page_title: III Corps Observation Group
section_title: Third Army Air Service
hierarchical_section_title: III Corps Observation Group / History / Third Army Air Service
caption_attribution_description: English: 1st Aero Squadron Salmson 2A2 observation plane on display equipped for duty over the lines as well as an 2A2 stripped of its canvas showing its methods of construction. Coblenz Air Show, April 1919
context_page_description: The III Corps Observation Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, First United States Army. It was demobilized on 12 May 1919. There is no modern United States Air Force unit that shares its lineage and history.
context_section_description: During the weeks following the signing of the Armistice, the III Corps Observation Group would be the advance corps in the Third Army's march to the Rhine River and the Occupation of the Rhineland.  The Group was re-organized, being relieved from First Army and transferred to the Third Army Air Service on 21 November 1918.  The 88th Squadron which had been active in combat during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive was relieved and transferred to the Third Army VII Corps Observation Group.  The 90th was transferred to the I Corps Observation Group, and remained in France for demobilization, along with a number of Headquarters personnel.
  The 1st Aero Squadron, the senior squadron in the American Air Service, was assigned to the Group for its operations with Third Army on the Rhine.  Corps Air Service Headquarters was moved along with III Corps to the Rhine beginning on 11 November.  It crossed from France into Luxembourg on 21 November, and into the German Rhineland on 1 December.   It arrived at its assigned station, the former Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte (German Air Force) Weißenthurm Airdrome, on 21 December 1918.
  During its period on the Rhine, the Group participated in all maneuvers of Divisions in the III Corps, and a school for infantry and artillery liaison was established.  An extensive training program was organized in Aerial photography, infantry liaison, artillery adjustments, machine guns, infantry drill regulations, map reading and the study of photographs, lectures on the cooperation of aviation with the other branches of the Army. Practice flights included long-distance cross country, photographic missions, formation flying and also, the flying of German aircraft obtained and evaluation of their capabilities and other aspects of their construction.
  On 15 April 1919, four additional squadrons were assigned to the Group from the demobilized First and Second Air services in France.  These were the 24th, 168th and 256th.  With these additional units, the aerodrome at Weißenthurm was expanded. Also plans were made by Third Army AS to place a main Supply Depot adjacent to the airfield at Weißenthurm.
  Between 23 and 27 April, the Group participated in the Third Army Horse-Motor and Aviation Show at Coblenz. The 1st Aero Squadron placed a Salmson 2A2 observation plane on display equipped for duty over the lines as well as an airplane stripped of its canvas showing its methods of construction.  The 1st also won the Airplane photographic race competition, in which in 31 minutes the squadron took areal photos of a specified area and dropped developed and printed photos.   The flight time from Coblenz to Weißenthurm was 31 minutes.  The 1st also won honors in a message dropping contest, making a ground drop of written observation from an aircraft at 500m altitude 10 yards from a panel.  It also displayed its Radio Section which showed the methods of liaison from ground to air and air to ground employed by the Air Service during the War.
  On 12 May 1919 orders were received from Third Army for all squadrons of the Group to report to the Services of Supply 1st Air Depot, at Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome to demobilize for immediate return to the United States. Personnel were subsequently assigned to the Commanding General, Services of Supply and ordered to report to a staging camp in France. There, personnel awaited scheduling to report to one of the Base Ports in France for transport to the United States and subsequent demobilization. The men of the III Corps Observation Group arrived in New York Harbor in mid July 1919. There most of the men were demobilized and returned to civilian life.
caption: 1st Aero Squadron Salmson 2A2 aircraft on display at the Coblenz Air Show, 23–27 April 1919
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