Figure 1.--Here are four Americans who served in the Lafayette Escadrille before america entered World War I, probably taken in late-1916. Note the French uniforms. They are Walter Lowell, Edmound Genet, Raoul Lufbery, and James McConnell. The experience gained by Lafayette Escadrille flyers would play a valuable role after America declared war on Germny and began building a sizeable air service. It is notable that while many Americans volunteered to aid the Allies, virtually no Americans volunteered to aid the Germans, despite the fact that America had the largest ethnic German population outside Germany.
World War I was the first war in which air power played a significant role. Thus the term ace was coined during the War. A flying ace became defined as a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Aircraft destroyed on the ground were not counted. The term was invented by French newspapers, describing Adolphe Pégoud as l'as (the ace), after he shot down five German planes. None of the belligerants, least of all the United States which did not begin to build a serious air service until after it enterd the War, has a serious pilot training program. Most pilots were thrown into combat after only a very brief and rudimentry training effort. Most of the scores run up by aces were young pilots that did not really know what they were doing. Each of the major combatants has their aces. They acquired a status rather like chivalarous medieval knights. The air war began with baloon busting and evolved into the most deadly and dangerous combat activities of the War. The various World War I air services picked up the idea of aces and developed their own definitions of precisely what an air victory was as well as verifying and assigning credit. American air service began with the French and throughout the War used French and British planes. The United States produced 71 aces durig the War. Five had more than 10 victories each. Several American aviators are well known, including Eddie Rickenbacker, Raoul Lufbery, Quentin Roosevelt, Frank Luke, Joe Werner, Carl Spaatz, Everett Cook, Billy Mitchell and others. The Battle of St. Mihiel was the beginning of the American Meuse-Argon offensive. The battle marked the meteoric ascent of balloon‐busting ace Frank Luke, who shot down 18 Germans in 17 days before meeting his death. The impetuous Luke won the Medal of Honor, as would American ace of aces Eddie Rickenbacker, who ultimately gained 26 victories and survived the war.
Everett Cook
Captain Everett Richard Cook was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. Cook joined the U. S. Army Aero Service (May 1917). This was the embryonic predecessor of the U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force. He began service as a First Lieutenant in the European theater (November 1917). He began flying reconnaissance missions behind German lines involving combat (June 1918). He rapidly rose to command the 91st Aero Squadron and attained the rank of Captain on (November 3, 1918, just a week before the Armistice. Cook flew a Salmson 2A2 for his five victories over German fighters (September and October 1918). Cook served on General Billy Mitchell's staff after the War. Cook played an even more important role during World war II. He became Brigadier General, Deputy Chief of Staff for the U. S. 8th Air Force, in its London headquarters , under the command of General Carl 'Toohey' Spaatz.
Edmond C.C. Genet
Americans Edmond C.C. Genet enlisted in the French Foreign Legion (1915). After grisly infantry combat on the Western Front, he then transferred to the Lafayette Escadrille a few months before American entered the War (January 1917). Genet wrote in his dairy, "The aviation corps is my one hope for happiness in these next months of war if I can get into it. God help me!"
Walter Lowell
Walter Lovell with a contingent of other Americans departed for England on of all ships the RMS Lusitania (January 1915). A few months later a German U-boat sunk Lusitania, almost bringing America into the War. He and other Americans joined the American Ambulance Hospital Field Service, in France, but a first behind the front lines. The French High Command authorized creation of foreign sanitary sections of the American Ambulance and allowed them to work on the Western Front as part of the French Army Automobile Service (Spring 1915). Lovell was dispatched to Alsace and after 6 months became second in command of the American Automobile Sanitary Section N° 2 of the Sanitary Service of the 73rd division. Desiring to make agreater contribution, Lowell along with Clyde Balsley, Willis Haviland, Thomas Hewitt, Henry Jones, James McConnell and Robert Rockwell applied for a transfer from American Field Service to French Air Service (Summer 1916). Lowell received training in different aviation schools in Buc, Avord and Pau, and finally was breveted (October 1916). Lowell joined the Lafayette Escadrille (February 1917). He became one of the unit's most dependable fliers and then patrol leaders. He served for 10 months on the Western Front as a fighter-pilot--an eternity given the casualty rate. Sergeant Walter Lovell flew Nieuport 17 and Spad VII aircraft. often on missions behind the German lines. He had only one confirmed kill, shooting down an Albatros D.V., but probbly had other victories. Wih America in the war, he transferred to General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Force at Chaumont (October 1917). A medical test fojund a hearing loss and color blindness, which kept him outg of combat for the remainder of the War. American medical examiners found even more serious medical problems in other Lafayette Escadrille flyers, including Raoul Lufbery, William Thaw, Charles Dolan, Dudley Hill, and Henry Jones. Lovell was promoted to Captain (January 1918) and to Major (August 1918). He served as a member of the French Aviation Mission in Paris and chief aviation instructor in the United States from (July 1918 in till the Armistice).
Raoul Lufbery
Raoul Lufberry who emigrated to America following his father and became a U.S. citizen. Upon the outbreak of World War I joined the French Foreign Legion as an infantryman, service which wouldn't jeopardize his American citizenship (August 1914). He was promptly transferred to Pourpe's squadron of the French aviation service as a mechanic. fter only a few months Pourpe died and Lufbery enrolled in pilot training at Chartres. After learning to fly on Farmans, he joined Escadrille VB (Voisin) 106. fter mastering the basics, he applied to fly single seat fighters. His CO did not like the idea and he went to Plessis-Belleville for Nieuport scout training. He proved not to be a naturally gifted pilot, but through persistent became a competent flier. Because he served in both the French Air Force, and later the United States Army Air Service in World War I, he is sometimes listed alternately as a French ace or as an American ace. Officially, all but one of his 17 combat victories came while flying in French units.
Frank Luke
The Battle of St. Mihiel was the beginning of the American Meuse-Argon offensive. The battle marked the meteoric ascent of balloon‐busting ace Frank Luke, who shot down 18 Germans in 17 days before meeting his death. Baloons were rargetted because of their role in mapping eneny trench lines and in directing artillery fire. Artillery was the big killer during the war. The impetuous Luke won the Medal of Honor
James Rogers McConnell
James Rogers McConnell (1887 – 1917) flew as an aviator during World War I in the Lafayette Escadrille and authored Flying for France. McConnell sailed from New York to enlist with the American Ambulance Corps to serve in France (1915). He destonguished himself, saving wounded French soldiers under fire. He thought America should enter the War and anted to ;personally play a greater role in the War. He resignef from the Ambulance Corps and entered the Lafayette Escadrilleaviation training program. He wrote at the time, "All along I had been convinced that the United States ought to aid in the struggle against Germany. With that conviction, it was plainly up to me to do more than drive an ambulance. The more I saw the splendor of the fight the French were fighting, the more I felt like an embusque - what the British call a 'shirker'. So I made up my mind to go into aviation." McConnell participated in the unit's first patrol (May 1916). Thirty-eight pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille flew Nieuport biplanes that traveled at 110 miles per hour. They operating from Luxeuil Field in eastern France, McConnell's group typically set off each day at dawn, clad in fur-lined outfits for two-hour patrols. Only after the Battle of Verdun did the planes receive forward a fixed machine guns. Befoire this the pilots fired guns to the side with one hand whilr handly the plne with the other hand. The Germans intriduced macjine guns first and with this the classic era of dog fights began. The 47-round Lewis machine guns were replaced with 500-round Vickers models which synchronized with the rotating propellers. While convalescing from a back injury, suffered during a failed landing, McConnell found time to write Flying for France. Two German planes engaged McConnell and shot him down over the Somme battlefield, shortly before america entered the war. A monument erected to McConnell in Carthage bears an inscription reading in part, "He fought for Humanity, Liberty and Democracy, lighted the way for his countrymen and showed all men how to dare nobly and to die gloriously."
Billy Mitchell
William Lendrum 'Billy' Mitchell (1879–1936) after World War was a United States Army general who is widely regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. At the time the United States declared war on Germany (April 1917), Mitchell was in Spain on his way to France as a U.S. army military observer. He arrived in Paris a few days later and set about a very different mission. He set up an office for the U.S. Aviation Section from which he collaborated extensively with British and French air leaders such as General Hugh Trenchard. America at the time did not have any high-performance aircraft. He began studying Allied strategies and aircraft. He made the first flight by an American officer over German lines, flying with a French pilot (April 24). Soon Mitchell had gained enough experience to begin preparations for American air operations. Mitchell rapidly earned a reputation as a daring, flamboyant, and tireless leader--a reputation he would nevr lose. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel (May 1917). He was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel on (October 1917). He would orcestrate the air phase of America's great Meuse-Argon offensive. He planned and led almost 1,500 British, French, and Italian aircraft in the air phase of the Battle of Saint-Mihiel--the beginning of the Meuse Argon offensive. This proved to be the first coordinated air-ground offensives in history. Tragically the army and Army air Corps did not build on this concept in the inter-War era. He was received the temporary rank of brigadier general (October 1918) and commanded all American air combat units on the Western Frint. He ended the war as Chief of Air Service, Group of Armies, and became Chief of Air Service, Third Army after the armistice.
Despite his much-admired leadership and impressive combat record, he alienated many of his superiors during and after his 18 months of service in France. His tendency to speak his mind regardless of career implications led to his cintriversial court marshall after the War.
Eddie Rickenbacker was a true American original. His father died when he was only 12 years old. He thus had to quit school and begin working. He took a correspondence course in mechanchics. He developed into a crack mechanic which led to racing. Automobile manufacturers at the time marketed their cars by racing them. So Eddie became a race car driver, eventually. His skill soon made his famous and rich. When America declared war, he tried to interest the war Department in a squadron of pilots made up as race car drivers. There was no interest. So he enlisted and was quickly made Gen. Pershing's driver. While in France, he was recruited by General Mitchell as an engineering officer for the fledgling Army Air Corps. While at the Anerican Training Center he got interested in flying. He stood out among American pilots who were mostly college graduates and from well-to-do families. His skill soon earned their respect. He became the leading American fighter ace in World War I--the American Ace of Aces.
One of the saddest stories of American World War I aviators has to be Quentin Roosevelt, President Thodore Roosevelt's youngest son. All of the Roosevelt boys, including Quentin, voluteered for military serviuce after America entered the War (April 1917). Quentin was universally loved by both his family and all who came in contact with him. He was one of the most engaging of all the presidential children. All of the Roosevelt boys as might be expected enlisted in World War I. During the War, his comrads in armed expected to meet a haughty rich kid expecting specul treatment, but were surprised to encounter one of the most personable individuls they had ever known. Presdent Roosevelt had a romantic notion of war and passed this concept on to his children. The Spanish American War and the Rough Riders charge up San Juan (Kettle) Hill was a very different experience than the slaughter and trench warfare of World War I. Roosevelt wrote admiringly of war and delivered belicose speeches criticising President Wilson for keeping America out of World War I. All of the Roosevelt boys volunteered and served in the military after America finally entered the War (1917). Theu mist have flet a need to proive themselves to their father, perhaps uentin more than the other older boys. Quentin became a fighter pilot. Flying was glamerous. It was also a virtual death sentence, the most dangerous service imaginable. Young men were sent into deadly aerial combat withbobly the most basic training. We so not think that either Quentin or especially his father were fully aware of the dangers involved. Nor the high probability that Quentin would not survive the War. And Quentin was fearless, recklessly so, without the least thought of personal safety. He was even cautioned about this by his commanding officer. He was tragically killed in aerial combat over the trenches in France (July 1918). His parents had just received word of his heroics in the air over France when the next day they learned that he had been killed. The President and Edith were crushed. Of course that does not make his lost any more sad than other Americans. It is just that Quentin grewup in the white House. He became the darling of the Washigton Press Corps. And was widely photographed. The antices of Quentin and his brother Archie with their menagerie of animals charmed Americans. Many americans watched him grow up and turn into a fine young man. This there was a vert real personal attachment to Quentin that did not exist with the other aviators.
Carl Spaatz
Joe Werner
Sources
Genet, E.C.C. An American for Lafayette: The Diaries of E.C.C. Genet.
