Pretz-en-Argonne 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 located near 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
Pretz-en-Argonne, 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
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
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 northeastern
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 might have been initially built by/for French Air Service as two of its "escadrilles" were stationed in Pretz until 13 September 1918.
[French II Corps Air Service: BR 11 1-13 Sep 1918 and BR 269 31 Aug - 12 Sep 1918] American
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 ...
spent a short spell in Pretz, 14–20 September, before go back to
Souilly Aerodrome
Souilly Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located Northeast of Souilly, in the Meuse department in north-eastern France.
Overview
With the Battle of Verdun raging on in the early part of 1917, a cluster of new a ...
to be part of the newly formed
III Corps Observation Group
The III 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 on 12 May 1919. There is no modern United Sta ...
. The next day, a French escadrille BR 236 arrived at PRetz, from where it flew heavy artillery mission for the American First Army until the end of war - it left the field on 25 November.
Despite its very short time of use by the American Air Service, le field became known as Bregnet Field. The precise location of the airfield is undetermined, and presumably after the war, the airfield was abandoned and returned to agricultural use.
Known units assigned
*
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 ...
(Observation) 14–20 September 1918
See also
*
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