated ''Escadrille Spa.315'' on 10 July 1918, signifying that it had been re-equipped with
Société pour l'aviation et ses dérivés, SPAD fighters. On 26 October 1918, the Commanding General of ''
VI Armee'' commended the squadron in official orders for its excellence in downing 21 German airplanes with the loss of only two French aircraft.
[
]
Commanding officers
* ''Capitaine'' Raoul Etienne[
]
Notable members
* Lieutenant Albert Chabrier
Lieutenant Albert Rene Chabrier (1896-1920) was a French World War I flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aeria ...
* ''Maréchal des logis
() is a sub-officer rank used by some units of the French Armed Forces. It is traditionally a cavalry unit rank. There are three distinct ranks of ''maréchal des logis'', which are generally the equivalents of sergeant ranks (although they g ...
'' Gilbert Uteau
'' Maréchal-des-logis'' Gilbert Jean Uteau was a French World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.The Aerodrome website page on UteaRetrieved4 September 2020.
Biography
See also Aerial victory standards of World War I
Gilbert Je ...
[
]
Aircraft
* 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 ...
s: February 1917 - 10 July 1918
* Société pour l'aviation et ses dérivés, SPADs: 10 July 1918 - war's end[
]
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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