1st Corps Observation Group (World War I)
Encyclopedia
The 1st Corps Observation Group is an inactive United States Army
unit. It was last assigned to the I Corps, United States Army Air Service
, during World War I
in France. The organization was inactivated in early 1919 as part of the United States withdrawal of forces from Europe after World War I and the demobilization afterwards.
as part of the Pancho Villa Expedition
while chasing Pancho Villa
into Mexico
in 1916.
Assigned to the I Corps, United States Army Air Service
, First United States Army. Commenced active operations over the front occupied by the 26th Division, United States Army, between Flirey and Apremont on that portion of the front known as the Toul sector.
The pilots of these squadrons, with one or two exceptions, had never before flown in combat. The group and squadron commanders were in every case men of long experience in training work but had never flown to an appreciable extent under war conditions.
The mission of the group was primarily to keep the friendly command informed of the general situation within the enemy lines by means of visual and photographic reconnaissances.
It was called upon to effect, whenever necessary, the adjustment of our own artillery fire. In addition, it expected that the group would serve to complete the schooling of pilots and
observers and render them more competent to undertake intensive operations elsewhere on a larger and more complete scale.
Was briefly part of the occupation forces in the Rhineland, 1918/1919.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
unit. It was last assigned to the I Corps, United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
, during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in France. The organization was inactivated in early 1919 as part of the United States withdrawal of forces from Europe after World War I and the demobilization afterwards.
History
Organized in April 1918 as 1st Corps Observation Group. The assigned 1st Aero Squadron was the first American air unit to ever see action in France, being the same unit which served under General John J. PershingJohn J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
as part of the Pancho Villa Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
while chasing Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
into Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1916.
Assigned to the I Corps, United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
, First United States Army. Commenced active operations over the front occupied by the 26th Division, United States Army, between Flirey and Apremont on that portion of the front known as the Toul sector.
The pilots of these squadrons, with one or two exceptions, had never before flown in combat. The group and squadron commanders were in every case men of long experience in training work but had never flown to an appreciable extent under war conditions.
The mission of the group was primarily to keep the friendly command informed of the general situation within the enemy lines by means of visual and photographic reconnaissances.
It was called upon to effect, whenever necessary, the adjustment of our own artillery fire. In addition, it expected that the group would serve to complete the schooling of pilots and
observers and render them more competent to undertake intensive operations elsewhere on a larger and more complete scale.
Was briefly part of the occupation forces in the Rhineland, 1918/1919.
Components
- 1st Corps Observation (Aero) Squadron, Apr–Nov 1918
- 12th Corps Observation (Aero) Squadron12th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 12th Reconnaissance Squadron is a United States Air Force reconnaissance unit based at Beale Air Force Base, near Marysville, California. It is a component of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing and operates the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle...
, May–Nov 1918 - 50th Corps Observation (Aero) Squadron50th Education SquadronThe 50th Education Squadron is a training squadron of the United States Air Force. It is currently stationed at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado.-World War I :...
, Sep–Nov 1918 - 88th Corps Observation (Aero) Squadron, May–Aug 1918
- 90th Corps Observation (Aero) Squadron90th Fighter SquadronThe 90th Fighter Squadron is part of the 3d Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the F-22 Raptor aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
, 13 Jun – 1 Jul 1918; 30 Nov–Dec 1918 - Photographic Section No. 13d Special Operations SquadronThe 3d Special Operations Squadron flies MQ-1 Predator Remotely Piloted Aircrafts and is currently located at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. The 3d SOS is under the command of the Air Force Special Operations Command.-History:...
, Apr–Nov 1918 - N.211 Escadrille, Aéronautique Militaire (Attached), Apr–Nov 1918
Stations
- Saint-MaixentSaint-MaixentSaint-Maixent is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
(Sarthe) (1 January 1918) - ChaumontChaumont, Haute-MarneChaumont is a commune of France, and the capital of the Haute-Marne department. , it has a of 24,039.The city stands on the Marne River and is situated on the railway linking Paris and Basel, which runs over a 52 m tall and 600 m long viaduct built in 1856.- History :Historically the...
(Haute-Marne) (16 January 1918) - AmantyAmantyAmanty is a commune in the Meuse department in the Lorraine region in north-eastern France....
(Meuse) (2 February 1918) - Ourches-sur-MeuseOurches-sur-MeuseOurches-sur-Meuse is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meuse department...
(Meuse) (3 May 1918) - FlinFlinFlin is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France....
(Meurthe-et-Moselle) (13 June 1918) - SaintsSaints, Seine-et-MarneSaints is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-History:Saints appears on early maps as Sanz. It is an agricultural village perched above the Petit Aubetin River....
(Seine-et-Marne) (29 June 1918) - FranchevilleFrancheville, MarneFrancheville is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
(Marne) c. (6 July 1918) - Moras Ferme (near La Ferté-sous-JouarreLa Ferté-sous-JouarreLa Ferté-sous-Jouarre is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne département in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.It is located at a crossing point over the River Marne between Meaux and Château-Thierry.-History:...
(Seine-et-Marne) ) (22 July 1918)
- May-en-MultienMay-en-MultienMay-en-Multien is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
(Seine-et-Marne) (3 August 1918) - CoincyCoincy, AisneCoincy is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
(Aisne) (10 August 1918) - Chailly-en-BrieChailly-en-BrieChailly-en-Brie is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
(Seine-et-Marne) (12 August 1918) - ToulToul-Croix De Metz AirfieldToul-Croix De Metz Airfield is a former military airfield which is located approximately 1 mile northeast of Toul ; 160 miles east of Paris....
(Meurthe-et-Moselle) (22 August 1918) - RemicourtRemicourt, MarneRemicourt is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
(Marne) (20 September 1918) - JulvecourtJuvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France....
(Aisne) (3 November 1918) - Mercy-le-HautMercy-le-HautMercy-le-Haut is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
(Meurthe-et-Moselle) (21 November 1918) - TrierTrier-Föhren AirportTrier-Föhren Airport is an airport serving Trier, a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It located in Föhren, northeast of Trier and approximately southwest of Berlin. The airport supports general aviation, with no commercial airline service available...
, Germany, (6 December 1918)
Engagements
- Champagne-Marne Defensive, 15–18 Jul 1918
- Alane-Marne Offensive, 18 Jul – 6 Aug 1918
- St Mihel Offensive, 12–16 Sep 1918
- Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 26 Sep – 11 Nov 1918
Aircraft
- Spad IXSociété Pour L'Aviation et ses DérivésSPAD was a French aircraft manufacturer between 1911 and 1921. Its SPAD S.XIII biplane was the most popular French fighter airplane in World War I.-Deperdussin:...
(French) - AR-2 (Avion de Reconnaissance) (French)
- Sopwith 1Sopwith Aviation CompanyThe Sopwith Aviation Company was a British aircraft company that designed and manufactured aeroplanes mainly for the British Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps and later Royal Air Force in the First World War, most famously the Sopwith Camel...
(British) - Breguet 14Breguet 14-See also:-References:*Tomasz J. Kowalski, Samolot Breguet 14, TBiU no.197, Warsaw 2002, ISBN 83-11-09461-6...
(French) - Salmson 2.A2Salmson 2|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...
(French) - Airco DH-4B (British)