1918

JANUARY 19 In Mineola, New York, the School of Aviation Medicine opens under the aegis of Dr. William H. Wilmer. His job is to instruct medi­cal personnel how to treat aviators and he helps construct the first pres­sure chamber to simulate high-altitude flying.

JANUARY 20 At Neufchateau, France, Colonel William “Billy” Mitchell becomes chief of air service, I Corps.

JANUARY 23 Near Marne, France, the first American military balloon flight of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) occurs.

FEBRUARY 1 In France, the U. S. Army

Air Service forms its first operational squadrons, being largely equipped with French-built fighters, bombers, and observation craft. By war’s end no less than 45 combat squadrons are present, with 800 pilots and 500 observer/tail gunners.

FEBRUARY 5 Over Saarbrucken, Germany, Lieutenant Stephen W. Thompson, 1st Aero Squadron, shoots down a German Albatros D. III fighter. This is the first American victory over an enemy air­craft; at the time he was serving as a volunteer tail gunner in a French Bre – guet aircraft.

FEBRUARY 7 The Joint Army-Navy Technical Board is created in light of the need to standardize instrumentation between Army and Navy aircraft.

FEBRUARY 8 Aircraft insignia of U. S. Army aircraft changes from a white star to concentric circles of red and blue around white.

FEBRUARY 16 In France, the 2nd Bal­loon Company deploys at Royamieux in the Toul sector of the Western Front; during the war, the Balloon Section makes 5,866 ascents (for a total of 6,832 hours in the air) for reconnaissance and artillery spotting purposes.

At Chatillon-sur-Seine, France, Major J. T. McNarney’s 89th Aero Squadron arrives for the purpose of instructing aer­ial observers.

FEBRUARY 18 In France, the 95th Aero Squadron becomes the first American fighter formation deployed there, al­though combat patrolling does not com­mence for another month.

The French disband the famed Lafayette Escadrille and its 90 veteran pilots are inducted directly into the Army Air Ser­vice as the 103rd Aero Squadron. It is also one of the first American units equipped with French SPAD XIII fighters.

February 23-March 5 At Toul, France, the 2nd Balloon Company joins the I Corps as the first unit of its kind deployed in support of field activities. It is ultimately joined by 35 other such companies.

March 4 In France, the 94th Aero Squadron deploys, becoming only the second such unit to do so.

March 8 At Mineola, New York, an early pressure chamber at the Signal Corps laboratory simulates conditions found at 34,000 feet for the first time. Majors Edward C. Schneider and James L. Whitney are the first two guinea pigs.

March 11 Lieutenant Paul Baer of the 103rd Aero Squadron (formerly the Lafayette Escadrille) single-handedly tackles seven German fighters, down­ing one. He becomes the first American pilot to win the Distinguished Service Cross.

March 12 Over France, Captain Phelps Collins becomes the first Air Service pilot killed when his SPAD XIII fighter crashes following a high-altitude dive.

March 15 Over Villeneuve-les-Vertus, south of Epernay, France, American pilots fly Nieuport 28 fighters on their first independent patrols along the Western Front.

MARCH 19 In France, the 94th Aero Squadron (“Hat-in-the-Ring”) becomes the first American aerial unit to operate over enemy lines.

MARCH 26 Over France, Colonel Raynal C. Bolling is killed on a ground recon­naissance mission, becoming the highest – ranking Air Service fatality of the war. Bolling Air Field, Washington, D. C., is dedicated in his honor.

April 1 In Rome, Italy, the American Aviation Headquarters is opened, where­upon Italian fliers will begin training American pilots.

In England, the Royal Air Force becomes the world’s first independent air service under Major General Hugh Trenchard; it is formed by combining the Royal Air Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

April 6 Aerial reconnaissance takes a major step after Lieutenant J. C. McKin­ney uses magnesium flares for the first time to take night photographs of the ground.

April 8 The 1st Aero Squadron becomes the first air squadron committed to combat operations along the Western Front. They operate two-seat SPAD air­craft and their first combat occurs four days later when they are attacked while con­ducting routine reconnaissance patrols.

April 9 The 94th Pursuit Squadron becomes the first American fighter outfit assigned to the Western Front.

APRIL 14 Over the Toul Airdrome, France, Lieutenants Alan F. Winslow and Douglas Campbell of the 94th Squadron are the first army combat pilots to shoot down German aircraft; they are flying French-built Nieuport 28s.

Over France, Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker, soon to become America’s highest-scoring “ace of aces” of this war, completes his first combat mission.

April 23 In France, the first shipment of American-built Liberty engines arrives at Pauillac.

April 29 Over Toul, France, Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker assists downing a German Albatros scout craft and receives half credit for the kill. A former racecar driver, he originally reached France as General John J. Pershing’s chauffeur, but volunteered for combat.

At Langley, Virginia, NACA board members approve the designs for a wind tunnel to be constructed at the aeronauti­cal laboratory.

May 5 Over Toul, France, the 94th and 95th Aero Squadrons are jointly adminis­tered as the 1st Pursuit Group; it survives today as part of the 1st Fighter Wing, the U. S. Air Force’s senior unit.

May 7 Over France, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker downs a German Pfalz D. III fighter while flying a Nieuport 28. This is the first of 26 confirmed kills.

May 8 Captains John F. Gallagher, Rob­ert J. Hunter, and Claude T. Uren are the first medical officers assigned as flight sur­geons at U. S. Army airfields.

May 11 In France, the first Liberty engine – powered De Havilland DH-4 bombers built in America arrive for service with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). A handful ofthese craft achieve operational status and most perform training functions.

MAY 15—16 Between New York City and Washington, D. C., airmail service begins as Lieutenants George L. Boyle

and H. P. Culver fly rickety Curtiss JN – 4H “Jenny” biplanes. After Boyle crashes in Maryland, Culver lands to retrieve the mail and continues on to New York.

May 17 In France, American-built DH – 4 bombers are assembled from crates and make their first operational test flights.

May 18 At Amanty Airdrome, France, the 96th Squadron is the first bomber unit organized by the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). They begin familiarizing themselves with excellent Breguet 14 bombers purchased from the French.

May 19 Over France, Captain Raoul F. Lufbery, a naturalized American citizen and a famed fighter pilot of the Lafayette Escadrille, dies in combat flying; his final tally is 17 German aircraft.

May 21 In Washington, D. C., the Divi­

sion of Military Aeronautics is detached from the Army Signal Corps and made a separate division under the Secretary of War’s office. It is commanded by Major General William L. Kenly.

May 24 In Washington, D. C., the Army Air Service is established once the Divi­sion of Military Aeronautics and Bureau of Aircraft Productions merge.

May 29 Brigadier General Mason M. Patrick assumes command of the Air Ser­vice, American Expeditionary Force.

June 6 Over Toul, France, the 91st

Squadron, the Air Service’s first dedicated Observation (reconnaissance) unit, begins making photo runs. Its subsequently per­forms useful service for the troops by spotting artillery behind enemy lines.

June 12 Over France, French-built Bre-

guet 14 bombers under Major Harry M.

Brown of the 96th Aero Squadron con­duct their first offensive operation by bombing the Dommary-Baroncourt rail yards. By war’s end, American bombers delivered 196 tons of bombs behind German lines, sometimes as far as 160 miles distant.

July 6 Over France, a German Albatros

fighter shoots down a balloon belonging to the 2nd Balloon Company; this is the Air Service’s first such loss.

July 14 Over France, Lieutenant Quen­tin Roosevelt is killed in action while fly­ing with the 95th Aero Squadron. He is the youngest son of former president Theodore Roosevelt.

July 20 Near Dunkirk, France, the 148th Pursuit Squadron commences operational flying at the Royal Air Force base at Capelle Airdrome.

July 23 In Washington, D. C., the direc­

tor of the Army Air Service instructs every Army airfield in the United States to have an air ambulance. This comes in response to experiments by medical offi­cer Major Nelson E. Driver and Captain William C. Ocker, commander of flight training at Gerstner Field, Louisiana, to modify a JN-4 trainer to accept a patient in a semi-reclining position.

July 24 In France, AEF commanding general John J. Pershing finalizes aerial strategy for his upcoming ground offen­sive near St. Mihiel. His chief of air ser­vice, Colonel William “Billy” Mitchell, is to figure prominently in the scheme.

July 25 At Saints, France, Lieutenant Frank Luke, soon to gain renown as America’s “Balloon Buster,” arrives with a group of replacement pilots for the 27th Aero Squadron.

AUGUST 2 At Ourches, France, a forma­tion of 18 DH-4 bombers from the 135th Observation Squadron completes a mission to and from their aerodrome. This action represents the combat debut of American-built warplanes.

AUGUST 7 In France, Chief of Air Service Colonel William “Billy” Mitchell requests the G-2 staff to provide him with targeting intelligence with respect to enemy airdromes, troop concentrations, and transportation choke points such as road intersections and railway stations.

AUGUST 17 The twin-engined Martin MB-1 bomber prototype performs its maiden flight. It was not available in time for combat in World War I, but served many years in the postwar decade as a mail carrier.

AUGUST 19—24 In France, Colonel Wil­liam “Billy” Mitchell distributes Air Ser­vice Circular No. 1, which precisely lays out the targets to be attacked during the upcoming St. Mihiel offensive.

AUGUST 24 In France, a number of French bombardment units are subordi­nated to the U. S. Air Service, bringing aircraft strength up to 1,467. Moreover, British bomber forces, while indepen­dent, are coordinating their actions with Colonel William Mitchell’s staff.

Over Chanute Field, Illinois, Major William R. Ream becomes the first flight surgeon to die in an aircraft accident.

AUGUST 28 In Washington, D. C., John D. Ryan gains appointment as the first director of the Air Service, which he holds simultaneously with the title Assis­tant Secretary of War.

SEPTEMBER 3 In France, General John J. Pershing orders American aerial reconnais­sance units to photograph German posi­tions prior to the commencement of ground and air offensive operations.

SEPTEMBER 7 In France, General John J. Pershing’s staff headquarters issues Field Orders No. 9, which clearly delineates combat operations and daily objectives during the upcoming St. Mihiel offensive.

In Illinois, the first known instance of aerial troop transportation occurs when 18 soldiers are carried between two air bases.

SEPTEMBER 11 In France, Air Service Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Thomas DeWitt Milling issues orders from Colonel William “Billy” Mitchell that the “Air Service will take the offen­sive at all points with the objective of destroying the enemy’s air service, attack­ing his troops on the ground, and protect­ing our own air and ground troops.” American air power is about to be born.

September 12-15 Over France, Colonel William “Billy” Mitchell leads 600 aircraft in America’s first, large-scale aviation offensive against St. Mihiel. Once supporting French, British, and Italian units are added to the mix, Mitch­ell commands a force of 1,476 aircraft and 30,000 servicemen. The first day’s activ­ities proceed well despite rain and over­cast, and General John J. Pershing orders his airmen to continue attacks pursuant to Field Orders No. 9.

Lieutenant Frank Luke, soon renowned as the “Arizona Balloon Buster,” claims his first German observa­tion balloon.

SEPTEMBER 14 Over France, German aerial opposition begins to coalesce along the Hindenburg Line, with small groups of Fokker and Pfalz fighters rising to con­front the Allied air offensive.

SEPTEMBER 15 Over France, Major Carl A. Spatz (latter Spaatz) downs a German warplane, a Fokker D. VII, from a forma­tion of five.

September 18 At Dayton, Ohio, Major R. W. Schroeder establishes a world alti­tude record of 28,899 feet over McCook airfield.

September 19 In France, daredevil pilot Lieutenant Frank Luke is grounded by superiors and ordered on a six-day leave in Paris. Over the past 17 days he has downed fourteen heavily armed balloons and four aircraft.

Over France, five bombers of the 20th Aero Squadron head for a target, but four ofthem return back to base for mechanical reasons. The aircraft piloted by Lieuten­ants Arthur F. Seaver and John Y. Stokes, Jr., continues on to the target and, despite the fact that enemy antiaircraft knocked out their engine, and they drop bombs while gliding. The two manage to thwart
pursuing German fighters and crash-land behind Allied lines; both receive a Distin­guished Service Cross.

SEPTEMBER 25 In France, Colonel Wil­liam “Billy” Mitchell issues Battle Orders No. 7 to prepare for the upcoming Meuse-Argonne Offensive; this continues with little interruption until November 11.

Over Etain, France, Lieutenant Edward V. Rickenbacker, 94th Aero Squadron, single-handedly tackles seven German air­craft, shooting down a Fokker fighter and a Halberstadt observation craft. He conse­quently becomes the first American airman to win the Congressional Medal ofHonor, although technical foul-ups prevent it being awarded until 1930.

SEPTEMBER 26 In France, the Air Service commits hundreds of aircraft and airmen to offensive operations during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. By this date they claim to have downed 74 German aircraft and 15 balloons; the struggle here
continues until the Armistice of Novem­ber 11,1918.

SEPTEMBER 29 At Murvaux, France, Lieutenant Frank Luke, 27th Aero Squad­ron, the celebrated “Balloon Buster” crashes behind German lines, refuses to surrender, and dies on the ground. With 17 airplanes and 18 balloons to his credit, he is the second-highest American ace of World War I and receives a posthumous Congressional Medal ofHonor.

OCTOBER 2 At Dayton, Ohio, the pilot­less Liberty Eagle (or Kettering “Bug”) is successfully flown and tested, although actual military applications await.

OCTOBER 5 In the Argonne Forest, air­craft of the 50th Aero Squadron begin a limited airdrop of supplies to the “Lost Battalion” once it is cut off by German forces. This is the first sustained aerial resupply in aviation history.

OCTOBER 6 Over Binarville, France,

Lieutenants Harold E. Goettler and Erwin R. Blecky, 50th Observation Squadron, are killed trying to deliver mail and supplies to the Army’s “Lost Battal­ion”; both receive posthumous Congressional Medals of Honor.

OCTOBER 7 Over France, a plane from the 24th Aero Squadron flown by Lieu­tenants S. R. Keesler and H. R. Riley is attacked by German fighters while on a reconnaissance mission. Keesler tries driving the attackers off with his machine gun but is shot down behind enemy lines and dies; he receives a posthumous Dis­tinguished Flying Cross.

OCTOBER 9 Over France, a force of 350 American bombers drops 32 tons of bombs on the region between La Wav – rille and Damvillers, France. This is the largest single concentration of American airplanes to date.

October 12 Over France, the 185th Aero Squadron performs the Army Air Service’s first night missions.

OCTOBER 14 When Brigadier General William G. “Billy” Mitchell is appointed chief of the Air Service Army Group, the general staffdisagrees and the position is abolished.

OCTOBER 30 Over France, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker claims his 25th and 26th German planes, becoming the lead­ing American ace. He also receives of a Mackay Trophy for becoming America’s “Ace of Aces.”

NOVEMBER 6—7 At Aberdeen, Mary­land, Dr. Robert H. Goddard test fires various solid-propelled rocket weapons for Army Air Service representatives. The direct military applications for such futuristic technology, however, remain more than two decades off.

NOVEMBER 9 In France, the 155th Night Bombardment Squadron is the final U. S. Air Service unit assigned to the American Expeditionary Force (AEF).

NOVEMBER 10 In France, airmen of the 94th Aero Squadron and the 104th Observation Squadron score the last American aerial victories of World War I during a final sortie over the Western Front. A wartime patrol occurs later that day, the last of the war, with aircraft of the 3rd Aero Squadron.

NOVEMBER 11 In France, the nascent Air

Service has deployed 3,538 aircraft and balloons, 20,568 officers, and 175,000 enlisted men. An additional 4,865 aircraft are also in the United States.

November 14 William “Billy” Mitchell, newly promoted to brigadier general, be­comes chief of the Air Service, Third Army, American Expeditionary Force (AEF).

NOVEMBER 21 At Mineola, New York, Major J. E. Booth and Lieutenant J. Spencer fly their De Havilland DH-4 bomber 700 miles nonstop from Mount Clemens, Michigan, in only four hours.

December 4—22 At San Diego, California, a flight of four Curtiss JN-4s under Major Albert D. Smith lifts off from to begin the first coast-to-coast flight by Army pilots.

DECEMBER 12 Over Fort Tilden, New York, the C-1 dirigible lifts a Curtiss Army JN-4 trainer to 2,500 feet then releases it. The aircraft simply flies away and lands safely, demonstrating the practicality of carrying fighters on lighter-than-air vessels.

December 22 At Jacksonville, Florida, Major Albert D. Smith coaxes his Curtiss JN-4 down after successfully completing the first coast-to-coast flight from San Diego, California, by Army pilots. His was the only machine to complete the trip.