The 96th 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 day bombardment squadron, performing long-range bombing attacks on roads and railroads: destruction of materiel and massed troop formations behind enemy lines. It also performed strategic reconnaissance over enemy-controlled territory, and tactical bombing attacks on enemy forces in support of Army offensive operations. After the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron returned to the United States in May 1919 and became part of the permanent United States Army Air Service in 1921, being re-designated as the 96th Squadron (Bombardment).Series "E", Volume 14, History of the 96th Aero Squadron. 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 96th Bomb Squadron, assigned to the 2d Operations Group, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, is the squadron's descendant United States Air Force unit, which has inherited its lineage and honors.
History Formation and training The 96th Bomb Squadron began in August 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas, as the 96th Aero Squadron. Like most other units being formed by the Air Service in summer 1917, the men of the unit had no definite conception of what lay in store, whether it would be among the units deployed to France for combat, or be used in the United States for other duties. It consisted of 80 men, largely college graduates or college dropouts, volunteers all, and something of an elite group, since their aeronautical qualifications were the highest in the U.S. Army Air Service.
At Kelly Field, the squadron was thoroughly drilled every day in the lessons of soldiering, and given considerable fatigue duty to indoctrinate the men into Army service. The squadron was threatened by a severe attack of ptomaine poisoning, which put half of the personnel in the hospital, but which did not result in any deaths. On 9 October, the squadron was ordered to the Aviation Concentration and Supply Depot at Mineola, New York, to be outfitted for overseas duty.
The squadron was allowed to embark on 27 October at New York Harbor pier 61 on the former White Star Liner RMS Adriatic. After an uneventful trans-Atlantic voyage, it arrived in Liverpool, England, on 10 November. After disembarking, the squadron was marched from the docks to the Liverpool railway station where it boarded a London and North Western Railway train which took them to Winchester, Hampshire, near the south coast of England. Arriving in the late afternoon the squadron was moved to the Romsey Rest Camp. Initially the squadron was ordered for six months' training in England under the tutelage of the Royal Flying Corps; however, a change in orders caused immediate departure for France. Moved to Southampton, the squadron embarked on a cross-channel ferry to Le Havre, Upper Normandy, France. From there it was moved to the 7th Aviation Instruction Center, Aulnat Aerodrome, Clermont-Ferrand, where it arrived on 16 November 1917.
As a pioneer squadron in the new school of bombardment instruction, the 96th was given complete control of the hangars, transportation and armament, and assisted in organizing the systems of management still in force. The mechanics of the squadron acquired a complete knowledge of the Breguet 14B.2 day bombardment plane and of the Renault motor, by daily visits to the nearby Michelin factory where the planes were made. The experience thus gained by assisting in the construction of the planes, and assembling the Renault motors in the factory, proved of immense value when the squadron was sent to the Zone of Advance. On 18 May 1918 ten bombing teams (A Pilot and Observer) were assigned to the squadron to fly the planes to the combat front.
Toul Sector Combat Operations The 96th Aero Squadron was ordered to Amanty Airdrome in the Toul Sector and became established as a bombing unit in active service against the enemy. The flying equipment of the squadron consisted of ten Breguet 14B.2 aircraft, which had been transferred by the 7th Aviation Instruction Center. The planes were in very poor condition, having been used for instruction since December 1917, and were in constant need of major repairs even before used as bomb carriers. At Amanty ten more teams, who had come there a month before, were assigned to the squadron to complete its organization. Just before embarking upon its first aerial warfare, the squadron decided upon its insignia, a black triangle outlined by a white strip enclosing the profile of a red devil thumbing his nose at the ground with his right hand. In his left, he held a white bomb. This distinctive emblem was designed by the squadron's talented graphic artist, Harry O. Lawson.Maurer, Maurer (1978) The US Air Service in World War I, Volume I, The Final Report and a Tactical History, The Office of Air Force History Headquarters USAF Washington
Initial operations consisted of several practice patrols covering the rear area of the sector and giving the Pilots the opportunity of flying together. The 96th saw combat supporting the U.S. First Army and the French Eighth Army from 12 June until the end of the war, becoming part of the 1st Day Bombardment Group with the 11th and 20th Aero Squadrons on 10 September.
The first bombing mission undertaken by the 96th was an event which excited great interest in the sector. Late afternoon of 12 June found eight planes loaded with bombs and ready for the long anticipated raid to a hostile objective. The squadron was practically without precedent for guidance, as it was isolated from other flying squadrons and had only two pilots on the rolls who had ever crossed the lines. At 16:30, the flight took off. Owing to the worn out condition of the motors, considerable time was spent in attaining a bombing altitude of 4000 meters. The objective was reached without mishap, save that two planes were forced to return because of motor trouble. (100 years to the day, on June 12, 2018, the legacy USAF unit, the 96th Bomb Squadron in Barksdale AFB, with the motto 'First to Bomb', flew a B-52 commemorative training mission joined by a KC-135R tanker and French Dassault Mirage 2000D fighters with the combined formation flying over Étain.)U.S. and French aviators remember WWI (Published June 14, 2018)
The squadron's baptism of anti-aircraft fire was received over Etain. The "Archies" (anti-aircraft fire) were particularly active and accurate over the objective. Lt. Rath bombed into the wind, and scored a good hit. Bursts were observed in the railroad yards, and the trail of bombs, 640 kilos in all, extended to the warehouses beyond the tracks. No photographs were obtained. The formation was attacked on the return flight by two enemy scout planes and one biplane fighter. The pilots closed in and held a tight formation, however, and the observers were able to beat off the attack after crossing our lines. One of the planes, received two explosive bullets in the motor, but was able to reach the airdrome. Three planes were forced to land with nearly empty gasoline tanks, but all landed safely. The other three arrived at the airdrome at 20:00. that night, the entire squadron joined in a camp jubilee to celebrate the unqualified success of the first American bombing raid.
The first big loss to the 96th came on 10 July when a formation of six planes was forced to land in hostile territory. All day the weather had been extremely unfavorable, but the clouds seemed to lift in the late afternoon. The formation left the airdrome at 18:05 PM, and was almost immediately swallowed up by the descending clouds. A strong southwest wind swept the planes northward, but the sky did not completely close until an hour after the take off. It is supposed that the leader was unable to find the objective on account of the storm and unable to recross the lines against the wind before the gasoline gave out. A wireless message was intercepted that night, stating that five American bombing planes attempting a raid on Koblenz, had been captured. The next day the sixth plane was heard from, also in German hands. All the pilots and observers were reported safe.
During the third week of July, eleven new Breguets, including two Corps d' Armee type, with photographic equipment, were delivered to the squadron as replacements. Many practice formations and bomb tests were held on flying days, while the engineering department prepared the planes for over-the-lines duty. Replacements of pilots and observers had arrived so that the squadron had 16 teams available for duty.
The first raid with the new equipment was carried out 1 August when eight planes, in a double V formation, bombed the warehouses and the railroad yards at Conflans. 960 kilograms of bombs were dropped; the exposure, although unsuccessful on this raid, valuable information regarding railroad activities was brought back by the observers. The burst were well bunched in the yards.
Adverse weather, high winds and formidable low clouds prevented extensive flying until 11 August 11, when Captain Cecil G. Sellers led a formation to Montmedy and dropped 1120 kilos of bombs, cutting the railroad track at the outskirts. On 12 August, the first successful photographs were obtained of bombs bursting in the railroad yards at Conflans on 23 August a raid was made on a marshaling yard at Dommary-Baroncourt, where good hits were made on the tracks with 880 kilos of bombs. 14 August was the first day on which the squadron was able to carry out two distinct missions, one to Longuyon in the morning and a second to Dommary-Baroncourtt in the afternoon. On the return from Longuyon, the squadron had its first "Close In" combat with enemy scout planes. The formation had dwindled down to five planes, which were seen by members of the German pursuit squadron stationed near Longuyon. Upon approaching the objective, the pilots and observers flew the enemy planes taking off from their field, and watched them gain altitude in remarkable short time. The enemy planes, numbering four, attacked from the sun, opening fire at 400 yards distance. The enemy planes followed the Breguet formation to the lines. Two planes were hit by anti-aircraft fire, but all returned safely to the airdrome. 1440 kilos of bombs were dropped that day.
Two raids were carried out the following day, one to Dommary-Baroncourt, on which good hits were scored, and the second to Conflans which was hotly attacked by 11 enemy scouts after releasing the bombs. Dommary-Baroncourt was hit again on the 16th of the month, Longuyon on the 20th and 21st, Audun-le-Roman on the 21 and Conflans once on the 22d and twice on the 23d, again on the 26th and Longuyon on the 25th. 30 August was a banner day for raids; Conflans was bombed at daylight; Longuyon at noon and Conflans again in the early evening. During the 14 flying days of August, the 96th carried out 20 successful raids, dropping 19,480 kilos of bombs. Precision bombing attained a high efficiency among the leading observers so that perfect hits were the rule. The average number of planes available was ten; the loss in planes was two.
The squadron continued to operate from the Amaty Field, dropping propaganda as well as bombs, until 23 September, when the squadron was moved to Maulan Aerodrome, near Ligny-en-Barrois, to prepare for the Argonne Drive.
Battle of Saint-Mihiel