The U.S. Air Service in World War I: The Final Report and A Tactical History - Sopwith Camel, Haviland, Eddie Rickenbacker, Observation Balloons, Pursuit Tactics, Handley-Page, Spad Planes

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this is an important and comprehensive historical account of U.S. air activities in Europe during World War I.

The "Final Report" published in this volume has been taken from Air Service Information Circular (Aviation), Vol. II, No. 180, 15 February 1921. Substantive changes made in the Office of the Chief of Air Service when the "Final Report" was being prepared for publication in 1921 have been pointed out in notes provided by the editor. When the United States entered the war in April 1917, the Army had two reporting systems for obtaining historical information from some of its major components, but that was the extent of the historical program. In February 1918, however, the War Department created a Historical Branch of the General Staff to write the history of the World War. About the same time, Gen. John J. Pershing, Commander in Chief of the AEF, set up a historical unit in AEF General Headquarters at Chaumont-en-Bassigny, France. During the weeks that followed, historical programs were established by various elements of the U.S. Army, including the AEF's Services of Supply (SOS), with headquarters at Tours, France.

Final Report of the Chief of Air Service, AEF * I. Achievement * II. The Woevre and the Marne * III. St. Mihiel and the Argonne-Meuse * IV. Early Problems and Their Solutions * V. Reorganization and Development * VI. Period of Expansion * VII. The Working Organization * VIII. Difficulties * IX. Scope of Activities and General Remarks * X. Training * XI. The Supply Section * XII. The Technical Section * XIII. The Balloon Section * XIV. The Aircraft Armament Section * XV. The Photographic Section * XVI. The Radio Section * XVII. The Medical Consultant * XVIII. Conclusion * A Tactical History of the Air Service, AEF * Part One: The Achievement of the Air Service, AEF * Part Two: Tactical History of Corps Observation * I. Introduction * II. The First Corps Observation Group in the Toul Sector * III. The 12th Aero Squadron in the Baccarat Sector * IV. The Third Flight of the 99th Squadron in the Vosges * V. The 1st Corps Air Service at Chateau-Thierry * VI. The Third Corps Air Service on the Vesle River * VII. The Corps Air Service in the St. Mihiel Offensive * VIII. The Corps Air Service in the Argonne-Meuse Offensive * Part Three: Tactical History of Army Observation * I. On the Toul Sector * II. The St. Mihiel Offensive * III. The Argonne-Meuse Offensive * Part Four: Tactical History of Pursuit Aviation * I. The Toul Sector * II. Chateau-Thierry * III. St. Mihiel Offensive * IV. Argonne-Meuse Offensive * V. American Pursuit Units on the British Front * VI. Second Army Pursuit * Appendices to Tactical History of Pursuit Aviation * A. Sample Battle Orders, Air Service, First Army * B. Sample Operations Order, 1st Pursuit Wing * C. Sample Operations Order, 1st Pursuit Group * D. Table: Percentage of Casualties to Available Pilots * E. Chart: Enemy Aircraft Brought Down * F. Chart: Ratio of Confirmed Victories to Casualties * G. Table: Planes on Hand and Available for Service and Pilots Available * Part Five: Tactical History of Day Bombardment * I. From the Beginning to the St. Mihiel Offensive * II. The St. Mihiel Offensive * III. The Argonne-Meuse Offensive * Part Six: Tactical History of American Observation Balloons * I. In the Toul Sector * II. At Chateau-Thierry * III. In the St. Mihiel Battle * IV. In the Argonne-Meuse Offensive * V. Miscellaneous