The 27th 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 Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the

1st Pursuit Group First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

First United States 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 Kore ...

. Its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to reconnaissance and bombardment squadrons over enemy territory. It also attacked enemy observation balloons, and perform close air support and tactical bombing attacks of enemy forces along the front lines. After 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 ...

, the squadron returned to the United States in June 1919 and became part of the permanent

in 1921, being re-designated as the 27th Squadron (Pursuit).Series "E", Volume 6, History of the 25th–27th Aero Squadrons. Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, National Archives, Washington, D.C.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 Si ...

unit which holds its lineage and history is the

27th Fighter Squadron The 27th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force 1st Operations Group located at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia. The 27th is equipped with the F-22 Raptor. The 27th Fighter Squadron is the oldest active fighter squad ...

, assigned to the

1st Operations Group The 1st Operations Group (1 OG) is the flying component of the 1st Fighter Wing, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit in t ...

, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia.27 Fighter Squadron (ACC) AFHRA Lineage and History

History

Origins

The 27th was initially formed as Company K, 3d Provisional Aero Squadron on 8 May 1917 at

Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, Texas. On 15 June, Company K was re-designated as the 21st Aero Squadron. However, another 21st had been organized at Rockwell Field, California and on 23 June, the squadron was re-chartered as the 27th Aero Squadron. As Company "K", and later as the 27th, the squadron was initiated into the Army with close order drill, along with the labor of clearing cactus from the grounds of Kelly Field #2, and erecting a tent city, enduring the hazards of snakes and inclement weather according to the squadron historian at the time. On 19 August, the 27th was sent by train from San Antonio, Texas to

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada, where the squadron would receive training under the auspices of the Royal Flying Corps. Arriving at Leaside, initially the squadron continued basic indoctrination training until 5 September when it was separated into training Flights. The flights were classified by skills and ability. Training continued at various locations in the Toronto area until the end of October, when the squadron was sent to Fort Worth, Texas, and assigned to

Hicks Field Hicks Field (Camp Taliaferro Field #1) is a former World War I military airfield, located North-northwest of Saginaw, Texas. It operated as a training field for the Air Service, United States Army between 1917 until 1920. It was one of thi ...

on the 22d where it received flight training on the

Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...

D trainer. It relieved orders for overseas service and departed Hicks Field on 23 January 1918, arriving at the Aviation Concentration Depot, Garden City, New York on the 26th. Unfortunately, a rash of

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by '' Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects chi ...

infected many squadron personnel, and about 60 men were transferred out of the squadron to be medically quarantined. After being delayed for about a month, the 27th boarded a troop ship and departed from New York Harbor on 26 February, arriving at

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, England on 5 March. A train took the squadron to a Rest Camp at

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 ...

the same day. The squadron waited until 17 March before crossing the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...

and arriving in

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 ...

, France on the 18th.

Arrival in France

After a train journey in French "Cattle Cars", the squadron arrived at Air Service Headquarters, AEF, at

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 ...

on 20 March. There for the next week, the men received their barracks bags, which they had not had since arriving in Liverpool on the 5th. Also, they were quartered in wooden barracks and were able to relax for about a week. During this time, the 27th Aero Squadron was classified as a Pursuit squadron, and was ordered to the 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 ...

, at which they arrived on 29 March. There, the squadron was separated into air and ground flights, the pilots receiving advanced combat training Sopwith F-1 Camels and on the

Nieuport 28 The Nieuport 28 C.1, a French biplane fighter aircraft flown during World War I, was built by Nieuport and designed by Gustave Delage. Owing its lineage to the successful line of sesquiplane fighters that included the Nieuport 17, the Nie ...

aircraft the squadron was to be assigned. Also the men were assigned to aircraft mechanics and other support duties. Remaining at Issoudun until 24 April, the squadron moved up into the "Zone of Advance", or the

, at Epiez Aerodrome. There, the squadron joined with the 94th, 95th and 147th squadrons, and received Nieuport 28s that were ferried from Orly Field, near Paris. At Epiz, being near the front lines, the squadron continued with practice formations and an occasional alert when enemy aircraft were seen or rumored to be in the vicinity. On 31 May, the 27th and the 147th squadrons moved to the 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 ...

. There the squadrons re-joined with the 94th and 95th which were already operating over the front along with part of the French 122d Escadrille. There, the four AEF squadrons were formally organized into the

on 1 June.

Toul Sector operations

On 2 June 1918, the 27th Aero Squadron entered into combat operations. The first patrol was uneventful, and it accomplished its objective. Many in the squadron were rather surprised as there has been nothing exciting, that the pock-marked lines seemed so quiet, and no Germans were in the air. The fact was that we failed to realize the danger, but that was soon to change. Over the next several days the squadron began a routine of three scheduled patrols, lasting about an hour each, and then three or four voluntary patrols each day. On 4 June, the squadron performed seven patrols with the object of keeping enemy observation photographers from coming over. The squadron engaged in combat with the German Air Force on several patrols, and on 13 June, Lt Plyler was reported missing after being shot down in a combat with German planes, and later was reported to be a prisoner. In the days that followed, saw a continence of these same types of patrols. On 25 June, orders came to be ready to move to the Chateau Thierry Sector.

Chateau Thierry Sector operations

The squadron moved to

Touquin Aerodrome Touquin Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located west of Touquin in the Île-de-France region in northern France. Overview As with Saints, Touquin airfield was hastily built during the Allied struggle to stop t ...

on 28 June, and on the 30th began flying reconnaissance patrols along the sector to familiarize themselves with the new sector. These patrols were staggered throughout the day, each one going deeper into enemy territory. The squadron did not encounter any enemy aircraft, however anti-aircraft artillery fire was accurate and active. On 2 July, the squadron engaged in aerial combat with Jagdgeschwader 1, the famous "Richthofen Circus" and eight squadron aircraft were in combat for thirty-five minutes. Four enemy Fokker D.VIII were shot down, with two squadron pilots being reported as missing. Through mid-July, the squadron carried out escort patrols for photographic observation aircraft, primarily from the 91st and 88th Aero Squadrons. On 9 July, a group of

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

planes joined the Air Service in the sector. With the addition of the RAF planes, Allied aircraft were concentrated on attacking German infantry formations whenever they tried to make an advance. On the 15th, the full Allied offensive in the sector began, with operations ongoing from dawn until nightfall. The 27th encountered German formations as large as 30 aircraft. On the 16th the Germans crossed the

Marne River The Marne () is a river in France, an eastern tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is long. The river gave its name to the departments of Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine-et-Marne, and Val-de-Marne. The Marne starts in t ...

Dormans Dormans () is a commune located in the Marne department and in the Grand Est region of France.Spad XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béc ...

St. Mihiel Offensive

By 1 September, the front had moved considerably and preparations were being made to move up closer to the line. A move to Rembercourt Aerodrome was made on 3 September and operations began the next day. In order to keep the squadron operations secret from the Germans, it was necessary to keep aircraft in the air in the vicinity of Rembercourt to guard against their photographic planes. The American offensive began on 12 September after an intense artillery barrage, and the 27th was ordered to conduct close air support for the infantry and machine-gun enemy infantry on the ground; protect observation aircraft and take the offensive to enemy pursuit planes spotted in the sector. In addition, all enemy observation balloons were to be attacked. However, on account of weather conditions, flights were limited to about 200 meters in altitude, with patrols primarily supporting the infantry advance and to attack enemy convoys and troop concentrations in its rear areas. However, after a few days, the weather improved and the squadron was able to operate from as high as 5,500 meters.

Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Almost immediately after the completion of the St. Mihiel offensive that the group began preparing for a drive in the

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

area. On the night of 25 September, the heaviest American artillery barrage of the war was laid down on the enemy front. Operations orders received stated that all available aircraft would leave the ground before dawn to attack and destroy all enemy observation balloons. After that aircraft would attack enemy troops on the ground and engage any enemy aircraft to prevent them attacking friendly infantry forces. The 27th successfully brought down four enemy balloons, and an advance flight also moved forward to an airdrome west of Verdun. It was at this time, the actions of Lt.

Frank Luke Frank Luke Jr. (May 19, 1897 – September 29, 1918) was an American fighter ace credited with 19 aerial victories, ranking him second among United States Army Air Service pilots after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker during World War I. Luke was t ...

were at their height. Each day, he attacked balloons at dawn and dusk and in one instance he shot down three balloons in less than 10 minutes time. In addition to the balloons, he also shot down an enemy biplane and a Fokker. However, on 28 September he was reported missing, and unfortunately was confirmed to be killed about a month later. Operations were mainly at altitudes of less than 600 meters primarily to attack any enemy aircraft flying to attack American ground forces. Fifteen enemy aircraft were shot down by the 27th during this period. During the closing days of the war, reports indicated that enemy activity had dwindled to a great extent. Only a few biplanes and an occasional enemy formation of aircraft were seen. Hostilities ended on 10 November, as unfavorable weather caused the squadron to be grounded on the morning of 11 November.

Demobilization

Proficiency flights were conducted after the Armistice with Germany, however, no flights were permitted to be flown over German-controlled territory. The squadron remained at Rembercourt for about a month. On 5 December 1918 orders were received from First Army for the squadron to report to the 1st Air Depot,

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 ...

to turn in all of its supplies and equipment and was relieved from duty with the AEF. The squadron's SPAD aircraft were delivered to the Air Service American Air Service Acceptance Park No. 1 at Orly Aerodrome to be returned to the French. There practically all of the pilots and observers were detached from the squadron. During the organization's stay at Colombey, the men attended to the usual camp duties.Series "E", Volume 27, Supplemental History of the 10th–636th Squadrons. 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 one of several staging camps in France. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the Base Ports in France for transport to the United States and subsequent demobilization.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. On 2 February 1919, the 27th was moved to Base Station #5 near the port of

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

prior to its return to the United States. Upon arrival the men were caught up on any back pay owed to them, de-loused, a formal military records review was performed and a passenger list was created prior to the men boarding a ship. On 5 March 1919, the 27th Aero Squadron boarded the USS ''Charleston'' and sailed for New York Harbor, arriving approximately 18 March. It proceeded to Garden City, where most of the personnel of the squadron were demobilized and returned to civilian life.

Lineage

* Formed as: Company K, 3d Provisional Aero Squadron on 8 May 1917 * Organized as 21st Aero Squadron on 15 June 1917 : Re-designated as: 27th Aero Squadron on 23 June 1917 : Re-designated as: 27th Aero Squadron (Pursuit), on 20 March 1918 : Re-designated as: 27th Aero Squadron on 19 March 1919 : Re-designated as: 27th Squadron (Pursuit) on 14 March 1921

Assignments

* Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 8 May 1917 * Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps : Attached to the

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

for training, 18 August 1917 – 26 January 1918 * Aviation Concentration Center, 26 January – 25 February 1918 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, 20 March 1918 * 3d Air Instructional Center, 29 March 1918 * Air Service Headquarters, AEF, British Isles, 5–20 March 1918 * Headquarters, Chief of Air Service, AEF, 24 April 1918 *

, 1 June 1918 * 1st Air Depot, 12 December 1918 * Commanding General, Services of Supply, 5 February – 8 March 1919 * Eastern Department , 19 March 1919

Stations

, Texas, 15 June 1917 * Camp Leeside,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, Ontario, Canada, 18 August 1917 : Detachments at various Canadian stations, 5 Sep – 22 October 1917 *

(

Camp Taliaferro Camp Taliaferro was a World War I flight-training center run under the direction of the Air Service, United States Army in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. Camp Taliaferro had an administration center near what is now the Will Rogers Memorial Cen ...

Field #1), Texas, 29 October 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, 26 Jan – 25 February 1918 * 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 ...

:: Overseas transport: 26 February – 5 March 1918 *

, England, 5 March 1918 *

, England, 6 March 1918 *

, France, 20 March 1918 *

, France, 29 March 1918 * Epiez Aerodrome, France, 24 April 1918 * Croix de Metz Aerodrome (Toul), France, 1 June 1918 *

, France, 28 June 1918 * Saints Aerodrome, France, 9 July 1918 * Rembercourt Aerodrome, France, 3 September 1918 : Flight operated from un aerodrome in the Verdun area, 25 September 1918 – unknown *

, France, 12 December 1918 *

Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French ...

, 5 Feb – 8 March 1919 *

Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territory ...

, New York, 19 March 1919

Combat sectors and campaigns

Notable personnel

* Lt. Frank Luke Jr.,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

, DSC (2x), Air Ace, (KIA) * Lt. Oliver T. Beauchamp, KIA * Lt. Kenneth S. Clapp, DSC, 2 aerial victories * Lt. Leslie B. Cooper, SSC * Lt. W.B. Cunn, MIA * Lt. Leo H. Dawson, SSC, 3 aerial victories, 1 balloon * Lt. Edward Elliot, MIA * Lt. W. H. Flyer, POW * Lt. William F. Frank, DSC, 1 aerial victory, (KIA) * Cpt. Alfred A. Grant, DSC, 4 aerial victories * Lt. Malcolm Gunn, MIA * Maj. Harold E. Hartney, DSC, SSC * Lt. William J. Hoover, DSC, 3 aerial victories * Lt. Donald Hudson, DSC, 6 aerial victories, Air Ace * Lt. J.S. Hunt, (KIA) * Lt. Thomas F. Lennon, SSC *Lt. Frederick E. Little, 5+ aerial victory (World War I Ace) * Lt. C. A. McElvain, POW * Lt. John K. MacArthur, DSC, air ace, (KIA) * Lt. R.C. Martin, POW * Lt. Zenos R. Miller, SSC, POW * Lt. R. V. Navius, (KIA) * Lt. Fred W. Norton, DSC, (KIA) * Lt. Robert F. Raymond, DSC, POW, 1 aerial victory * Lt. I. A. Roberts, MIA * Lt. Edward W. Rucker, DSC, 1 aerial victory * Lt. C. R. Sands, MIA * Lt. Penrose V. Stout, DSC * Lt. W. B. Wanamaker, POW * Lt. Joseph F. Wehner, DSC (2x), air ace, (KIA) * Lt. S. W. White, (KIA) * Lt. A. L. Whiton, MIA DSC:

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) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

; SSC: Silver Star Citation; KIA: Killed in Action; MIA:

Missing in Action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...

; POW:

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

References

{{Reflist Fighter squadrons of the Air Service, United States Army Squadrons of the United States Army Air Service in World War I Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1921