| 94th Aero Squadron | |
|---|---|
 SPAD XIII and pilots of the 94th Aero Squadron, Foucaucourt Aerodrome, France, November 1918 Identified pilots are: 1LT Reed Chambers, Capt James Meissner, 1LT Eddie Rickenbacker, 1LT TC Taylor and 1LT JH Eastman | |
| Active | 20 August 1917 – 14 March 1921 as the 94th Aero Squadron. See 94th Fighter Squadron for full information. |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch | .svg){kind=small} Air Service, United States Army |
| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Pursuit |
| Part of | American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) |
| Fuselage Code | "Hat in the Ring" |
| Engagements |  World War I |
| Decorations | .jpg){kind=small} French Croix de Guerre with Palm |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Maj. Raoul Lufbery Maj. John W. F. Huffer Maj. Kenneth Marr Capt. John Owen Donaldson Capt.Field Eugene Kindley Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker[1] Lt. Alfred A. Grant |
| Insignia | |
| 94th Aero Squadron Emblem |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Nieuport 28, 1918 Spad XIII, 1918–19[1] |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Operations |
1st Pursuit Group
|
| Victories |
Air Aces: 8[5]
|
The 94th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service fighter squadron that fought on the Western Front during World War I.[3][7] The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of the 1st Pursuit Group, First United States Army. 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 performed close air support and tactical bombing attacks of enemy forces along the front lines.[8]
The squadron was one of the first American pursuit squadrons to reach the Western Front and see combat, becoming one of the most famous. The 94th was highly publicized in the American print media of the time, and its exploits "over there" were widely reported on the home front. Its squadron emblem, the "Hat in the Ring," became a symbol in the minds of the American public of the American Air Service of World War I. Three notable air aces served with the squadron. Eddie Rickenbacker was awarded almost every decoration attainable, including the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. Douglas Campbell was the first American trained pilot to become an flying ace. He shared the honor of the squadron's first official aerial victory with Alan Winslow. Another squadron member, Raoul Lufbery, attained 17 victories before leaping to his death from a fiery Nieuport 28 aircraft in May 1918.[3]
After the 1918 Armistice with Germany, the squadron returned to the United States in June 1919 and became part of the permanent United States Army Air Service in 1921. The United States Air Force's 94th Fighter Squadron traces its lineage back to this unit.[1]
- ^ a b c 94 Fighter Squadron (ACC) AFHRA Lineage and History document (fact sheet), Air force, archived from the original on 4 March 2016
- ^ Gorrell, "O", History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, vol. 29. Weekly Statistical Reports of Air Service Activities, October 1918 – May 1919, Washington, D.C.: National Archives.
- ^ a b c Gorrell, "History of the 94th Aero Squadron", History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917–1919, vol. 12, Washington, D.C.: National Archives.
- ^ a b c Gorrell, "Compilation of Confirmed Victories and Losses of the AEF Air Service as of 26 May 1919", History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, vol. 38.
- ^ "94th Aero Squadron", USA services, The aerodrome.
- ^ Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W (1992), Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918, Grub Street, ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
- ^ "Part 3", Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War (Reprint), vol. 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1988 [1949]
- ^ Maurer, Maurer (1978), The US Air Service in World War I (PDF), Washington: The Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013, retrieved 1 September 2013.