Ourches Aerodrome, was a temporary

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 ...

airfield in France. It was West-Northwest of the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

of Ourches-sur-Meuse, in the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

department in

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...

in north-eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Overview

The airfield was built by the French Army and turned over to the United States in the spring of 1918 as one of its main operating bases. It was one of the first airfields used by the Air Service, with 465th Aero (Construct.) arriving on 3 March 1918, together with by 639th Aero Squadron (Repair). The 1st Aero Squadron arrived on 4 April 1918 from

Amanty Aerodrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entry into World War I, United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a bra ...

where it had been training at the I Corps Observation Group School; it started flying observation missions for the American I Corps, joining the

I Corps Observation Group The I Corps Observation 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, First United States Army. It was demobilized in France after the 1918 Armistice with Germany ...

on 21 April, after this had been created a few days earlier at Chéhéry.

12th Aero Squadron The 12th 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 Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical reconnaissance over the I Corps, ...

and

88th Aero Squadron The 88th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as a Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical reconnaissance over the III Cor ...

soon arrived to complete the Group's workforce. The Group was engaged in battlefield reconnaissance over the Toul and Luneville sectors until early July, when dispatched in the Marne-Aisne sector to counter the last German offensives. During Spring 1918, Ourches became was a large and expansive Aerodrome with the capability of supporting three observation squadrons with numerous barracks, mess halls, administrative buildings and a large number of hangars and photo-processing facilities. * Flight "C" of 255th Aero Squadron (Service/Depot) was assigned to the airfield from 27 July 1918, probably until the last American unit had left; it was back in the US in June 1919. Once I Corps Observation Group had moved to

Francheville Aerodrome Francheville Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located north of Coulommiers, in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Overview The airfield was built in June 1918 in some haste as the German armies w ...

in early July, the airfield was all for the nascent IV Corps Observation Group which had been created on 1 July, initially with the sole

90th Aero Squadron The 90th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as a Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical reconnaissance over the III Co ...

; this squadron had arrived from training at Amanty on 1 June, flying observation missions for the American IV Corps over Lorraine. It was completed by 135th Aero Squadron on 30 July, 24th Aero Squadron on 6 August (soon to join US First Army Air Service on 22 Aug), and

8th Aero Squadron The 8th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as a Corps Observation Squadron, performing short-range, tactical reconnaissance over the IV Corps, ...

on 31 August; the group performed the same battlefield reconnaissance missions as I Corps's Group had during the

St. Mihiel Offensive 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 ...

, then moved closer to the lines at the end of September during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The Groupe's HQ left for Ménil la Tour on 20 September 1918, with all squadrons gone by 30 September. At the beginning of November, the new

Second Army Air Service The Second Army Air Service was an Air Service, United States Army 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 with the demobilizati ...

took over Ourches and the 2d Day Bombardment Group was created on the field on 1 November, planning to 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 ...

, with 100th Aero Squadron and 163d Aero Squadron. However, the 11 November Armistice ended combat and 2d Day Bombardment Group did not see any combat; it even did not go to

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

's occupation forces and was disbanded at Ourches on 15 April 1919. The French dismantled the Aerodrome and the land was returned to agricultural use. Today it is a series of cultivated fields located northwest of Ourches-sur-meuse. The airfield was located to the east of the Départmental 144 (D144), with no indications of its wartime use.

Known units assigned

* Headquarters,

, 1 April - 29 June 1918 * 1st Aero Squadron (Observation), 4 April - 29 June 1918 *

(Observation), 3 May - 13 June 1918 * Headquarters, IV Corps Observation Group, 1 July - 29 September 1918 *

(Observation), 13 June - 20 September 1918 * 135th Aero Squadron (Observation), 30 July - 30 September 1918 * 24th Aero Squadron (Observation), 6 – 22 August 1918 *

(Observation), 31 August - 29 September 1918 * Headquarters, 2d Day Bombardment Group, 1 – 11 November 1918 * 100th Aero Squadron (Day Bombardment), 30 October - 11 November 1918 * 163d Aero Squadron (Day Bombardment), 1 – 11 November 1918

References

* Series "D", Volume 2, Squadron histories,. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

External links

{{authority control World War I sites of the United States World War I airfields in France

Overview

Known units assigned

See also

References

External links